Der Fuehrer's Face (1943)

In hindsight, the whole idea of Donald Duck (voiced by Clarence Nash) being in Nazi Germany, working in a war munitions factory is uncomfortable, because of the dark and trouble history of WW2, even if it's in a nightmare settling. Still, this animation War propaganda short film by Walt Disney Productions and released in 1943 by RKO Radio Picture is laugh out loud funny. I think a lot of modern viewers, mistaken this film, as anti-Semitic, because there has been long rumored that Disney secretly supported the Nazis. I really doubt that, because this short film was obviously made to mock the Nazis, and support the United States in selling War Bonds. I know, Disney welcomed German filmmaker and Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl to Hollywood to promote her documentary film 1938's Olympia, but it's been say that Disney disavowed her political view, claiming that he only champion, her filmmaking styles, when he did invite her. In my opinion, Walt Disney wasn't a racist or had anti-Semitism beliefs, publicly or privately. Yes, he might had made disparaging remarks about blacks or asserted white superiority, but like other white Americans of his generation, he was racially and religionist insensitive. It shows in his early cartoons that he was very insensitive, with ethnic stereotypes. A good example is 1933's Three Little Pigs in which the Big Bad Wolf comes to the door dressed as a Jewish peddler and 1929's The Opry House in which Mickey Mouse is dressed and dances as a Hasidic Jew. Still, none of them, were really that offensive. Even so, Der Fuhrer's face didn't have any Jewish stereotypes to speak off. Nor does it portray, any of the Nazis crime against the Jews. While, most Americans have heard about 1939's Kristallnacht riots against Jewish businesses. A lot of them, like Disney couldn't figure out, how bad the cruelties against the Jews, was, until, much, much later. It wasn't until after the movie release, that word, started to leak out, about Nazis concentration camps. Still, it wasn't until, the camps were liberation, that Americans and European were truly expose to the sights, sounds, and stenches of horrible beyond belief. It was cruelties so enormous as to be incomprehensible to the normal mind. This movie had no mention of the anti-Semitism views of the Nazis. So, for some critics to call it, anti-Semitism, is an understatement. Instead, the movie tackles another thing that Nazis love to do and that's being a police-state style of government. It mocks how Nazi Germany supposedly how it treats its civilians by over-working them and feeding them, poorly. It's true, that the average German, worked 43 hours a week in 1933, and by 1939 this increased to 47 hours a week, but it's not 48 hours, a day, like the cartoon is saying. Surprising, even the United States in 1943, most standard for full-time work in many industries was a 40- or 48-hour week. It was really no-differs. The same with food. During the middle of WW2, most of the German people were still, eating well. It wasn't until 1944, that things went really sour for them and most went hungry. One thing that the movie got right was badly manage, the Nazi's Strength through Joy program was. It kinda collapsed on itself by 1939 and by 1943, many German were not able to take that much of vacations, but it's also worth noting, that Americans at the time, had no such government vacation program and many pro-Union benefits was downsized. In many ways, working in United States during WW2 was just as tough, as working in Nazis Germany. The main different was Americans workers have more freedom to spend their money than the Germans. Anyways, the movie does go over the top, a bit on portraying Germany as Nazi-land with everything was shape like a swastika, but it never goes on the attack on the German people. You don't see, much insulting German stereotypes, just the insane Nazi culture. The cartoon is more offensive with the incredibly racist caricature of the then-Japanese Emperor, Hirohito. This was standard in wartime cartoons, of course, and Warner Brothers was doing far nastier stuff at the time with both countries. I really surprise, how tame, it was, as a propaganda video. It could had, went, much worst. Anyways, the animation is pretty good. I love the song, "Der Fuehrer's Face". It was pretty catchy. Spike Jones & Oliver Wallace did a good job. Originally called "Donald Duck in Nutzi Land," it was retitled when the theme song became a hit. The film won the 1943 Academy Award for Animated Short Film, and was the only Donald Duck cartoon to win an Oscar. However, because of the propagandistic nature of the short, and the depiction of Donald Duck as a Nazi. Disney kept the film out of general circulation after its original release. Its first home video release came in 2004 with the release of the third wave of the Walt Disney Treasures DVD sets. In an attempt to nip misunderstandings, The Disney Wartime Cartoon DVD features non-skippable, non-fast-forwardable commentaries by Jewish film critic, Leonard Maltin, who explains the satirical nature of the cartoon. The BBC did banned the song for a while, because oddly they considered raspberry blowing obscene. The solution was replace it, with kazoo sounds. The song did help influences importation scenes from 1953's Stalag 17 & 2002's Hart's War. The movie continue to influence, many animators as well. A lot of them, went on, to do, many political cartoons. Overall: This film directed by Jack Kinney and written by Joe Grant and Dick Huemer was pretty good. So go see it, and don't forget to throw a tomato at Hitler's face or maybe you shouldn't do that to your TV. Just check it out.

Curiosity brought me to this Disney cartoon since of all the things you probably don't expect to see in them is a reference to Hitler in the title. Within a few seconds that list of "things you don't expect in a Disney cartoon" got a brand new #1 as I saw the sight of Donald Duck wearing the swastika and living in Nazi Germany! Yes this film is a piece of propaganda based around a Mel Brooks-esque song which spoofs the Nazi party anthem. The plot sees Donald living in Germany, working in an ammunition factory and struggling with the demands from his bosses, the limited rations and other conditions.Watching this film years later is an odd experience because it is a very basic and crude affair if you watch it today; it blasts stereotypes and uses nationalistic and racist caricatures in its animations while all the time the visual humor is very much limited to "look at these suckers" style humor (which is reconfirmed at the end). However it isn't really possible to watch it without the context that this is a propaganda film and this is not only to be expected but is actually the whole point. In this regard it does work and I did find parts of it funny and quite imaginative while the song itself is very good. I can understand why Disney kept it out of circulation for so long, since it could have damaged Donald as a character to be seen dressed as a Nazi (albeit to make a point).The thing that surprised me the most is reading that it won the Academy Award that year for best animated short – I am now really curious as to what the other nominees were because I struggle with the idea that this was the best the year had to offer. Of course voting is always political in these things and I guess there is no more worthy political cause to vote with at the Oscars than defeating Nazism – but for sure this is why the short won, not just off the quality.

I have been a huge Disney fan for as long as I can remember, not only of their films and shows but also their silly symphonies. Der Fuehrer's Face is one of their best cartoons, and one of my favourite cartoons ever.The animation is excellent, with great colours and wonderful dark nightmarish images, and the music is also excellent. I loved the jokes and thought they were what lifted the cartoon, for a cartoon that from the title I thought would offend people or cause controversy it is actually outrageously funny not just in the dialogue but especially in the visual gags. Der Fuehrer's Face has a great story too that is relevant and never preachy, I was surprised at how much was fitted in such a short running time, and once again Disney nailed it, and the characters are great fun without falling into caricature. The ending is cute, the voice work is top notch and the pace is never too fast or too slow.So overall, this cartoon is wonderful. 10/10 Bethany Cox

In World War II, a marching band playing "Der Fuehrer's Face" passes by Donald Duck's house. He awakes, has a poor breakfast with stale bread. Then he goes to an army factory where he works in the production of ammunition brainwashed by the Nazi propaganda. Donald Duck has a nervous breakdown with the stressed situation but when he awakes, he finds that he had a nightmare and he actually lives in United States of America.The historical cartoon "Der Fuehrer's Face" is an effective and caustic propaganda in times of war. Despite being dated in 2009, the despair of Donald Duck is still a hilarious fun against the Nazism and tyranny of Hitler. My vote is six.Title (Brazil): Not Available