WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J.–In 1943, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry introduced to the world the story of “The Little Prince”. It was just a short novella with illustrated pictures and character types children often read about, such as kings, animals, and little boys. At the time, no one knew just how touching the story would be between the lines, and that it would resonate with generations of children and adults for years to come.
The story follows a little girl whose life is literally mapped out by her mother in an attempt to lead her daughter towards academic success and become an “essential” member of society. However, when she meets the Old Man who lives next door and he begins to tell her about the story of how he met the Little Prince, her outlook on what is really essential in life starts to become clear.
I can say without any hesitation, “The Little Prince” was one of the most touching and heartwarming animated films I have ever seen. The film appears externally to be created for children, but adults can relate to it as well. The allegorical nature of its characters and objects, such as the stars and the rose, provided the audience with a seemingly simplistic story that is much deeper below its surface. The stories of the girl and the Little Prince build off of one another and are balanced beautifully, leaving viewers thinking about the enchanting tale long after the film is over.
The striking animation is enough to compete with Disney and Pixar. It was so amazing to see two types of animation working together, with computer animation telling the story on the little girl’s side and stop motion animation marking the world of the Little Prince. It was like being transported into two separate worlds with each distinctive type of animation style, and it made for a gorgeous viewing experience.
Can I just say that Hans Zimmer was one of the co-composers for the film’s score and just leave it at that? The movie was originally an animated French film, and the music reflects that classic French style. The music and score were seemingly perfect.
A full analysis as to what each element of the story means in the grand scheme of things could be done here, but it is far better to experience the film with no background knowledge or bias. Finding out what the stars, the rose, the Little Prince, the fox, and everything else mean to each individual viewer is half the enjoyment of the film. Audiences can bring their own experiences to the film and get more out of it than they ever could have imagined.
There is nothing more one could ask for from this movie. It embodies everything that makes film one of the most beloved forms of art. With some of the most beautiful themes ever presented in an animated film, “The Little Prince” will likely live on to be one of the most treasured stories ever written and brought to film.
“The Little Prince” is currently streaming on Netflix.
