In this post, Jamie Dyer writes about The Snowman, the classic animated short film from 1982, from a millennial perspective.
The Snowman is a film that started a tradition that continues today. Every year, my family and I sit down to watch the annual festive animated short that Channel 4 puts on. The regularity of these films started around ten years ago and has continued to deliver each time. In recent years, there have been excellent memorable adaptations of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, The Tiger That Came to Tea and Mog’s Christmas. None of these would have been possible without the enduring legacy of The Snowman.
What is The Snowman?
The film is an adaptation of Raymond Briggs’ book of the same name. It was directed by Diane Jackson and produced by TVC London. It debuted on Channel 4 in 1982. Howard Blake composed the film’s music, which featured Peter Auty’s uncredited vocals for the song “Walking In The Air.”
The story centres around an unnamed boy who wakes one morning to find snow. He enthusiastically builds a snowman, using coal for eyes and buttons and an orange for a nose. He gives it an old hat and scarf, finishing the day pleased with his efforts. That night, dreamy magic takes him on a snowy adventure with festive encounters.
My Personal Thoughts
I first encountered The Snowman through a charity VHS, which featured a segment of the Father Christmas scene. I watched that snippet countless times. For most of my childhood Christmases I watched an old VHS recording of Father Christmas, the Briggs’ adaptation that spun off from this one. Looking back, it was perhaps the most inappropriate of the two to be obsessed with at a young age.
I had always bypassed The Snowman, believing I had seen its highlights already. The combination of the Father Christmas sequence and the endless clips of flying gave the impression there was nothing more to it. “The overexposure of ‘Walking in the Air’ and the myth about Aled Jones both contributed to my dismissal.”. Upon watching the entire film in my mid-twenties, I recognized my mistake in having underestimated it.
Understanding the Magic
One of the best creative decisions that ensured its timeless appeal, is that they kept Briggs’ distinctive art style. I occasionally feel it hasn’t aged particularly well, but the film has lost none of its charm. Some moments, such as the ascent of flight, remind you that each cell was made by human intervention. No matter how many times I see it, it never fails to bring a tear to my eye. It is cinematic yet small enough not to feel overwhelming.
The magic of this piece isn’t just in those moments of the boy and his snowman flying through the air to a memorable soundtrack. It is built through slow-moving scenes that establish the characters with nuance without ever saying a word, the humour of the Snowman figuring out our world, and the wonderous joy of Snowmen dancing. The Snowman melting at the end of the film, makes you feel like you’ve spent time with a friend. Multiple watches take away the sadness, as you know he’ll be back next year.
Conclusion
It is impossible to miss an airing of The Snowman. It is played constantly throughout the month of December on Channel 4, alongside the modern classics it has inspired. Even though a word of dialogue is never said, the timeless subtlety of the animation speaks for itself. I came late to the magic of The Snowman, but better late than never!
