From 6 years
One beautiful spring morning in Florida, the animals of a traveling circus wake up to find the birth of their babies, who have been carefully brought to them overnight by storks. Only Madame Jumbo, the troop’s female elephant, has yet to hear about the baby. As the circus train begins to move again, it is finally visited by a late stagecoach. The small elephant he brings, however, sports abnormally large ears, which quickly make him the laughingstock of his peers.
Under the benevolent gaze of his mother and with the help of the faithful Timothy – a mouse who quickly becomes his friend – little Dumbo will have to take his first steps in the sometimes cruel and merciless world of the circus.
A providential film made during a particularly difficult time for Disney, Dumbo is one of the diamonds in the rough that the studio cut early in its history. The company’s fourth animated classic (after Snow White, Pinocchio and Fantasia), the now famous story of The Little Flying Elephant was originally conceived as a short, adapted from a fairy tale by Helen Aberson.
Thanks to the persistence of the screenwriters, Walt Disney finally agreed to make it into a feature film, but since the war was raging around the world and the studio’s two previous films were commercial disappointments, he only gave Dumbo a very small budget.
Regardless of the circumstances, and perhaps even in their favor, the end result is stunning. If Dumbo’s animation is admittedly a little lower than what Pinocchio could muster, the new jewel of the Enchanted Kingdom gets straight to the point and hits the bullseye without burdening himself with the slightest bit of artifice.
Simple, effective and irresistibly moving, Dumbo makes perfect use of Walt Disney’s famous principle that for every laugh there should be a tear. The film even goes so far as to offer one of the most touching scenes in the studio’s history: the one where a baby elephant visits its mother, held captive in a trailer, their trunks tenderly caressing with a cute voice. a lullaby
One hour and four minutes (no more) will be enough to discover the shortest masterpiece of the Disney studio.
What will you like…
- An animation of a baby elephant whose movements and expressions are directly inspired by Bill Tytla’s young son, who is responsible for bringing the beloved character to life.
- Little Mouse Timothée, voiced by the great Roger Carell, who is therefore to Dumbo what Jiminy Crick was to Pinocchio
- All the animals of the circus (tigers, giraffes, kangaroos, monkeys and hippos) are animated with the usual humor and talent of Disney artists, which are sure to amaze the youngest viewers.
What could be bothering them…
- A psychedelic scene from The Elephant March in which Dumbo hallucinates after accidentally swallowing champagne. A particularly surprising and even disturbing scene
- The tragic separation between Dumbo and his mother is likely to result in a few tears. Even if everything works out in the end, the plight of the little elephant is sometimes very sad.
(Re)discover our video dedicated to ‘Dumbo’…
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
