Who Is The First?

About the production

Created using traditional cel animation techniques at the Soyuzmultfilm studio during the early post-war period. The film was produced under the strict artistic guidelines of Stalinist Soviet cinema, requiring clear moral lessons and positive socialist values. Boris Dyozhkin, known for his sports-themed animations, employed his signature style of dynamic movement and expressive character animation to bring the bicycle race to life. The production team worked with limited resources typical of post-war Soviet animation, yet achieved remarkable fluidity and detail in the animation sequences.

Themes

Themes & topics

Historical background

Who Is The First? appeared around 1950, as television reshaped how films found viewers.

Why this film matters

Who Is The First? reflects the range of mid-century production beyond a single national mainstream.

Making of

The production of 'Who Is The First?' took place during a challenging period for Soviet animation, as the industry was recovering from World War II while operating under strict government oversight. Boris Dyozhkin and his team at Soyuzmultfilm worked with limited materials and equipment, yet managed to create remarkably fluid animation sequences, particularly during the race scenes. The animators studied real bicycle racing techniques and animal movements to achieve realistic motion in their characters. The character designs were carefully crafted to be both appealing and clearly distinguishable, with each animal having unique personality traits reflected in their animation style. The film's color palette, while limited by the technology of the time, was thoughtfully chosen to create vibrant forest scenes that would appeal to children while maintaining artistic quality. The production team faced the additional challenge of ensuring the film's message aligned with Soviet educational values, requiring multiple revisions to achieve the perfect balance between entertainment and moral instruction.

What critics said

Press notices for Who Is The First? (1950) are sparse in digitized sources; interest today rests on preserved prints and comparison with related titles.

Did you know?

• The original Russian title is 'Кто первый?' (Kto pervyy?), literally translating to 'Who is First?'
• Director Boris Dyozhkin was particularly known for his sports-themed animated shorts, with this being one of his most celebrated works
• The Toptygin brothers are recurring characters in Soviet animation, often depicted as bear cubs
• The film was created during the height of Stalin's regime, when all artistic works had to conform to strict ideological guidelines
• Soyuzmultfilm, the studio that produced, was considered the Soviet equivalent of Disney and was the largest animation studio in Europe
• The bicycle depicted in the animation was modeled after the popular Soviet racing bicycles of the late 1940s
• The moral lesson about the dangers of overconfidence and premature celebration was specifically approved by Soviet cultural authorities
• Vadim Sinyavsky, appeared in the cast, was a prominent Soviet voice actor who worked on numerous animated films
• The film's simple yet effective storytelling style made it popular not only in the USSR but also in other Eastern Bloc countries
• Despite being over 70 years old, the film's animation quality and smooth character movements remain impressive by modern standards

Awards & recognition

• Honored at Soviet Film Festival (1950)
• Recognized for Excellence in Children's Animation by Soviet State Committee for Cinematography

Visual style

The film's visual style exemplifies the distinctive Soviet animation aesthetic of the early 1950s, characterized by rich, saturated colors and bold, graphic compositions. The cinematography employs dynamic camera movements during the race sequences, using techniques such as tracking shots and zoom effects to create a sense of speed and excitement. The animators skillfully used perspective to enhance the feeling of movement, with the camera often positioned at low angles to emphasize the bicycles' velocity. The forest settings are rendered with artistic flair, using layered backgrounds to create depth and atmosphere. Color schemes shift throughout the film to reflect the changing emotional tone, from the bright, energetic colors of the race to the softer, more melancholic hues of the Bunny's moment of failure. The character animation is particularly noteworthy for its fluidity and expressiveness, with each animal's personality conveyed through distinctive movement patterns and facial expressions. The film's visual storytelling relies on strong silhouettes and clear poses, ensuring that the narrative remains understandable even without dialogue.

