1982's The Snowman sees a gorgeously illustrated book by Raymond Briggs jump into animated life for a haunting twenty minute short film set on a snowy Christmas Eve. It's an obscure choice for me to include so late in the game here, but I was introduced to it for the first time last Christmas and really enjoyed it. It's got an ethereal quality, the images not quite static, not quite fully animated, but summoned from a half conscious place where daylight ends and dreams begin. A young boy builds a snowman in his yard one Christmas Eve, and in a flurry, he comes to life, whisking the young lad away on a dreamy voyage far above the land, off to his homeland where other snowmen like him dwell. It's got one of the most evocative, yet simple scores I've heard in animation, and a transfixing song that drifts across the film's soundscape as the boy and his companion fly through the night, my favourite sequence. David Bowie also provides vague vocals for a character. Perfect for late night Christmas Eve while the fire is low, the night is deep and the snow is falling.
Review of The Snowman
