Why are so many children’s films filled with scenes of absolute terror? You see Pinocchio and the children start to turn into donkeys against their will, or you have fun with Pee Wee’s Big Adventure and suddenly the scene with the great Marge starts, and her nightmarish face haunts you forever in your dreams. That’s what happened with Will Vinton‘S The Adventures of Mark Twaina stop-motion fantasy film starring one of America’s greatest writers. Will Vinton was famous for his funny claymation mascots like the California Raisins and the Noid from the Domino’s commercials in the 80s. But in his first and only feature-length film, Vinton decided to go a little older and create a film that deals with the acceptance of death and the way a life has been lived. In addition, he created a depiction of Satan that is both incredibly creative and downright disturbing, making it by far the most memorable section of the entire film.

The Adventures of Mark Twain (1985)

The Adventures of Mark Twain is a stop-motion animated film that follows Mark Twain and his iconic characters Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn and Becky Thatcher on a fantastical journey aboard an airship. The adventure deals with themes of fantasy, adventure and self-discovery and draws inspiration from Twain’s literary works.

Release date

March 1, 1985

director

Will Vinton

Pour

James Whitmore, Michele Mariana, Gary Krug, Chris Ritchie, John Morrison, Carol Edelman, Dal McKennon, Herb Smith

Duration

86 minutes

Authors

Susan Shadburne, Mark Twain

“The Adventures of Mark Twain” has a surprisingly morbid plot

The Adventures of Mark Twain was marketed as an entertaining fantasy adventure for the whole family. It is essentially a series of vignettes based on the stories of author Mark Twain. The story is held together by Twain traveling in a fantasy airship with three of his own classic characters: Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher. The first interactions between the children and their creator are quite pleasant, with Twain entertaining them with his story “The Famous Leaping Frog of Calaveras County.” But soon after this section, the children learn that Twain uses his airship to meet Halley’s Comet. In real life, Mark Twain was famously born shortly after the appearance of Halley’s Comet in 1835 and prophesied that he would also “go down” with the comet. His prophetic statement proved true, as he died just one day after Halley’s Comet made its closest approach to Earth in 1910.

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An interesting piece of history, but it has disturbing implications for the plot of The Adventures of Mark Twainwhich Finn and Tom Sawyer quickly realize themselves. Since Mark Twain is already an old man in the film, the “encounter” with Halley’s Comet means that he is nearing the end of his life. In summary, The entire plot of this supposedly family-friendly film begins with Mark Twain’s desire to complete a journey to death. An adult watching the film might find Twain’s meditations on life and death poignant. In fact, the film was originally given a test screening to teenagers and adults, who responded positively. But the distribution company gave it an age rating of 6 and marketed it to children, apparently overestimating how much children enjoy existential discussions about mortality.

A terrifying version of Satan appears in “The Adventures of Mark Twain”

Already, The Adventures of Mark Twain has some dark vibes. But things get much darker and downright scary when Twain uses a device on his airship that allows his three young companions to explore the worlds of his stories and books. One of the works they visit is The Mysterious Strangersometimes referred to by the name of one of its chapters: “The Chronicles of Young Satan.” And indeed, a figure named Satan appears to the three childrenalthough it doesn’t resemble any other depiction you’ve ever seen.

The figure of the mysterious stranger (as he is called in the credits, regardless of the way he introduces himself in the film) emerges from the earth of the small planet where the children find themselves after they have passed through Mark Twain’s apparatus. The stranger’s body is He is covered in red armor but has no head. Instead, he holds up a white mask that represents his face; the mask constantly changes as the mysterious stranger speaks to the children in a strange, layered voice. He is as mysterious as his name suggests, a figure who seems alien to the heroes and audience of the film, which befits his supernatural/spiritual status.

The mysterious stranger mercilessly destroys lives in “The Adventures of Mark Twain”

The stranger offers the children their favorite fruits and then asks them to help him create a world out of clay. The children are so happy that they mold a lot of clay figures, including a king and a queen. The stranger then brings the clay figures to life and he and the children watch as the rudimentary forms begin to display human behavior. Eventually, a fight breaks out between the figures and in response, Satan becomes angry and abruptly crushes the fighting figures under his hand. Satan begins to wreak havoc in the little world they have created together, declaring that “people are worthless.” Screams of terror and pain fill the background as the Clay people are burned, crushed and even struck by lightningall caused by the whims of the mysterious stranger. It only lasts about 45 seconds, but it is still an agonizing stretch of time as it is filled with death and destruction; one clay figure is even shown mourning over the body of another, and her grief is made even more disturbing by the way The design of the figures is simple.

At the end of the section, the three children – and probably everyone who sees the film in the real world – are horrified by what they have seen. But Satan justifies his actions without remorse by saying, “I can do no wrong, for I do not know what it is,” although his curiosity and anger at human life and behavior make this statement questionable. He also explains to the children that they can always create more clay people “when we need them,” thus perfectly explaining how he sees life as insignificant; it is literally his toy in this world. After the children escape, the mysterious stranger is left alone in this small world. He muses aloud: “Nothing exists except empty space and you – and you are just a thought.”” It is a grim, existential ending,a shockingly frightening sequence in an animated film aimed at children.

Will Vinton has worked on several kid-friendly projects throughout his career, creating visually impressive stop-motion animations in his signature claymation style, even if it sometimes veers into the sinister. But for five minutes in the middle of The Adventures of Mark Twain, Vinton also terrified audiences with his portrayal of the mysterious stranger.. The talent and style of this section is unmistakable, but it is clearly driven by the pure fuel of a nightmare.

The Adventures of Mark Twain can be streamed on Tubi in the US.

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