Looking back on my childhood, the most memorable thing is that as soon as I got home, I couldn't wait to sit in front of the TV and enjoy the half-hour animation time, which was the happiest moment for every child back then.
For many post-70s and 80s, although animation resources were relatively scarce at that time, each one of them can be called classics. Today, we will select 10 classic nostalgic cartoons, which can be called classics and are worth collecting. Although time flies, the fond memories of childhood remain in my heart.
The first "Havoc in Heaven"
Born in 1961 and 1964, the color animated feature film Havoc in Heaven is a classic among Chinese cartoon classics. It has become the childhood memory of generations of Chinese. Duration: 114 minutes, two parts.
"Havoc in the Heavenly Palace" is co-directed by Wan Laiming and Tang Cheng. It is selected from the story of Sun Wukong in "Journey to the West" who made trouble in the Dragon Palace in order to get the golden hoop stick, and after being deceived by the heavenly court, he made trouble in the heavenly palace. The picture scenes are intense, the scenes are spectacular and colorful, the character design draws on the quintessence of Peking Opera, and the music is integrated with rich opera gong and drum elements, full of strong ethnic customs.
The lower part of this cartoon was completed in 1964. However, due to the changes in the literary and artistic policies of that year, the full version of the film was not released. It wasn't until 1978 that the audience saw the full book. In total, the cartoon was distributed in 44 countries and regions. In August 2022, a 4K restored version of the cartoon was unveiled at the 12th Beijing Film Festival.
The film has won a number of domestic and foreign awards. The Associated Press praised the film, commenting: "This film is lifelike, like Fantasia, but it is better than Disney's work." The United States could never have made such a good film. ”
The second "Nezha and the Sea"
As the first widescreen animated feature film, "Nezha in the Sea" is based on "Romance of the Gods", and is known as "China's hand-drawn animation double" with "Havoc in Heaven", with a duration of 65 minutes, and was officially released in 1979. The film revolves around the love-hate entanglement between Li Nezha, the son of Li Jing of Chen Tangguan, and the Dragon Palace of the East China Sea. On the basis of faithfully restoring the original work, using a unique Chinese painting style and opera effect, it can be called a masterpiece of art.
This cartoon has won many awards at home and abroad. In 1979, he won the Outstanding Film Award and the Outstanding Youth Creation Award of the Ministry of Culture. In 1980, it won the Best Art Film Award at the 3rd Hundred Flowers Film Awards, and in the same year, it became the first Chinese-language animated film to appear in Cannes. In 1983, he won the Special Award at the Manila International Film Festival in the Philippines, and in 1988, he won the Jury Award and the Widescreen Feature Animation Award at the Youth International Animation Film Festival of the Bourbolas Cultural Club in France.
To this day, "Nezha in the Sea" is still hailed as the pinnacle of Chinese animated films (the other peak is "Havoc in Heaven"), which represents the highest level in the field of animated films at that time.
Part 3 "The Fisherman"
I remember watching this cartoon on a black-and-white TV when I was a child. "The Fisherman" is a paper-cut animation film based on the folklore of the same name and shot by Shanghai Fine Arts Film Studio in 1959. directed by Wangu Toad. It vividly reproduces the suffering of fishermen after the Opium War due to the policy of the invaders to ban fishing.
The story tells the story of an old fisherman who ventures out to sea under the pressure of life and accidentally obtains a white marble fish basin engraved with the pattern of a fisherman. I didn't expect the fishing pot to be a treasure. This fish pot aroused the greedy desire of the foreign priest, who colluded with the government to take the fisherman to court. In order to protect the fish pot, the fisherman resolutely smashed it. At this moment, a miraculous thing happened, and the fisherman jumped out of the broken fish basin, made a fuss in the court, and threw the foreign priest into the sea. Although the film is only 20 minutes long, it contains a deep and easy-to-understand philosophy of life.
The characters in this cartoon are fascinating, such as the gray-haired old fisherman who is burly and powerful, and the fisherman in the fishing basin is lively and cute. The veteran animator used meticulous artwork and smart music to create this work with a unique style and far-reaching meaning, which has deeply touched several generations with its unique style and profound idea. Even today, decades later, revisiting this film is still a classic.
The fourth "magic pen"
When I was a child, many friends around me wanted to have a magic pen of Ma Liang. "Magic Brush" is a puppet animation produced by Shanghai Film Studio in 1955, directed by Jin Xi and You Lei. The film depicts Ma Liang, a kind and poor young man, who got a magical paintbrush given by the gods, and he used the pen to relieve the worries of the suffering villagers, and at the same time was coveted by corrupt officials. With the help of the legend of Maleonn, the power of justice is emphasized.
This cartoon adopts the traditional puppet show form, with beautiful pictures, fine and vivid characters, lifelike, full of life, and a very distinctive national style. It can be called a rare masterpiece in the animation industry.
"Magic Brush" is the first Chinese animation to win an international award. He has won awards in Venice, Italy, Syria, Yugoslavia, Poland, Canada and other countries. This is also the earliest cartoon in China to go abroad.
The fifth "Brainless and Unhappy"
"Brainless and Unhappy" was released in 1962, directed by Zhang Songlin, Yao Peihua dubbed the character, and was adapted from Ren Rongrong's novel of the same name.
