Flying Dreams
There is just something about “The Secret of NIMH” (1982) that stays in your head while growing up. It has the look and feel of a Disney film; however, it isn’t quite so when all things are considered. The story-line is very dark and puzzling to any kid like me who watched it on one of those lazy afternoons through cable. Yet the more times you watched the film over the years the more you came to love and respect it for what it truly was. Of course we are talking about Don Bluth’s very first animated film which is one of my personal favorites.
NIMH is not only Bluth’s finest animated film but it is also deservedly one of the most important animated films ever made. Here was a cartoon of pure passion and conviction that was willing to make gambles with its story at a time where hardly any mainstream animated film was willing to do so. The movie effectively demonstrated that it was possible for a beautifully animated film to be created outside the gates of Walt Disney’s storied animation studio…a scenario that was once thought to be impossible to achieve. Most significantly, however, Bluth and his team of dedicated animators successfully revived the classical aesthetics of the Golden Age of Animation that would in turn plant the seeds for the Animation Renaissance to emerge by the end of the decade.
NIMH has to be understood as a reaction to what was occurring behind the scenes at the Disney Studios during the 1970’s. There was a contentious and bitter rift among the animators as they argued over what direction Disney Animation should take in the years following Walt’s death. One of the factions was led by Don Bluth, who was seen by studio management as the heir apparent to head the animation department. Bluth believed that the only way to reignite the studio’s cartoons was to artistically look towards its past with meatier and darker storylines to tell. The classical direction NIMH took was how Bluth strongly felt Disney animation should follow suit. In fact Bluth initially pitched the film to Disney, but the studio heads turned it down because of its dark subject matter.
Bluth had gradually become disenchanted by his employer’s abandonment of classical animation techniques in favor of cheaper and uninspired animation methods. The economic measures the studio enforced did not benefit the animators’ work nor did it achieve the level of beauty that was seen under Walt’s careful eye. The management, in spite of this situation, kept slashing the budgets and production schedules for their animated films which had an adverse effect on reducing the quality of their product. The full potential of cartoons like “Robin Hood” (1973) was never truly realized as they fell under the hatchet due to these harsh austerity measures.
The most disturbing problem regarding Disney’s animated films was that they were largely telling the same story with a lack of imagination. Not every film Walt did was perfect, but when he was around the man was all for pushing the envelope and having fun with his works. The animated and live action films following his death by contrast played it very safe with their stories. The works were largely bland and predictable affairs perceived not just by the audiences and critics but by the animators who worked on them as well.
So there was a creative hunger amongst the Bluth gang to create a Disney animated film with a complexity and gravitas that was severely lacking at the Mouse House. But the boldness they acquired could only be fully explored when outside the studio’s narrow-mindedness. I believe they saw through Ralph Bakshi years ago that by going independent you could challenge and change the mainstream mindset of the animation industry. The parting of the ways from Disney, however, brought an even bigger challenge for the Bluthies to contend with. The crew worked under an even tighter budget and schedule that was a mere fraction of what the usual Disney cartoons were made. In the end though they created a film that was more true to Walt Disney's spirit than his own company's contemporary works.
The classic animated films of Walt Disney often had strong characters we sympathized with throughout their trials and triumphs. Arguably the strongest aspect of NIMH is the character of Mrs. Brisby, who is far apart from the typical heroine expected from a Disney film. Brisby is a very different type of protagonist in the art form as she is a widower and single mother of three children. The story shows it is almost a daily struggle for her to maintain her family while still dealing with the devastating loss of her husband. She breaks down from time to time and even questions herself if she can actually go on with this way of life.
Brisby is not an individual who longs to be free from her sterile environment as past Disney heroines have done. By contrast the mother is rather meek and introverted in her nature and really does not want to get involved in any serious shit. Another fascinating thing to note is that Brisby does not depend nor is she saved by a man in the end of the film. The search for true love is not even on her agenda for that matter. We know any film can clumsily mishandle this angle and make it into a lousy in-your-face feminist story. But NIMH is feminist without overtly claiming to be so because Brisby is a brave and courageous woman who puts her life on the line not to make a point about identity, but to save her children from certain death. In that context the film is one of the strongest feminist animated films in the art form.
Brisby is unique in the sense that she is not meant to be a hero in the first place. The character is acutely aware of that fact as she goes through the “baptism by fire” that is her journey. This insecurity and vulnerability makes her gradual yet subtle changes as a character all the more believable for us to relate to as none of us are meant to be heroes either. Ultimately Brisby serves as the emotional glue that holds the entire story together. Elizabeth Hartman’s warm and softly spoken voice is a major factor in making the character such a truly genuine and sincere creature. Personally Brisby is one of the strongest and most effecting female characters I have ever seen in any animated film to this day.
