This is my reflection blog post for Assignment 1 in our Animation Discourse module.
Overall, I found this first assignment to be very beneficial for getting us back into research projects in relation to animation history. My group overall communicated well and collaborated well with each other, and being provided with articles as sources helped to give us an easy base to work from, also allowing us to focus on one particular detail with the research question we pursued. I also found working in groups to be easy as we were able to divide the work up evenly enough between us.
As for our chosen article, titled “Between Art and Propaganda: The Rise of Polish Animation 1946–1956”, I did not expect to be working on a more history focused topic as its not usually my strong suit as I prefer to look at the practices and developments of animation itself rather their historical relevance politically. However, I decided to take it as a challenge that turned out to be quite informative, leaving me feeling proud of the work I put into the assignment and with how I gave the presentation to the class.
In addition, due to our article’s more facts-based topic, I felt that focusing on points outlined in our assignment such as strengths and weaknesses of the article itself and if we agree with the author would be ill-suited for our presentation as it is more of a document of real history , rather than an opinion-based article on art, so we decided to go with more of an essay format over opinion based points.
Below are the full paragraphs I had written for my portion of the presentation, along with the reference images I used in my presentation slides.
Point 4
Animation achievements were also quashed by ideologists in Poland at the time as authorities deemed animation as best for children education and contemporary themes were “unsuitable for propaganda purposes” (Oczko, 2023), the issue being treated very seriously. This is evidenced through how “the only legitimate method of creative work was that originating in the USSR, i.e. socialist realism”(Oczko, 2023), and with how animation was a “platform for ideological indoctrination”(Oczko, 2023) and “an important factor in the social class struggle”(Oczko, 2023). The political authorities’ goals at the time were to use animation to fully establish the socialist realism doctrine in the minds of the polish youth, treating the medium as a “battle ‘for the child’s soul’” (Brzechwa, 1952 cited in Oczko, 2023). As a result, many films were rejected despite filmmakers working within guidelines, alluding that the government did not communicate with the workers or have a hand in the actual productions, only approving the end content. Thus, creative efforts of the filmmakers were effectively silenced by an unclear enactment of the socialist realism government.
The formal approach to animation that was strictly enacted also negatively impacted industry creativity through the over usage of dialogue to explain the messaging. This can be seen in the black and white cartoon “Wilk i niedźwiadki”, or “The Wolf and the Bear Cubs” (1950). In this production, many of the visuals were inspired by “common style of children’s book illustrations”(Oczko, 2023) and dialogue had played a big role as it was used to enhance the impact of the imagery. However, it can be argued that this is the reverse of how animation should be pushed. Animation is at its core a visual medium, however the oversimplified content created under socialist realism made “the message so clear that it [was] virtually impossible to misunderstand” (Oczko, 2023) which was “against the filmmaker’s intentions” (Oczko, 2023). It’s also noted that moral messages only became more noticeable in later productions, which the author of the article theorizes is due to both the filmmakers wanting the studio’s survival, and that some “believed in the idea of a socialist state” (Oczko, 2023) promised in their works. Thus, despite studios being able to function under socialist realism, it was held back in creating true engaging content for children at the time due to being more focused on politics rather than animation as an art form.
Fig. 1Point 5
Moreover, attempts at influencing children can be seen in the moral messages aimed at glorifying labour over rest through a childhood framework. This is seen with the film “Wspólny dom”, or “A common home” (1951), another film with a “strong ideological message” (Oczko, 2023) with lyrical songs aimed at children. The film portrays “an atmosphere of joy” (Oczko, 2023) as a group of toys collectively work, the film focusing on an individual clown who after challenged by the struggles in life, joins the toy collective. Pushing the idea that following the group is a positive mindset. It’s stated that “from its very beginnings, animation has been used as a convenient channel to transmit ideology” (Bobrowski, 2019), and thus implementing childhood elements that kids are familiar with helped to strengthen the morals of socialist realism being taught in this era of animation.
Fig. 2
Fig. 3In addition, the morals of socialist realism were also pushed using animation to tell a more realistic narrative based on trends at the time in Poland. The main point of reference is the film “O Heniu leniu”, or “O lazy Henry” (1951), a film about a young boy not being allowed to visit his miner uncle, an “extremely desirable”(Oczko, 2023) position for the time, due to falling behind in his studies. The main goal of the production was to “ideologically form children by stigmatizing laziness and glorifying labour and its effects” (Oczko, 2023). The subject matter is effective as it not only focuses on a family lifestyle that most children most likely grew up with in Poland during the time, but it also shows the outcomes the government promised with socialist realism through an industrial landscape as a part of its propagandistic messaging. Hence, touching upon a subject matter with animated humans over toys shows how powerful the portrayal of human life is in animation and its influential abilities on impressionable children through portrayals based on the socialist realist society itself.
Fig. 4Reference List
- Bobrowski, M. AGH University of Science and Technology Press (2019) Propaganda, Ideology, Animation. Twisted Dreams of History. Available at: Propaganda-Ideology-Animation-Twisted-Dreams-of-History.pdf (etiudaandanima.pl) (Accessed: 11/02/24)
- Brzechwa, J (1952), W sprawie filmów dla dzieci (Na marginesie narady filmowej) (On children’s films, Notes on the Film Conference). Trybuna Ludu, p. 88
- Oczko, P. (2023) Between Art and Propaganda: The Rise of Polish Animation 1946–1956, Sage Journals, Volume 18 (Issue 2)
- O Heniu leniu (1951) Lachur, Z. & Wajser, W. [Screen Grab]. Studio Filmów Rysunkowych (Bielsko-Biała)
- Szancer, J ,M. (1955). Available at: Children’s Books in Poland: The 1950s – 50 Watts (Accessed: 13/02/24)
- Wilk i niedźwiadki (1950) Wajser, W. [Title]. Studio Filmów Rysunkowych (Bielsko-Biała)
- Wspólny dom (1951) Lachur, Z. & Kubata, P. [Screen Grab]. Studio Filmów Rysunkowych (Bielsko-Biała)