The Insects' Christmas is interesting in that this may be one of the earliest depictions of the winter holiday in animated form I've ever seen. Certainly of the stop-motion puppet version. The fact that Father Christmas invites both insects and frogs to the celebration shouldn't be surprising since filmmaker Ladislaw Starewicz made both The Cameraman's Revenge (1912) and The Frogs Who Wanted a King (1922). Kids may by bored by both the silence and black-and-white photography but it's at least worth a look for animation enthusiasts and Starewicz completists. This and the other shorts I mentioned is available on Milsetone Film and Video's The Cameraman's Revenge and Other Fantastic Tales DVD distributed by Image Entertainment.
8 Reviews
"The entire insect family has accepted Father's invitation"
ackstasis13 June 2007
Wladyslaw Starewicz was the father of Russian animation, his highly-imaginative stop-motion insect short films drawing universal acclaim, with his most popular work probably being 'Mest kinematograficheskogo operatora / The Cameraman's Revenge' of 1912. 'Rozhdestvo obitatelei lesa / The Insects' Christmas' was produced the following year, and it is a cheery seven-minute animated Christmas film, emphasising the importance of the holiday as a time to get together and enjoy oneself. The film begins when Father Christmas suddenly awakens during the night of Christmas Eve and clambers down his decorated tree, exiting into the frosty holiday snow to hold a gathering for the "forest children."
Starewicz draws on all his favourite stop-motion creatures in this one, with Father Christmas inviting Miss Dragonfly, a ladybug, a grasshopper and an assortment of other beetles and insects to his gathering around the Christmas tree. Even the lanky Mr. Frog gives Father Christmas the honour of his company, though it doesn't take long before Mr. Frog gets into a feud with a beetle over the ownership of a particularly large present. Nonetheless, the general purpose of the film is to promote kindness and togetherness on Christmas, and it's certainly a worthy moral, far removed from the darkly humorous and cynical outlook of 'The Cameraman's Revenge.'
Particularly interesting, I thought, was how well 'The Insects' Christmas' was able to create the atmosphere of a bitter winter's night. Aside from the windswept, snowy background that Starewicz must have created, the film takes place entirely against a blue tint. The result is that, even just watching the film, with Father Christmas' robes billowing in the wind, I was starting to feel chilly. The quality of the stop-motion animation is as good as ever, with the insects almost moving naturally (despite walking upright), though Mr. Frog did appear a bit ungainly.
Starewicz draws on all his favourite stop-motion creatures in this one, with Father Christmas inviting Miss Dragonfly, a ladybug, a grasshopper and an assortment of other beetles and insects to his gathering around the Christmas tree. Even the lanky Mr. Frog gives Father Christmas the honour of his company, though it doesn't take long before Mr. Frog gets into a feud with a beetle over the ownership of a particularly large present. Nonetheless, the general purpose of the film is to promote kindness and togetherness on Christmas, and it's certainly a worthy moral, far removed from the darkly humorous and cynical outlook of 'The Cameraman's Revenge.'
Particularly interesting, I thought, was how well 'The Insects' Christmas' was able to create the atmosphere of a bitter winter's night. Aside from the windswept, snowy background that Starewicz must have created, the film takes place entirely against a blue tint. The result is that, even just watching the film, with Father Christmas' robes billowing in the wind, I was starting to feel chilly. The quality of the stop-motion animation is as good as ever, with the insects almost moving naturally (despite walking upright), though Mr. Frog did appear a bit ungainly.
Adorable and pleasant little silent film
planktonrules19 November 2006
This Christmas film is nearly 100 years old, but it still bears watching today since it was so well-made originally and is awfully cute. The film begins with a Father Christmas ornament coming to life and climbing down the Christmas tree. It then makes its way outside to magically create a Christmas tree for the insects and a frog! All of this is done using excellent stop-motion filming and it is exceptionally smooth and high quality. The entire film is only about six minutes long but the pacing seems absolutely perfect.
Oddly towards the end of the film, you see the words "Merry Christmas" above the bugs' Christmas tree but this is written in German. While the inter-title cards could easily be written is a variety of languages, this phrase was made on the film itself. Since it is apparently a Russian-made film, this just took me by surprise.
Oddly towards the end of the film, you see the words "Merry Christmas" above the bugs' Christmas tree but this is written in German. While the inter-title cards could easily be written is a variety of languages, this phrase was made on the film itself. Since it is apparently a Russian-made film, this just took me by surprise.
Pleasant Animated Feature
Snow Leopard17 August 2004
This is a pleasant animated feature by the stop-action pioneer Wladyslaw Starewicz. It's not so remarkable when compared to his own finest movies, but in itself it is an agreeable and good-natured feature, and it is done with his usual skilled craftsmanship.
