Following the success of the 1978 publication of Raymond Briggs’ The Snowman, the wordless book picked up numerous awards and its growing fame eventually led to its regular appearance on our screens as a hand-drawn animated short.

Review by Alex Vale

Following the success of the 1978 publication of Raymond Briggs’ The Snowman, the wordless book picked up numerous awards and its growing fame eventually led to its regular appearance on our screens as a short, illustrated film.

In short, The Snowman is a story about a young boy who builds a snowman on a snowy Christmas eve which eventually comes to life. The boy shows the snowman around his house; showing him things around the house like his parent’s clothes, his kitchen and even his dad’s motorcycle. At this point, the snowman decides to show the boy his home and a magical flight sequence ensues in which the boy and snowman fly high over the south downs to the iconic “Walking in the air” by Howard Blake. The pair eventually end up at the North Pole where they party with hundred of other snowmen from around the world and even meet Santa who gives the boy his Christmas gift early. The pair fly home before dawn where a tender goodbye is said between the boy and the snowman and he eventually goes to sleep, waiting for Christmas the next morning. As morning comes, the boy rushes out to see his snowman, only to see a pile of melted snow on the ground, questioning whether his magical night was ever real…

The bittersweet ending, in my opinion, is what makes this film so special and memorable and is a personal favourite in my household; with the illustrated nature throughout adding to the homily feel that has contributed to its success. From the artistic detail in the woodland motorcycle sequence to the musical accompaniment to the pair’s flight to the North Pole, I find this film to be perfect for a night in with the family; maybe even in the background of a family boardgame due to its nature as a wordless film.

If you enjoyed The Snowman, you might have heard of its more well-known sequel The Snowman and the Snowdog, which similarly adopts such illustrated animation to see another boy take a similar voyage to the North Pole. An equally great film for the family this Christmas!