The Adventures of Mark Twain

Released 1st March 1985, The Adventures of Mark Twain follows an anthology of human stories / concepts that are tied together by a caricature of the American writer Mark Twain. Despite centring the film around a real world figure, the film takes many creative liberties and uses its art form to deliver the themes of religion, humanity and death that were ever present in Mark Twain’s works. Interestingly, in spite of its very family friendly tone, the film does not shy away from the depth (and borderline horror) of the stories told. James Whitmore provides Mark Twain with consistent charm and wit in his delivery; Twain is written as a grandpa-esque figure who imparts wisdom one moment while being able to sustain a sombre atmosphere the next.

Twain’s caricature is accompanied by three young children; Tom, Becky and Huck. Chris Ritchie, Michele Mariana and Gary Krug, respectively, imbue the children with inquisitive tones across the narrative as they ask Twain various questions. If anything, the children’s voices sound too matured for their supposed age (of 10) which subsequently sucks you out of the film from time to time. Besides these four, the cast continues into the anthology; two examples to note are John Morrison and Carol Edelman’s Adam and Eve. Based upon the figures from the Bible, Adam and Eve provide commentary on the original story of the Garden with added aspects of modern gender ideas. These themes overlap well and enable the religious aspects to come across without being too preachy to a general audience. The most memorable character of the film would probably be The Mysterious Stranger.

With the mixed voices of Michele Mariana and Wilbur Vincent, The Mysterious Stranger delivers the shortest story out of the anthologies in which it never raises its volume or alters its pitch; The Mysterious Stranger simply tells a story of human futility and confused concepts. While the voice in itself is unsettling, the Claymation truly brings this character to life with a horrific fluid-like nature to its face. That said, the animation is expressive across the whole film and is truly remarkable (especially for 1985) in bringing its scenes to life in an ever changing, fluid style. Finally, Billy Scream’s soundtrack is decent in underscoring its scenes, however, it is ultimately forgettable. The Adventures of Mark Twain is a film that the whole family can enjoy and remain engaged in through its deep themes, fluid animation and a strong caricature of a protagonist.