30 Second Film Review: ‘The Three Lives of Thomasina’ (1963)

Shown above is the ‘Cat Heaven’ sequence from Walt Disney’s ‘The Three Lives of Thomasina’ (1963). The film tells the story of a cat who (nearly) dies and the devastated young girl he leaves behind.

Like the gif-set posted above, the film is odd but effective; a sometimes surreal, always unexpected exploration of grief.

Normally when Disney tackles this topic, it limits itself to one death – say, the death of a parent. ‘The Three Lives of Thomasina’ explores the death of a parent, but also adds the death of a pet and one’s own (near) death to the mix. Not only does the film handle these subjects with surprising subtly, it does so in a manner not normally seen in kids’ movies: It shows the confusion, anger and isolation that come with grief. It also shows the ways that the grieving may seek to share their pain. Good characters act cruelly to those they love. Broken hearts go on to break the hearts of others.

There are times when this film feels like a live-action ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’. There are times when it feels like an Ingmar Bergman art-house film. Then there are times when a cat is repeatedly tossed into the air before standing in sparking awe before the Egyptian goddess, Bast. (Kenneth Anger’s ‘Garfield’, anyone?)

Despite these varied tones – and continually shifting points of view – the film never feels messy. Instead, it feels like a fairy tale…an old wives’ tale…a dream.