Cult Film Review – Ralph Bakshi's "Wizards"

70's Animated Fantasy Blending Social Critique with Unique Visuals

Aug 20, 2008

Bakshi's cult classic explores a post-apocalyptic future in which magic and peace, have flourished - until the discovery of a cache of Axis weaponry and propaganda.

Undergound animator and director Ralph Bakshi, while perhaps not a household name, is well-known to fans of adult animation as the man behind Fritz the Cat and several other notable films such as American Pop and Fire and Ice, a collaborative project with fantasy artist Frank Frazetta. Ralph Bakshi's foray into the world of non-traditional fantasy with the 1977 feature film Wizards was both financially successful as well as refreshing from several artistic standpoints.

Remarkable visuals with distinctly hand drawn animations juxtaposed with rotoscoped stock footage of military battles and propaganda films lends Wizards a distinctly psychedelic or arthouse edge – contrasting heavily with the polished and commercial animation being provided by other animation houses. The blending of hand-drawn animation with rotoscoped backgrounds and imagery is extremely creative and works to further a fantastic, surreal air. Vibrant colours are presented throughout, lending an almost dreamlike quality when necessary, with a gritty edge that evokes a sinister tone.

A true strength of the film, the narrative provided by Bakshi gives us a taste of a world where magic and peace come under assault via the mechanisms of manmade technology, particular machines of war. After nuclear war consumes the Earth, struggle eventually gives way to a peaceful and pastoral way of life.

Two magical brothers, the wisecracking yet kindhearted Avatar and his evil twin brother, Blackwolf – are caught up in a power struggle following the death of their mother, Delia. Blackwolf is defeated by the power of Avatar's magic, and retreats to the dark land of Scortch, inhabited by mutants like himself, fashioned by radiation sickness and genetic mutation.

He there discovers an ancient trove of technology, which is actually a cache of weapons used by fascist forces during the second world war, including reel-to-reel propoganda films that Blackwolf uses to motivate his mutant brethren into a blood frenzy. Armed with tanks, rifles, cannons and the like, Blackwolf marches against the kingdom of peace and magic. While Bakshi himself has stated that this movie is something of an historical allegory, the film also manages to distinguish itself in a broader sense thematically by drawing distinctions between peace and war, mysticism and science, and motive versus outcome.

With a harrowing and ethereal introductory narration by Susan Tyrrell coupled by an inventive and adult oriented plot, Ralph Bakshi's Wizards is one of the most intriguing and unique animated features to date. The voice acting is strong amongst most members of the cast, and the vivid scenery is extremely representative of psychedelic art blended with sword and sorcery iconography. A recommended experience for both child and adult alike, although the latter will likely derive more from the rather unorthodox plot and theme.

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