The Tell-Tale Heart
There have been countless versions of Edgar Allen Poe stories over the past several decades. Some of them do the man justice while others have failed to leave a mark of their own. One the best adaptations of Poe’s writings in my view is from the animated retelling of “The Tell Tale Heart” (1953) by the folks at UPA, the trailblazing studio that redefined animation with its embracement of limited animation for artistic and avart garde purposes. The cartoon was made at the right time as the studio was at their creative peak during the early 1950’s. The animators could have taken the mainstream route by simply watering down the poem to make it more commercial friendly for the audiences. But instead the studio faithfully translated Poe’s story to the screen with all of the author’s macabre themes and suspense kept intact. I believe fans of the story or the author will not be disappointed at all by UPA’s interpretation of it. What makes this short so special and unique is the lack of animation it actually contains. So you’re probably wondering what then is actually visualizing the story if there is little to no animation involved. Simply put it the backgrounds. I know that probably sounds farfetched at first since we watch cartoons for the animation…not the backgrounds or else why would they be called that in the first place. Well UPA wanted to turn that idea over its head by really emphasizing the importance of the background and how it is on the same level of artistic and intellectual effectiveness as the animation. This visual presentation was virtually unheard of for any animated film back in a time when the paintings were always thought to play second fiddle to the work of the animators. The minimal use of animation in the film plays back-up to support and emphasize the graphically detailed backgrounds that serve as the main attraction for the audience. Loony Tunes background artist Paul Julian created the stylized backgrounds which succeed in boldly driving the entire narrative of the picture. They create an uneasy atmosphere of dread and suspense that will give you goosebumps when you are watching it. I want to say he was inspired by the paintings of Expressionist Francis Bacon, whose graphically disturbing and surreal work always remained in our heads for its vivid imagery on the state of humanity. Whether it not that was their intention they nevertheless succeeded. The narration also plays a significant role in drawing our entire attention to the picture. The narrator was the British actor James Mason, who we would all know from playing Captain Nemo in Walt Disney’s classic film “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” (1954). His strong voice is perfectly suited for evoking the narrators’ emotions of fear, madness, and paranoia. The moment when he recites the line about the beating heart makes you jump because he just yells it out of the top of his lungs repeatedly. The scene takes your breath away from the amount of passion he puts into the role. The voice elevates what could have been a tired narration into a full throttled performance. It’s just one of those decisive casting decisions that make you realize no one else could take the role other than the person at the helm.
When the film was released in 1953 it came out as a 3D release during the height of the 3D craze. It was critically acclaimed by the critics and it earned an Oscar nomination as well for that year. The film was also considered very dark and mature to such an extent that in some countries it was labeled with the X rating. It would be the first cartoon in history to be given that role, even preceding by two decades the first X rated animated feature film ever made, “Fritz the Cat” (1972). I would think UPA would be proud of getting that rating because it validated their firm belief that the graphic style and sophisticated content of the picture could carry the day in the end.