The story of NIMH covers a lot of deep themes that would normally be seen in a Bakshi film but seldom observed in a mature family film. It is very interesting to see how Bluth juxtapositions science and faith throughout the story as the ideas give the film a strong sense of duality. At the same time there is an ongoing philosophical debate amongst the rats regarding their future as a society. Should the creatures forgo their animal nature and evolve as man has done in history? Or should they continue to live like beasts in spite of the introspective intelligence they have gained?
The film does not answer every question. Inquires remain unsolved as to how many species outside the rats were used by the scientists and the true extent of the mystical powers used by some creatures of the forest. Then there’s the unspoken class system that has been developed between the animals who have evolved and those who were not exposed to the experiments. But in doing so it creates a mysterious aurora around the story which only makes the film all the more fascinating to watch and observe.
Death is a major threat in the world of the animals. The sequence involving the creatures panicking over the farmer’s tractor eerily echo the haunting imagery of the hunters’ emergence in the forest during “Bambi” (1942). There is even a bloody sword fight between the conniving Jenner and noble Justin which leads to the antagonist being stabbed in the chest. Like the aforementioned Disney film mankind is the ultimate villain of the story through NIMH, which stands for the National Institute of Mental Health. The inhumane testing of the animals conducted in their laboratory is depicted for what it truly represents…ANIMAL ABUSE.
There are some rough patches with the plotting of NIMH. The revelation of Jonathan Brisby’s ability to remain young was not given the time it needed to be fully explained to the audience and is not mentioned again. A romance or flirtation between Mrs. Brisby and Justin was briefly hinted at in the movie, but it becomes as a missed opportunity since the issue is never fully addressed. The film does have some pacing issues with a few scenes that drag down the picture a bit.
Speaking of which, Bluth could not escape from some of the bad habits of the Disney Studio at the time. As much as I love the animation of Jeremy the Crow, his scenes run a bit too long for their own good and should have been edited down to tighten the plotting. I thought Don Deluise was perfect for the crow, but his performance is more in line with the Phil Harris model where the actor dictates the character. All these minor flaws however do not diminish the impact or power of the story as the film itself is filled with so much depth and insight.
Say what you will of Bluth’s storytelling perspective, but his animation mindset and skills are impeccable. While the two look the same what really separates Bluth animation from Disney is how the characters move and react. There is a rubbery and elastic quality to the drawings that allow the characters to react more expressively and freely. It is just so fucking awesome to watch these characters move about in that manner because their poses and facials distinctively stick out in our mind. It also helps that the character designs are rougher and angular then the rounded cookie cutter designs usually favored inside the Mouse House.
The intricately detailed art direction is a throwback to the lavishly complex backgrounds made during the 1930’s and 40’s. They do not at all resemble the Xerox backgrounds used by Disney at the time. The layouts for the background are visually dynamic and the color schemes applied are lush in their saturation and tone. Scenes like Brisby’s entrance into the domain of the rats just take your breath away when you first look at them. The same goes for the special effects animation which are breathtaking. The use of an old school technique like back-lighting gave the sparks and glows seen in the film a luminosity that was stunning for its time and remains so to this day. The climax involving Mrs. Brisby saving her family with the amulet ranks as among the most beautiful animated scenes in the history of the art form.
Bluth keenly understood that the film not only had to have a compelling story but it needed to have a strong soundtrack playing with it as well. He chose the legendary composer Jerry Goldsmith to create the score and it would prove to be the perfect marriage between animation and music. The composer’s music is a much needed breath of fresh air for animated films of the era. Goldsmith adds to the film through his score a scope of grandeur and majesty that you will not find in the typical Disney film of the 1970's and 80's. The movie by the intention of the crew is not a musical comedy. But it does contain one song called “Flying Dreams”, which was written by the famed songwriter Paul Williams. It is a lovely lullaby beautifully sung by Mrs. Brisby that perfectly illustrates the love she has for her children.
While “The Secret of NIMH” would have been liked by Walt the film was sadly not the success in the box office the Bluth animators had hoped for. Yet the film nevertheless ignited an epiphany with those who had seen it during its limited release in theaters. It reminded audiences that animation could be a mature art form with memorable characters, beautiful imagery, and profound messages. Disney could no longer claim the mantle as the leader of animation to the critics. Now it was Don Bluth who would wear the crown for the rest of the decade. People in the industry took note of this moment. Among them was Steven Spielberg, who wanted to collaborate with Bluth on future projects. The seeds of the Animation Renaissance were now firmly planted, waiting to grow forth…
