Promoting Good Animation: The Little Match Girl (2006)
While Disney’s more famous adaptation of a story by Hans Christen Andersen is The Little Mermaid, the 2006 short that was featured as a bonus feature on The Little Mermaid’s DVD re-release captures the true pain and sadness that Andersen wrote in his books and short stories.
The style is reminiscent of Disney’s traditional style of 2D animation, looking right at home in Disney’s collection of animated features.
As she tries to keep herself warm on the cold streets of Russia, she ends up lighting the matches she’s trying to sell. The lighting of the matches is used to transfer the girl and the viewer to her memories of a happier, definitely warmer time, celebrating Christmas with food and family. There is a tone transfer as well, as the girl goes from darkness and cold blues and greys to light and warm reds and oranges.
The film has no dialogue, and uses the score of Nocturne by Alexander Borodin to navigate the story of the girl. It’s a somber but sweet soundtrack that shares the emotions of the girl and the viewer alike.
The combination of the animation and the score progress through the tragic story of the Little Match Girl, and her ultimately melancholy end.
