Cello Hiki no Gauche

Performing classical music is stressful, and this makes a successful concert all the more satisfying. This is what we see in Gauche as he struggles to master his cello pieces, always facing harsh criticism from the conductor. There is a saying: if you want to learn something, teach it. Gauche is visited by animals while he spends his nights rehearsing at the water mill, and the ambiguity of these scene is the crux of this short puppet play. Is he dreaming? In any event, it shows emotional maturity on part of the creators how he first greets his visitors with fury and comes to appreciate ... their nighttime intrusions by degrees. As he helps these animals and gives them lessons, he himself progresses with his performing, until he is the one to give encore at the conclusion of the concert; even the conductor praises him. A simple heartwarming story meant for children, this work suffers a bit from poor production quality, but again, is it poor for 1963? The music is the best part of this feature, as is only natural given the theme. All in all, an enjoyable short film that doesn't have huge ambitions.