50 years ago, animation pioneer Ralph Bakshi made headwaves by bringing one of if not the first X rated animated feature to the mainstream, Fritz the Cat. Based on the comic strip by underground cartoonist Robert Crumb, the film has maintained cult status as both a controversial sleaze fest and a groundbreaking hit. While it has often been met with a polarized reception from Crumb fans and even newcomers alike, its status has remained culturally significant for showcasing what else animation could do outside of the poor state it was in during the 1970s. So, as of today, does it age like fine wine or kitty litter?
Set in New York City in the mid to late 1960s, Fritz the Cat is an upper class womanizing college dropout who goes from hitting on girls to interacting with inner city African American crows, albeit by unintentionally starting a race riot and becoming a leftist revolutionary. Now despite the film being centered around its title character, the main narrative is fairly episodic. Given that the film's three acts take from different comic serials by Crumb himself, the narrative feels unfocused even by episodic feature standards. As a satire targeting young adults of its specific era, there are also themes of race relations, countercultural revolution and dishonest political activists. Perhaps it may have worked better to have Fritz go across America more and more in the feature, which does happen albeit with disturbing results, but when the first two acts center on NYC dilemmas, it's hard to get attached to other social constructs nationwide. Not to mention, while the satire works well on its own, it can often feel like the movie is trying to bite off more than it can chew.
However, where the film's narrative feels unfocused and even somewhat broken, the character of Fritz himself is a remarkable portrayal of the pros and cons of upper class youth. In going from a sleeze bag wannabe artist to a left leaning radical, the film is arguably at its strongest in showcasing the rise and fall of one's intent going haywire. Arguably the best character in the whole movie that Fritz encounters is Duke, an African American zoot crow who acts as somewhat of a guide for the foul minded feline, despite his life ending in tragedy on account of Fritz's ignorance. Other characters throughout range from hysterically funny like the bumbling pig cops and Fritz's ex girlfriend Winston Schwartz, to mere plot fodder like the ladies Fritz tricks in the first act to downright messed up like the far right radicals Fritz encounters towards the end. Every character is unique in their own right, but since their presence is merely reduced to an 80 minute run time, one wonders if they could've starred in their own features (that is at least if Crumb wasn't so stingy about the movie in general).
As far as art direction is concerned, the movie captures the look of Crumb's gritty graphic comic style into animation beautifully, especially on a shoestring budget. Most of the backgrounds were taken from photographs of New York and then translated into watercolor, giving off a rough edgy aesthetic not often seen in most movies. Even the more original backdrops feel like something out of a comic strip, down to scratchy ink outlines and traditionally painted landscapes. The character designs are also very fitting for the comic strip production design, albeit with more of an animated punch to allow free range for the animators. Given that the production crew couldn't afford pencil tests, the timing often feels all over the place, but never does it become a burden to the wonderful character animation. In addition, the score by Ed Bogas and Ray Shanklin combines a healthy mix of blues, funk and rock & roll, along with a dynamite soundtrack from the likes of Bo Diddley, Billie Holiday and Charles Earland. It's amazing when a soundtrack can feel timelessly dated in the best way.
So in the end, Ralph Bakshi's Fritz the Cat remains a fascinating mixed bag of a feature with enough juvenile smut and controversial material to suffice. As a film that has stood the test of time for offending as many people as it has inspired, it works well enough on its own despite its narrative shortcomings and jumbled statements. I would absolutely recommend this both for curiosity's sake and to newcomers to both Bakshi and Crumb's artwork (Crumb enthusiasts not included). The film wasn't X rated for nothing, and as of today, it's said more about its time period than most feature length cartoons did so back then.
Set in New York City in the mid to late 1960s, Fritz the Cat is an upper class womanizing college dropout who goes from hitting on girls to interacting with inner city African American crows, albeit by unintentionally starting a race riot and becoming a leftist revolutionary. Now despite the film being centered around its title character, the main narrative is fairly episodic. Given that the film's three acts take from different comic serials by Crumb himself, the narrative feels unfocused even by episodic feature standards. As a satire targeting young adults of its specific era, there are also themes of race relations, countercultural revolution and dishonest political activists. Perhaps it may have worked better to have Fritz go across America more and more in the feature, which does happen albeit with disturbing results, but when the first two acts center on NYC dilemmas, it's hard to get attached to other social constructs nationwide. Not to mention, while the satire works well on its own, it can often feel like the movie is trying to bite off more than it can chew.
However, where the film's narrative feels unfocused and even somewhat broken, the character of Fritz himself is a remarkable portrayal of the pros and cons of upper class youth. In going from a sleeze bag wannabe artist to a left leaning radical, the film is arguably at its strongest in showcasing the rise and fall of one's intent going haywire. Arguably the best character in the whole movie that Fritz encounters is Duke, an African American zoot crow who acts as somewhat of a guide for the foul minded feline, despite his life ending in tragedy on account of Fritz's ignorance. Other characters throughout range from hysterically funny like the bumbling pig cops and Fritz's ex girlfriend Winston Schwartz, to mere plot fodder like the ladies Fritz tricks in the first act to downright messed up like the far right radicals Fritz encounters towards the end. Every character is unique in their own right, but since their presence is merely reduced to an 80 minute run time, one wonders if they could've starred in their own features (that is at least if Crumb wasn't so stingy about the movie in general).
As far as art direction is concerned, the movie captures the look of Crumb's gritty graphic comic style into animation beautifully, especially on a shoestring budget. Most of the backgrounds were taken from photographs of New York and then translated into watercolor, giving off a rough edgy aesthetic not often seen in most movies. Even the more original backdrops feel like something out of a comic strip, down to scratchy ink outlines and traditionally painted landscapes. The character designs are also very fitting for the comic strip production design, albeit with more of an animated punch to allow free range for the animators. Given that the production crew couldn't afford pencil tests, the timing often feels all over the place, but never does it become a burden to the wonderful character animation. In addition, the score by Ed Bogas and Ray Shanklin combines a healthy mix of blues, funk and rock & roll, along with a dynamite soundtrack from the likes of Bo Diddley, Billie Holiday and Charles Earland. It's amazing when a soundtrack can feel timelessly dated in the best way.
So in the end, Ralph Bakshi's Fritz the Cat remains a fascinating mixed bag of a feature with enough juvenile smut and controversial material to suffice. As a film that has stood the test of time for offending as many people as it has inspired, it works well enough on its own despite its narrative shortcomings and jumbled statements. I would absolutely recommend this both for curiosity's sake and to newcomers to both Bakshi and Crumb's artwork (Crumb enthusiasts not included). The film wasn't X rated for nothing, and as of today, it's said more about its time period than most feature length cartoons did so back then.