The Blue Bird – 1940
This movie sure had plenty of visual effects, and some of them were even impressive, though not all of them. And to be sure, it is a good thing I am only judging the film on its effects. If I were critiquing the movie as a whole, this would be a very different review. Half the film seemed to be aimed at four-year-olds, while the other half was aimed at more mature audiences. The movie’s forced wholesomeness was a little tough to swallow. Also, there were too many themes within the film’s narrative that seemed to be Wizard of Oz knock-offs.
But I’m here to talk about the visual effects. First, the movie starts off in color for the opening credits, then changes to black and white for the opening sequence that establishes the lead character. But when the spoiled Shirley Temple goes into her dream sequence, the movie becomes technicolor again. A few color enhanced puffs of smoke from the crotchety, old fairy, Berylune, and the children are dressed, and the cat and dog are changed into humans.
There were a few cheesy effects that showed the dog, played by Eddie Collins, making comical, wire enhanced jumps when he is frightened. And I can’t forget the really silly stunt of him sliding down a long banister, landing on a cushion which slides across the floor, being launched underneath a table where he catches the tablecloth, destroying the contents of the table, knocking over a servant, and finally crashing into a desk, causing a vase to fall on his head. It was clearly accomplished by simply speeding up the film to make it look fast and exciting. But really, it was just cheesy.
Most of the rest of the film’s fantasy elements are brought out in the costumes and production design, until the incredible forest fire. Now this scene was what really earned the film its Best Special Effects nomination. There were falling trees trying to crush the children and their pets, and a magical fire that was actually very impressive! It was huge, violent, and over-the-top, with flames shooting in all directions! The blaze was in front of, behind, and all around the actors. Well done!
The film’s big climactic scene was when the kids are visiting the unborn children of the future. But again, most of this was costume and production design. The final shot of the swan ship sailing away into the glorious sunrise on a sea of mist and cloud looked alright, though I think the moment would have been better served with a brighter and more color saturated sunrise. Still, though the movie’s plot and forced wholesomeness might have had me rolling my eyes, the special effects weren’t bad. Oh, and I also think they should have changed back to black and white after Shirley Temple woke from her dream, no longer a spoiled child, but maybe that might have made the movie too much like the Wizard of Oz, after all.