Der Fuehrer’s Face (1943)
Der Fuehrer’s Face Review
Der Fuehrer’s Face is a 1943 Disney animated short that won an Oscar. It is a very good, famous film, but far from a great one.
Donald Duck has a nightmare in which he is working in Nazi Germany. Yes, this is a propaganda film and I have to say that I always tend to dislike propaganda pictures, no matter which side they take. And this was also troublesome, but I still really liked it as you can’t underestimate its quality and appeal. Donald is absolutely hysterical here as he always is, but he’s also relatable and you feel for the little fellow. His nervous breakdown was well realized and his various frustrated lines here were funny.
The film is quite funny for sure, but it’s also really well crafted with such a good three-act structure and excellent editing. The title song is so catchy and instantly recognizable and the sound effects are great. As for the animation, it is absolutely fantastic, bringing us some of Disney’s most artistic sensibilities as some sequences are quite inspired, especially the later ones. The character design is done in caricature excessively, but the overall animation is fluid and terrific. I had the problem with its ending in which he wakes up and is happy to be living in the USA, that was overly patriotic to my liking. But other than that and the film’s nature, it definitely is a respectable film that earned its status.
