"Disney's worst trait is his bland and stagey 'acting.' It is completely generic—nothing subtle or specific in the least. I'm dumbfounded that you could even make such a statement.
'Acting' is what Robert Ryan, Kirk Douglas, Jackie Gleason, Carroll O'Connor, Joan Crawford, Peter Lorre, and their ilk do. It's not what Grumpy or Stromboli do. That stuff is ridiculously generic and simple. Solidly drawn—but that's a different thing. Bugs Bunny's acting at the beginning of Falling Hare—now that's subtle, human, and also solidly drawn—by one of the best animators of all time—Bob McKimson.
Disney's acting is never remotely human. Disney animators use the most broad symbols of emotions, the symbol of happy, the symbol of sad, but never ever the specific sadness of a certain one-of-a-kind charcter in a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And this is something that you can't argue."
Is he wrong?
'Acting' is what Robert Ryan, Kirk Douglas, Jackie Gleason, Carroll O'Connor, Joan Crawford, Peter Lorre, and their ilk do. It's not what Grumpy or Stromboli do. That stuff is ridiculously generic and simple. Solidly drawn—but that's a different thing. Bugs Bunny's acting at the beginning of Falling Hare—now that's subtle, human, and also solidly drawn—by one of the best animators of all time—Bob McKimson.
Disney's acting is never remotely human. Disney animators use the most broad symbols of emotions, the symbol of happy, the symbol of sad, but never ever the specific sadness of a certain one-of-a-kind charcter in a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And this is something that you can't argue."
Is he wrong?