Le Roi et l'Oiseau or the King and the Mocking Bird is a french animated motion picture by Pault Grimault, hitting the screens in 1980. The movie is based on the tale by Andersen The Chimneysweeper and the Shepherdess. It's his director's most successful movie, winning the Louis Delluc price and amazed audiences.
The story takes place in the kingdom of Takicardia where a selfish and hateful king (Charles Five and Three made Eight and Eight made Sixteen) lives in a giant castle. Among all his suite (all obsequious), only a bird dare to make fun of him. The king appears to be in love with a painting of his collection, The Shepherdess. But one night, she try to escape with her lover the chimneysweeper to avoid wedding with the king...
This movie is truly amazing. For a kid it's just a very good animated picture, but for a grew up person, it's more obvious to see all the references in the movie. The tyranny and all what goes with it : Personnality cult, forced work, segregation... Also some references at the masterpieces of art, some statues and some paintings can be easily recognized. Among all of that, the quotes of Jacques Prévert, the wonderful and poignant music of Wojciech Kilar and the layout of Grimault and his team make an unforgettable cocktail of bitter nostalgia. This movie inspired both japanese animators such as Miyazaki for Laputa or american (Iron Giant). If you have the opportunity of seeing it, don't miss it, you won't regret. It's truly a masterpiece of animation.
