Review of Fritz the Cat (1972) by Pj P — 19 Jan 2011

Oh wow, far out! Just watched it again and it's still absolutely and without doubt the best cartoon ever (but I'm an old hippy). When I last saw Fritz the Cat it was 1972 and there was another forty years of increasingly hysterical anti drug action and propaganda ('war' on drugs for God's sake!) of ever-decreasing efficacy to come. Who'd have believed it back then? But this was certainly the ascendency of the counter-culture. We couldn't watch it in the town I was in so had to travel to a neighbouring town to see it. Yes folks, towns actually banned it - so of course it became the most successful independent animated film of all time. (Two lesson so far that our leaders fail to learn here.).

Not that Fritz does heavy drugs. He smokes a lot of marijuana (obviously - who didn't?) and although there are needles, Fritz and the 'good' guys don't use them. Well, Fritz drops out and turns on and tries to find himself and that's when he starts his adventures.

If I was younger it is possible that I'd find 'Fritz' a bit dated, but I think it held its years well - though it's difficult to be sure. Itï¿ 1/2(TM)s interesting that 'cool' has survived, in fact revived, these 40 years - as in "'existential', I know that word, it means 'cool'" hee hee.

There may be some racial stereotyping which with which we are now uncomfortable, but if so, it's also true that Duke the Crow is the most genuinely good-willed character in the movie. There may too be hints of a residual sexism which, at the time, we may not have seen (or would we? this was at the height of female liberation). But Fritz is a liberal, and an educated liberal "Weï¿ 1/2(TM)ll see who get lost without whom" he says in the middle of the desert. He may get led astray by Blue, the bad biker bunny for a while, but he does genuinely try to government Blue's violently abused girlfriend.

Mainly though this is still great fun - exuberant and finally triumphant (ok, naughtily triumphant). I am seriously cheered by having watched it again after all these years.