The Ugly Duckling

English Title: The Ugly Duckling

THE UGLY DUCKLING has two webbed feet firmly planted in the grand tradition of Russian puppet animation. Prolific animator Garri Bardin is the genius behind this reinterpretation of the classic tale by Hans Christian Andersen. A feast for the eyes and ears, it features music adapted from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite and Swan Lake (what else?). Performers include the Russian National Philharmonic Orchestra and a farmyard cast of cluckers and quackers. Our hero is mud-puddle grey and has a long snaky neck, but beneath his unseemly exterior beats a wee little heart of gold. At first the U.D. embraces the totalitarian structure of the coop, singing uplifting songs with all the others in celebration of the glories of the barnyard. But even though he repeatedly outfoxes a fox to save his brother and sister fowl, he continues to be treated as an outcast-these superficial barnyard bullies are really mean. When the nonconformist Duckling observes a wild father goose patiently teaching his son to fly, he realizes it's finally time to take off. (In Russian with subtitles) – B.B.