If you’ve made it past the thumbnail (which is as it is on YouTube) and the warning in the title, you might have the stomach to bear today’s topic. In fact, you might have even heard of the nuclear war cartoon we are going to be talking about today.

You might’ve heard that, in 1986, there was an animated movie released called When the Wind Blows, a film based on a comic by renowned author Raymond Briggs. It is a harrowing story about two people who are forced to survive the effects of a nuclear winter and…

Let’s stop there.

To be clear: we are not going to be talking about When the Wind Blows today. In my humble opinion, When the Wind Blows doesn’t even come close to the horror of the much older nuclear war cartoon film we are going to be discussing today. It may not be a long film, but for me at least, it is just as gut wrenching, and certainly more horrific than that 1986 film ever came close to (that of course is subjective, and you are perfectly fine to disagree with that assessment, it is simply my personal opinion). Think you got the stomach for that? Then buckle up…

This is the story, of A Short Vision.

Overview

Before getting deep into this subject, it is probably worth noting that the short film is made available on YouTube courtesy of the British Film Institute (BFI) and is only just over 6 minutes long, but be warned: it is gruesome, heart-wrenching and not for the squeamish, so watch at your own risk.

The basic plot of this film is a narrative about the detonation of a nuclear bomb over a city, told through the eyes of animals and humans alike, full of symbolism of how innocent and beautiful creatures and people are wrapped up in the devastating effects of war even if they take no part in it.

The film begins with ‘it’ (presumably a bomber plane) flying over the countryside. The narrator comments on how the various animals take note of ‘it’, seemingly understanding the nature of it, and fleeing (predator and prey alike abandoning each other to pursue a hiding place). [side note: it should be noted that it’s not made clear where the events of the film is taking place, given that it appears to have a diverse array of wildlife, but that may be making the point of nuclear war affecting anywhere on the planet]

Eventually, ‘it’ arrives over the city. It is explained that the city is asleep, showing innocent men, women, children and older people fast asleep.

However, the film then takes a horrific turn: the city’s ’leaders and wise men’ look up at the sky to see ‘it’ but it is all too late. Suddenly, ‘it’ (or possibly something ‘it’ drops) detonates.

What follows is one of the most horrific montages I think I have ever seen. As the bomb detonates, you quite literally watch people (leaders and wise men, and the public alike) effectively melt to death, their flesh slowly burning off until they are nothing but skeletons — and then the skeletons themselves are broken down and reduced to nothingness.

As the effect of the explosion cascades out, it burns across the countryside, and we are forced to watch until the animals themselves succumb to this gruesome fate, until…there is nothing…

The film ends with desolation.

Making of the film

If you have managed to stomach all that, congratulations. As a reward, let’s move past the gory content, and look at something more interesting: the behind the scenes of the film.

The idea for the film came about primarily from the eventual director Peter Foldes, a Hungarian-British film director and animator.

In October 1954, Foldes was taking a boat from Australia. During this voyage, Foldes wrote a poem about the destruction of the world, which was later developed into the idea for the film.

After securing funding from the BFI, the entire short film was made in Folde’s kitchen. Foldes was creative artist for the film, and he made his wife Joan in charge of the animation stand and lighting, and some of the animation. The film was narrated by James McKechnie, and the music was composed by Mátyás Seiber, who was also known for composing the 1954 film Animal Farm.

The film was released in 1956, at a time when fears of the H-bomb were at an all-time high.

Ed Sullivan controversy

The film is primarily known for a controversial showing on the Ed Sullivan Show.

On 27th May 1976, Sullivan showed A Short Vision on his show. He had previously seen the film 10 days prior when in England and had determined to show it on his show. It’s unknown precisely why he decided to do so — it is thought that it was either a ‘plea for peace’, or it was due to his relationship with the film’s distributor, George K. Arthur (or both). The showing of the film proved controversial due to its subject matter and horror content, despite Sullivan apparently telling parents to assure their children. Despite this, it proved popular, and was shown on the show again on the 10th June, with better warning.

Sources

1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Short_Vision

2] https://cinemaetc.co.uk/2014/10/11/a-short-vision-joan-and-peter-foldes-1956/

Thanks for reading!