I can honestly say that I have never seen anything like the Mike Cheslik directed and co-written Hundreds of Beavers. In terms of how this black and white silent comedy adventure film was made I'm pretty clueless, it at times seems like it would have been impossible to make, yet made it was, and I have plenty of comparisons to help me describe just what this astoundingly bizarre film reminded me of. Sometimes a film doesn't have to be horror to get mentioned on this site, this frequently surreal movie is one such example, I could see this being a hard sell for anyone who wasn't completely on board for its absurdist slapstick humour.
Ryland Brickson Cole Tews (was also co-wrote this) is an applejack salesman in 19th century America. He loves his drunken lifestyle, but one day an incident involving beavers sees his business and home completely destroyed. Needing to find a way to survive in the harsh winter, the man decides to become a trapper, and it is at the local trading station that he discovers the love of his life in the form of the trading station owner's daughter. Before he is able to romance her, he must prove himself to the trading station owner (Doug Mancheski), so he becomes determined to become the best trapper that ever lived. Meanwhile, in the background, an army of beavers have begun construction on a gigantic fortress, and unknown to the man, his exploits will put him on a path to confrontation with these creatures...
I often thought that the reason cartoons like Looney Tunes exist is down to how impossible what happens within them would be to create in a live action setting. Hundreds of Beavers has dispelled that notion as this is basically one long Looney Tunes live action cartoon. The film operates with cartoon logic, it involves ridiculous Wile E. Coyote type traps, and the protagonist is shown to be almost indestructible with all the pratfalls and falling from vast heights he does constantly. Using a blend of real footage and animated details, this at times felt like a Monty Python animated sketch, and with its lack of dialogue, and characters with exaggerated facial expressions, I wondered more than once if this was where comedic silent movies of the early 20th century would have naturally evolved to if talkies hadn't come about.
The style never got old, but despite the borrowed originality that permeates the movie, I did find the whole second act to be a real slog to get through. The film is neatly split up into three acts, the first chronicles the applejacks transition to trapper, but the second one is devoted entirely to him hunting animals. For animal lovers that needn't be an issue as wonderfully, all animals are just humans wearing costumes. Whether beaver, rabbit, skunk, raccoon, dog or wolf, these animals all walk around on two feet, act like humans, and have very obvious fake suits on. This leads to a feeling of horror at times due to how creepy these creatures could look, especially when there are a large amount on screen. The film really finds its footing in the third act, that part was brilliant, it brought to mind the chaotic energy of Wallace and Gromit films, and mostly chronicles the man's infiltration and eventual escape from the gigantic wooden fortress the beavers have been creating all movie. This whole last 35 minutes or so was non-stop energy that was a pure delight to watch. I just wish the padded out middle act had been drastically reduced in size, as it did become to feel like it was never going to end.
I just can't envision how this film was made, it really is a cartoon brought to life, with all the zany and crazy elements that are born as a result. Inspirations from things like Road Runner and Bugs Bunny, and old silent films are magical in their creation, I just wish the slow second act had been trimmed down a bit. At an hour and near fifty minutes, this did outstay its welcome a little bit, but there really is nothing like this that I have personally ever seen. Hundreds of Beavers is due to premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival on July 28th and 31st at the Salle J.A De Séve.
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