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Well, I reviewed one of Ralph Bakshi’s most iconic features, so I suppose it only makes sense that I review another, and this one in particular is the movie that originally put Bakshi on the map. After watching an old review by Hardcore Kid, I found myself somewhat surprised to find out that this movie has something of a bad reputation...but then again, considering the subject matter, that shouldn’t really surprise me at all. I am of course talking about none other than Ralph Bakshi’s 1972 animated cult classic, “Fritz the Cat”, a movie which holds the distinction of being the world’s very first X-RATED cartoon!
Now as I said, this movie seems to have a bad reputation amongst the online critic community. Hardcore Kid had nothing but unpleasant things to say about it while others like Hewy Toonmore refuse to even touch it! Even the Nostalgia Critic doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to review this one! But no film is too terrible for the iron-clad will of THE CLOAKED CRITIC!! Besides, believe it or not, I can honestly tell ya I’ve seen worse.
In fact, I’ll tell ya a funny story. Several years back, my attitude toward this film was virtually the same as most. When I was just a freshman in college, I made up my mind to try and watch this film for the very first time purely out of sheer curiosity...I wasn’t able to make it past the first 10 minutes. I got about as far as the orgy in the bathtub scene before I said, “Fuck This” and turned it off, and that was that for a good while until later my curiosity once again got the better me and I sat down to watch a foreign film called “Jungle Burger”. For those who’ve never seen or heard of that movie I won’t go into details (at least until I inevitably review it), but let’s just say what I saw in that movie was a major shock to my innocent early 20’s mind. In fact, I think I can honestly say that I don’t think I’ve ever been quite the same since. After watching that movie, pretty much nothing else really bothered me after that. Nothing I’ve yet seen in any adult film or show has ever rocked my brain as much as that movie did; not “Fritz the Cat” or “Family Guy” or “South Park”...HECK! Not even anything in “Drawn Together” could begin to compare. I think it’s definitely fair to say that movie seriously fucked me up!
Looking back on it now, I do find it quite amazing that this movie used to bother me so much, because now I just find it primarily funny, and perhaps the funniest part of all is that I was ever freaked out by this to begin with. I mean with the aesthetic style of the 1960’s comic strip-quality animation paired alongside all the what-fuck-LCD-acid-trip moments it makes all the immoral and obscene fucked-up parts just seem laugh-out loud silly when they’re all put together.
Above all, it really needs to be kept well in mind that this movie is indeed a staple of its time. In fact, to be specific it’s a satire of its time; making light of the social ideology, culture, and customs of its day; an outrageously over-the-top parody focusing largely on the lifestyles of the American college-aged youth, in addition to exploring the unstable nature of race relations, the free love movement, and the extremely polarized left-wing/right-wing politics of that era. That is perhaps most important when it comes to viewing and critiquing this particular grade of film. Though I will admit, I do believe the satire gets away from itself at certain points, but all in all the content of the movie isn’t all that much different than what we’d generally see from an episode of “South Park” or “Family Guy”. In fact, I’d have to say that by today’s standards the movie’s actually pretty tame.
Though reception of the film was surprisingly positive there were the inevitable bitter criticisms rallied against the production for its blatant use of “offensive” stereotypes, juvenile plot, and over-dependency on obscene scatological humor and vulgar sexism...you know? The same crap people usually complain about, but perhaps no criticism was greater (or more bitter) than that of Fritz’s creator, Robert Crumb.
Crumb was reportedly VERY displeased with the final product. Among his criticisms, Crumb claimed that Fritz’s voice actor, Skip Hinnant, was completely wrong for the part. He also criticized the film’s unglamorous depiction of the radical Left. Furthermore, in an interview, Crumb stated that he apparently had serious problems with the sexual attitude present throughout the film, accusing Bakshi of projecting his own repressed “horniess” onto the picture…a claim which frankly feels strangely ironic given Crumb’s own reputation; even to this day there are still people who are rightly disgusted by HIS work. Not trying to take sides here, but Crumb might want to be a bit more careful in that glass house of his. In any case, Crumb was so disgusted by the very existence of the film that it prompted him to kill off its title character that same year; having Fritz meet his end by the hand of a jealous girlfriend who stabbed him through the head with an ice pick.
You know unlike most people I’m not so much offended by Fritz’s sexist decadent nature, as much as by how much of a wisenheimer he acts like he is. Look at this Mofo, actin’ like he’s so damn slick! Who’s this pussy think he is...Top Cat? I don’t mind a movie with a hedonistic slacker, but I draw the line when it comes to a wannabe smooth criminal! And of course it doesn’t help much any either that Fritz is actually quite a bit of a dumbass. I mean let’s be fuckin’ honest here! If it wasn’t for the fact that all the women in this movie are either stupid or sex-crazed the only X-rated material this movie would have to offer would be the SOLO kind!
Now I’m the last person you’re likely to ever hear crying about Racism. The fact of the matter is that I’m fairly sick of people tossing that word around these days with barely any care or consideration. It’s like “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”; you can only cry it so many times before people start to tune you out, and I’m especially sick of hearing this shit regarding old films and cartoons from a bygone era, long before most of the biggest whiners were even born! To all the people who complain about the crows in “Dumbo”, I’d LOVE to sit them down and make them watch THIS movie. See how much complaining they do after that! Truth is I’m not really offended by the stereotypes in either film, because I know they’re just stereotypes and this movie is a satire; as for the Disney flick, say what you will about the crows in that movie, but the fact is that they’re among the only likable characters in that whole damn film. Seriously, “Dumbo” is a fucked-up story! The crows are the least of its problems!
You know I think this movie gets much more flack that it truly deserves. This does actually remind me a lot of South Park, because just like South Park once you get passed all the crude, gross-out, over-the-top immature humor it actually becomes an intriguing exploration into society and the overwhelming extremity of varying ideologies. In addition, it’s a colorful look back to a long-gone time period when people had a very different way of thinking, and it causes you to consider just how much difference a day really does make, and as such you’re left to ask, “just how much has really changed from then till now?” Have we actually moved forward as a society, or are we still lingering around in the same place as before just with a slightly different tint and arrangement on what we as a society consider ideal and what we see as profane. To put it very simply, it’s a movie that inspires you to ask yourself questions and ponder both over what you know and what you only think you know. Ha, Far Out! ^^
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