MovieChat Forums > An American Tail (1986) Discussion > Just rewatched after 20+ years

Just rewatched after 20+ years


Having recently watched Fiddler on the Roof, and then sitting down to re watch this for the first time since I was a child, it was apparent to me that what occurs in the beginning is an actual pogrom. The violent destruction and persecution of the Jews in Russia being shown a children's movie is incredible! Don Bluth sure had guts!

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Well, we don't actually see much other than a lot of houses being burnt down. (Considering this is a Don Bluth movie, we actually got off pretty lucky nightmarish-images-wise.)

Supermodels...spoiled stupid little stick figures mit poofy lips who sink only about zemselves.

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Actually this movie might've been a lot more nightmarish had it not been for both Steven Spielberg who saw this as being a kids movie and the cutting down of time for production. This made the movie shorter then it was originally intended to be and it does kinda show if you look at the movie how very cut and paste it is. But the wave monsters was actually meant to be longer, Fievel would've spent a lot more time in the sweat shop, and we would've seen the entire family grieving over Fievel being lost as sea, rather then just a few tears from papa.

Also something that never gets mentioned much and probably gets overlooked because the movie downplays it a lot, but ever notice how many characters are orphans? Papa and Bridget both had their families killed by cats, Tiger lost his family as did Tony, according to the novelization, though its pretty much implied in the movie. Almost every major person in Fievel's life is an orphan and then Fievel nearly becomes one himself.

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Don Bluth sure had guts!


Shame his career ended after this.:(

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Me too. I watched this as a little kid (born in the 80's) I watched this tonight with my daughter. Definitely didn't catch the fact that the mice represent Jews/Italians/Irish immigrants coming to America.

As an adult watching this with my kid, I just cried three times.

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Don Bluth is very underrated if you ask me. He had the balls methinks.

"Eat lead, slackers!"-Mr. Strickland (Back To The Future II)

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