Le Roi et l'oiseau

The King and the Mockingbird, a masterpiece that absolutely captivated me and I missed it on this site for a long time. The story takes place in a kingdom headed by King Charles V +III = VIII +VIII = XVI, he is arrogant, vain, very unpopular with his subjects, and enforces the obedience of the people with an extensive police apparatus. In his secret room he has several paintings, including his own portrait and the portrait of a chimney sweep and a shepherdess. The king in the painting falls in love with the shepherdess and and she the chimney sweep go on the run. The materialized portrait of the king gets rid of the real one and, with the help of the police apparatus, starts to chase the couple in love. During their escape they are helped by a talking bird, who is also the narrator of the story. We gradually get to know the whole kingdom, which looks like a gigantic castle, with shanty towns under its foundations out of the sunlight. It is definitely not a fairytale for children, but a very biting look at social conditions, social injustice and life in a state where the police apparatus has power. Grimault's story is thrilling, touching and tragicomic, wickedly funny and the animation is great! (25/12/2003)