The 1982 short film, “The Snowman”, is a bittersweet holiday tale. It’s charming illustrations chronical the adventures of a boy, who’s initial loneliness is depicted among wide, minimalist, shots that highlight his solitude. It’s nostalgically done, as the boy hurries outside to play in the snow. He builds a snowman in his front yard, who then magically comes to life, and, to the boy’s delight, they embark on a nighttime journey together. The boy and the snowman visit his home, fly above snowy landscapes, and visit Santa Claus in the north pole. Yet we are reminded that the snowman is impermanent, and by morning, the boy realizes his friend has melted. With this realization comes the fleeting nature of joyfulness and imagination in our childhood. As the boy stares at the empty space where the snowman once stood, the viewers are plagued with melancholia. The film’s inevitable conclusion symbolizes the quiet passage of time, and the temporality of our adolescence.

The animation style contributes to feelings of nostalgia and wonder. It reminds me of a children’s book, and the way the illustrations come to life adds a magical element. The beginning of the film transports me back to old memories of awe and wonder that I felt in the wintertime. The boy running out into the snow reminds me of how exited I used to feel when it would snow. The filmmaking felt well done here because it managed to subtly express the complexity of our own emotions. There is something comforting about waking up to a blanketed landscape of endless pale bliss, engulfing the world into a wonderland. Yet the vast and endless snow, which is only disrupted by the small figure of the boy, can also feel daunting and lonely.

Somehow the film manages to tell an emotionally evocative tale without any spoken words. However, the creative decision to not include dialogue can certainly hurt a film, as it becomes harder to grab the attention of the audience and achieve the goals of the story. As one high school student, Adriana Havens, points out, “I didn’t really like it not having words because it made it harder to pay attention to the movie and focus.” On the other hand, the adventures of the boy and snowman can stand out more in silence. Highlighted is their snowy silent world, which is fully their own. Words are powerful, but sometimes storytelling can be most loudly told silently, and by leaving things unspoken, the interpretation is left up to the reader.

Although there is no dialogue, the short film uses the song Walking In The Air by Howard Blake when the boy and snowman are flying to the north pole. By using music during this scene, the audience is drawn into the lyrical melody, expressing the thematic messages of the short film. Lily Egan, a West Seattle High School student, says, “A scene that stood out to me was when the boy was flying with the snowman. It felt kind of like the climax of the film and it demonstrated the character arc and how everything came together well.”

Overall, The Snowman is a great short film to watch this holiday season for all ages. It explores such universal themes in a nostalgic and simple way. After watching the film, I was struck with the realization that our imagination fades as we grow up. The melted snowman can serve as a metaphor for our own childhoods, and the memories that slip away before we can fully grasp their beauty. The Snowman is a reminder of the fragility of life, and to embrace the present moment for that very reason.

Further reading:

The Snowman Short Film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THwOiOzcb6w