The cartoon vividly depicts two distinct and unique characters, the forgetfulness of "mindlessness" and the emotional nature of "unhappy". When he became an adult, he became an engineer without a brain, and designed a children's palace without an elevator, so that young audiences had to climb the stairs for a month to watch the performance; Through this lesson, the two men are determined to correct their shortcomings. They are still back to their childhood. It's a very hilarious anime that makes people laugh from beginning to end!
The two images of "no brain" and "unhappy" are deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and can be called the representative works of all ages in the golden age of Chinese animation, which are entertaining and educational. As a result, these two words have become common words in people's daily lives.
Part 6 "Snow Child"
"Snow Child" was directed by Lin Wenxiao and dubbed by Ding Jianhua, and was released in 1980.
This film depicts the mother rabbit before going out. Build a snow child for the little white rabbit and play with it, and finally the snow child bravely sacrificed his life to save the little white rabbit. When I watched this cartoon back then, I could always feel a little sad, but it was very warm.
This is a simple, innocent and beautiful story. The joy of the first half and the unforgettable reversal of the second half also shape the soulful and moving artistic appeal of the film. Let everyone who has watched the cartoon firmly remember the snow child. In addition, the perfect combination of music and graphics, as well as the two interludes sung by Zhu Fengbo, add to the emotional depth of the film.
Part 7 "The Story of Avanti"
"The Story of Avanti" was directed by Qu Jianfang and released in 1979. A short animated film of about 30 minutes was first produced, and after the success of the first film, it continued to be made into a series of 14 episodes.
The story features the legendary character Avanti as the protagonist, who loves and hates clearly, and often rides a little donkey to roam around, seeking justice for the people and winning the hearts of the people. There are many similar inspirational stories, and Avanti's great wisdom is also deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.
The play adopts the scene design of the Western Regions, exaggerated character modeling and witty dialogue, and the funny and humorous image of Avanti riding a donkey upside down makes people laugh, making this legendary man with a goatee quickly become a household name.
Part 8 "Three Monks"
Based on a Chinese proverb, "Three Monks" was co-directed by Xu Jingda and Mark Xuan and was released in 1981. In 2022, the restored version of the cartoon will be launched.
The story tells that three monks have no water to drink, but the temple catches fire, so they unite to put out the fire, and finally the three of them work together to lift water from the bottom of the mountain. In this way, the backward concepts existing in the society are revealed, and at the same time, a new social culture of teamwork is advocated.
This cartoon has won the love of a wide audience with its simple, straightforward and entertaining storyline. The background of the animation is completely blank, and the plot is mainly shown by shaping the characters and facial expressions. This simple and vivid expression technique highlights the unique artistic charm of domestic animation.
The ninth "Nine-colored Deer"
"Nine-colored Deer" is an animated film based on the plot of the Dunhuang mural "Deer King Bunsheng", directed by Qian Jiajun and Dai Tielang, and released in 1981.
The film extracts the essence of Dunhuang murals in the style of ancient Chinese Buddhist art, and tells the story of the nine-colored deer repeatedly helping people to save people. However, the snake charmer, who had been favored by him, betrayed him and told the king about the whereabouts of the nine-colored deer. The nine-colored deer escaped with divine power, and the snake charmer finally suffered the consequences. The story is legendary and beautiful, attracting people to the mystery and magnificence of the Dunhuang desert.
This is a cartoon with oriental colors, and "Nine Colored Deer" uses artistic techniques to perfectly expound humanistic concepts such as goodness and cause and effect. It conveys humanistic concepts such as goodness and cause and effect. Musically, the fusion of opera music and folk music has a unique charm. As a classic animation of the 70s and 80s of the 20th century, this work has successfully carried forward the traditional art of China.
Part 10 "Strange Tales from the Book of Heaven"
"Book from Heaven" is adapted from part of "The Legend of the Ping Demon", co-directed by Wang Shuchen and Qian Yunda, released in 1983 and widely acclaimed. In 2021, a 4K commemorative version will be launched, landing on the big screen for the first time.
The storyline revolves around Yuan Gong in the Heavenly Palace stealing the Book of Heaven and burning it in a stone cave, but unexpectedly being stolen by three foxes. After the calligraphy on this day, the fox harmed the world. In the end, the egg born from a swan egg transformed into a human form, after learning the law, teamed up with Yuan Gong to defeat the fox demon, but Yuan Gong was arrested by the heavenly court for leaking the heavenly secrets.
The characters in the film are distinctive, well-made, the music is exquisite, the plot is full of ups and downs and humorous elements, which can be said to be appreciated by both the elegant and the vulgar. It is particularly worth mentioning that this cartoon was created by the famous painter Ke Ming, and many of the character designs borrowed from the characteristics of Peking Opera characters, which has a strong Chinese charm. Therefore, from all aspects, "Book from the Sky" can be called the pinnacle of domestic animation, and it is also one of the classic animation works in the hearts of a generation of Chinese people.
Before the nineties of the last century, there were too many excellent domestic cartoons, they were not only beautiful and distinctive, but also after watching each cartoon, it was always thoughtful and unforgettable. At the same time, I have to sigh at the ingenuity of the artists.
In your mind, which cartoon makes you the most memorable?