The Little Chimney Sweep: A Silhouetted Delight

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, if you have a soft spot for the history of animation, yes. It's short, it's weirdly hypnotic, and it doesn't overstay its welcome. If you want something loud or fast, maybe go watch The Terror instead.

Lotte Reiniger’s work always feels like looking through a window into a different century. The silhouettes are so sharp they almost cut the screen. Every limb movement is stiff but purposeful.

The shadows moving

There is this one moment where the chimney sweep hides, and the way the shadows fold over each other is just magical. No digital tricks here. Just paper, light, and a hell of a lot of patience. It makes you feel like an idiot for ever being impressed by modern CGI.

The plot is paper-thin, but who cares? It’s basically a fairytale structure. You've got the rogues, the kidnapped girl, and the underdog who saves the day. It moves fast enough that you don't really have time to poke holes in the logic of how a chimney sweep outsmarts a gang of grown men.

I found myself staring at the background textures more than the actual characters sometimes. There’s a scratchiness to the edges that reminds you these are physical objects being moved by hand. It’s not perfect. It’s not smooth. That’s exactly why it works.

Sometimes the film feels a bit like A Desperate Adventure in terms of its stakes, though much quieter. It doesn't scream for your attention. It just sits there, being itself.

I did notice the rogues look a bit ridiculous when they run. Like little paper cutouts having a seizure. It’s endearing. You can almost hear the animator’s fingers adjusting the joints in real time. It’s one of those films that doesn't need to be analyzed to death. Just watch the shadows dance and let it be.

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