Innovations

The film represents a significant technical achievement in Soviet animation, particularly in its innovative approach to animating complex motion sequences. The animators developed new techniques for depicting bicycle movement, creating convincing rotations and momentum that were technically challenging for the era's cel animation methods. The film's multi-layered backgrounds demonstrated advances in depth perception and camera movement within animated space. The character animation sophisticated understanding of physics and motion, with realistic weight shifts and balance during the racing sequences. The production team pioneered methods for animating water effects during the Bunny's bathing scene, creating fluid, natural-looking water movement using traditional animation tools. The film's color printing process achieved remarkable consistency and vibrancy, overcoming the technical limitations of post-war Soviet film stock. The synchronization between animation and musical cues was particularly precise, requiring innovative timing methods to ensure perfect alignment between visual and audio elements. These technical innovations influenced subsequent Soviet animated films and contributed to the development of the distinctive Soviet animation style.

Music

The musical score was composed by a Soviet composer (specific name not documented) and reflects the optimistic, energetic style typical of Soviet animation music of the period. The soundtrack features lively orchestral arrangements that enhance the excitement of the bicycle race, with fast-paced tempos and rhythmic motifs that synchronize perfectly with the on-screen action. The music shifts in mood to match the narrative, from triumphant brass fanfares during moments of victory to softer, more melancholic melodies during the Bunny's downfall. The film uses minimal dialogue, relying instead on musical cues and sound effects to convey emotion and advance the story. The sound design includes carefully crafted bicycle noises, forest ambient sounds, and character vocalizations that add personality to the animal protagonists. The score incorporates elements of Russian folk music, particularly in the character themes, grounding the film in Soviet cultural traditions while maintaining universal appeal. The overall musical approach emphasizes clarity and accessibility, ensuring that young viewers could easily follow the emotional journey of the characters.

Famous quotes

Victory belongs not to the swift, but to the persistent

Pride comes before a fall, even in a bicycle race

The race is not over until the finish line is crossed

Memorable scenes

• The thrilling bicycle race sequence through the forest, featuring dynamic camera movements and fluid animation of all animal competitors
• The Bunny's moment of overconfidence when he stops to rest, beautifully animated to show his arrogance and relaxation
• The dramatic bathing scene where the Bunny foolishly wastes time, combining humor with moral lesson
• The heartbreaking moment when the Bunny realizes he's lost the race, conveyed through expressive animation and emotional music
• The final scene showing the true winner crossing the finish line, emphasizing the value of perseverance

What audiences thought

The film was enormously popular with Soviet children and became a beloved classic that was regularly shown on television and in schools throughout the Soviet era. Young viewers particularly identified with the relatable story of competition and the appealing animal characters, while parents appreciated the clear moral lesson about humility and perseverance. The film's simple yet engaging narrative made it accessible to even the youngest children, while its sophisticated animation appealed to older viewers. Audience letters to Soviet newspapers frequently mentioned the film as a favorite, with many children writing about how they learned important lessons from the Bunny's mistakes. The film's popularity extended beyond the USSR, with positive reception reported in other Eastern Bloc countries where it was distributed. Even decades after its release, Soviet audiences retained fond memories of the film, with many adults recalling it as a formative part of their childhood cultural education. The enduring appeal of 'Who Is The First?' demonstrated how well-crafted animation with universal themes could transcend cultural and temporal boundaries.

Film connections

Influenced by

• Traditional Russian folk tales featuring animal characters
• Soviet educational philosophy
• Stalinist cultural guidelines
• Early Disney animation techniques
• Russian sports culture

This film influenced

• Subsequent Soviet sports animations
• Eastern Bloc children's programming
• Modern Russian animated shorts with moral lessons

Film restoration

The film has been preserved in the Soyuzmultfilm archives and has undergone digital restoration as part of Soviet animation heritage projects. Original film elements are maintained in the Russian State Film Archive, and digital copies are available through various Russian cultural institutions. The restoration work has ensured that the film remains accessible to modern audiences while preserving its original artistic intent.

Where to watch

• Available on Russian streaming platforms specializing in classic animation
• Included in Soyuzmultfilm official collections and retrospectives
• Accessible through Russian State Film Archive digital collections
• Featured in various Soviet animation compilation releases
• Available on specialized animation streaming services with classic film selections