The idea of the story is simple, with an animated Father Christmas ornament planning a Christmas celebration for some forest creatures. There isn't a lot in terms of a story line, but there is a good variety of Starewicz's detailed animal puppets, and some interesting settings. Overall, "The Insects' Christmas" is not as interesting as his best films, but it does feature the kind of carefully crafted animation that you would expect from him.
The idea of the story is simple, with an animated Father Christmas ornament planning a Christmas celebration for some forest creatures. There isn't a lot in terms of a story line, but there is a good variety of Starewicz's detailed animal puppets, and some interesting settings. Overall, "The Insects' Christmas" is not as interesting as his best films, but it does feature the kind of carefully crafted animation that you would expect from him.
Santa, the bugs, and the frog
lee_eisenberg5 January 2017
One of Władysław Starewicz's shorts features a Santa ornament coming to life and making Christmas for various forest animals. "Rozhdestvo obitateley lesa" ("The Insects' Christmas" in English) is nothing special, but it's neat seeing the stop-motion work from animation's infancy. My favorite scene is when Santa (or Father Christmas, as the short calls him) whips up the Christmas tree. It just goes to show that animation doesn't have to be "cute". If you ask me, these shorts are more interesting that these animated features starring the celebrities of the moment.
Worth seeing. Check it out.
Worth seeing. Check it out.
Charming little animated Christmas tale
Red-Barracuda29 March 2012
This Wladyslaw Starewicz film must surely be one of the first examples of a festive movie. In it a Father Christmas ornament comes to life and descends a Christmas tree. He then travels to the forest and conjures up a little Christmas tree. Several insects and a frog are invited to approach the tree and celebrate the spirit of Christmas themselves.
This animated feature recalls another Starewicz film, the insect based Cameraman's Revenge. It would be only fair to say that this one is not up to the standard of that bizarre classic though. It doesn't have the same level of surrealism and is less imaginative. It has a much sweeter message and is more clearly aimed at a family audience. That said this remains an extremely charming and well-crafted little flick. Its Christmas ambiance is very nice and it has warmth without being schmaltzy. The blue tint used gives it a certain winter fell too. These insect films by Starewicz really are something that every fan of animation should take time out to see.
This animated feature recalls another Starewicz film, the insect based Cameraman's Revenge. It would be only fair to say that this one is not up to the standard of that bizarre classic though. It doesn't have the same level of surrealism and is less imaginative. It has a much sweeter message and is more clearly aimed at a family audience. That said this remains an extremely charming and well-crafted little flick. Its Christmas ambiance is very nice and it has warmth without being schmaltzy. The blue tint used gives it a certain winter fell too. These insect films by Starewicz really are something that every fan of animation should take time out to see.
First Animated Christmas Movie In Cinema
springfieldrental9 May 2021
Christmas time is always filled with animated films playing on TV and in the movie theaters. Whether they're cartoons, stop-motion animation or Pixar CGI, holiday-themed pictures fill the airwaves to the delight of giggling children and mesmerized adults. The very first animation movie with a Christmas theme to amaze its viewers was produced in December 1913's "The Insects' Christmas," by Russia's Wladyslaw Starewicz (or in Russian--Ladislas Starevich). Starewicz gutted bugs and, by using a laborious method of stop-motion effects, where he moved the little critters ever-so-slightly to take a single still frame among thousands of shots, he created a pioneering film by introducing a Christmas film using non actors.
Starewicz's remarkable work also literally defies gravity. He shows the coat of Father Christmas flapping in the breeze as he wakes up the insects from their long winter's nap to celebrate the holiday. The animator also makes a doll, standing in for a child sleeping besides the Christmas tree, look realistic in her movements. For an added measure, Starewicz includes a lanky frog partying merrily with alongside the insects whom he would normally be catching with his tongue for a tasty meal.
Starewicz's remarkable work also literally defies gravity. He shows the coat of Father Christmas flapping in the breeze as he wakes up the insects from their long winter's nap to celebrate the holiday. The animator also makes a doll, standing in for a child sleeping besides the Christmas tree, look realistic in her movements. For an added measure, Starewicz includes a lanky frog partying merrily with alongside the insects whom he would normally be catching with his tongue for a tasty meal.
Genre not yet ready
Horst_In_Translation3 June 2016
Warning: Spoilers
"Rozhdestvo obitateley lesa" or "The Insects' Christmas" is a black-and-white silent film from over 100 years ago, even if there exist tinted versions. It is a Russian 7-minute movie by Wladyslaw Starewicz who is certainly considered one of the most impactful filmmakers from that time back then, especially when it comes to animation. Unfortunately, the genre was not yet ready for Starewicz' mind at that time and the possibilities simply weren't there to make a quality animated film. The only reason I can think of why this one is worth a watch may be to see how different it is compared to American filmmaking from the 1910 and animated filmmaking in the decades afterward. I am really generous with my 4/10 rating here. It is not good at all, but you can't really blame the maker, just the time and technology.
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