Goonskin

Goonskin

A real befitting satire in America and racial prejudice and injustice within it, this movie has so many layers that I struggle to even uncover them all. Long story short, Bakshi is a genius, both narratively and in the artform of animation.

A real befitting satire in America and racial prejudice and injustice within it, this movie has so many layers that I struggle to even uncover them all. Long story short, Bakshi is a genius, both narratively and in the artform of animation.

Though interesting in how experimental it gets, I feel like Bakshi needs the restraint he had on heavy traffic and Fritz the Cat in order to fully realise some of these ideas. This feels like his most exploitative of other cultures, though I do believe that Bakshi’s intentions are earnest in his attempt to comment on racist stereotypes, it’s quite possible that in a lot of his depictions in this movie, particularly in the character’s design, he gets diminishing returns. Some absolute stand out moments though, the story of the single mother and the cockroach is a beautiful use of colour and has excellent voice acting.

I do love Bakshi, and with every film of his that I see I am beginning to understand him more and more. Though, there is a lot you can say about this film being incredibly dated in its racial politics and the argument that this isn’t Bakshi’s story to tell is very much one that can be levelled against this and other parts of his social realist films. Particularly the crow character in Fritz the Cat, but that’s also a Robert Crumb conversation and he’s a whole different story.

At the end of the day, like all of Bakshi’s films, this is too interesting to talk and think about to dislike. I am a sucker for mixing documentary filmmaking and fiction filmmaking in the way he does and one day I will steal that for my own movies.

Though interesting in how experimental it gets, I feel like Bakshi needs the restraint he had on heavy traffic and Fritz the Cat in order to fully realise some of these ideas. This feels like his most exploitative of other cultures, though I do believe that Bakshi’s intentions are earnest in his attempt to comment on racist stereotypes, it’s quite possible that in a lot of his depictions in this movie, particularly in the character’s design, he gets diminishing returns. Some absolute stand out moments though, the story of the single mother and the cockroach is a beautiful use of colour and has excellent voice acting.

I do love Bakshi, and with every film of his that I see I am beginning to understand him more and more. Though, there is a lot you can say about this film being incredibly dated in its racial politics and the argument that this isn’t Bakshi’s story to tell is very much one that can be levelled against this and other parts of his social realist films. Particularly the crow character in Fritz the Cat, but that’s also a Robert Crumb conversation and he’s a whole different story.

At the end of the day, like all of Bakshi’s films, this is too interesting to talk and think about to dislike. I am a sucker for mixing documentary filmmaking and fiction filmmaking in the way he does and one day I will steal that for my own movies.

Ralph Bakshi needs to be talked about more. his social and racial commentary is so good.

Ralph Bakshi needs to be talked about more. his social and racial commentary is so good.

Funny how people thought this was harmful back dan even though it's extremely progressive. (Jus insanely uncomfortable)

Funny how people thought this was harmful back dan even though it's extremely progressive. (Jus insanely uncomfortable)