HEAVY TRAFFIC (1973)

Title: HEAVY TRAFFIC

Year of Release: 1973

Director: Ralph Bakshi

Genre: Animated, Comedy

Synopsis: The adventures, and misadventures, of a male animator in New York City, and the assorted characters with whom he comes into contact.

Within a film history context: Adult animated films did not appear on a regular basis before the 1970s, with only several productions released in the 1950s and 1960s. The first major adult animated film was Joy Batchelor and John Halas' ANIMAL FARM (1954). Based upon the novel by George Orwell, it was a drama about the conflict between the farmer and his animals, and how the bad animals win the battle, but ultimately lose the war to the good animals. This movie set the trend for adult animated films which explored serious subjects in a stimulating manner. HEAVEN AND EARTH MAGIC (1962), directed by Harry Everett Smith, was a more free form film, shot in black and white, about a young woman who encounters various different situations. Daisaku Shirakawa's DOGGIE MARCH (1963) was a Japanese movie about a dog and his exploits in the forest. DOGGIE MARCH is just one example of the predominately international animated productions released in this era. WEST AND SODA (1965), directed by Bruno Bozetto, was an Italian film revolving around a man trying to take advantage of a woman by wresting her land away, but relief comes in the form of a mysterious man intent on helping her. 

Per Ahlin and Tage Danielsson's OUT OF AN OLD MAN'S HEAD (1968) was a Swedish comedy concerning an elderly man reminiscing about his life, the film mainly animated, with a smaller live action component. More controversial was the Japanese A THOUSAND & ONE NIGHTS (1969), directed by Eiichi Yamamoto. The animated adventures of Aladdin traversing through the Middle East were brought to life with much sexual content that set the tone for later films. Osamu Tesuka and Eiichi Yamamoto's KUREOPATORA (1970) was another sex-filled movie, this time following the intrigues of Cleopatra. Next came one of the most notorious adult animated features of all time - FRITZ THE CAT (1972), directed by Ralph Bakshi. Centering around a promiscuous cat in the 1960s who causes all manner of mayhem wherever he proceeds, it was a commercially successful venture for the director, slaying many dragons in its wake. HEAVY TRAFFIC was reminiscent of the director's own FRITZ THE CAT, and similarly sexually-oriented films such as A THOUSAND & ONE NIGHTS, but also, took leaves out of ANIMAL FARM's book.

Where it is most similar to ANIMAL FARM is in delineating the conflict between two opposing parties, which is the crux of the movie. While in ANIMAL FARM it was between the farmer and the animals, then the animals warring in turn among themselves, in HEAVY TRAFFIC tensions flare up between different people for various reasons, mainly power-based tussles, such as the Mafia storyline. The main consequences are generally violent in nature, with little or no reflection upon why these incidents occurred, or a tragic aftermath attached to these. There is a great attention to spectacle, and gore in HEAVY TRAFFIC but, unlike ANIMAL FARM, never any real exploration of sadness, or regret, at what has occurred to the characters. Blood and guts fly around in HEAVY TRAFFIC with regularity, but these are shown to the audience in a black comedic vein than anything else. The film is more nonsensical and irreverent in tone than ANIMAL FARM but, its attention to extreme sexual content takes it into another realm.

Where A THOUSAND & ONE NIGHTS, KUREOPATORA, and FRITZ THE CAT prepared audiences for animated sexual content, HEAVY TRAFFIC goes beyond these examples. While the first two films were mainly concerned with expressions of female nudity and sexuality, in HEAVY TRAFFIC copious male nudity is also featured. In an odd manner, this gave the film a balance in this arena, whereby the two previously mentioned films could have been accused of a concentration of female nudity, and blatant female objectification. On the other hand, having such images blasted at the viewer does make the movie somewhat tiresome, and repetitive. As the overriding intention has been to shock the audience, the film has succeeded in achieving this aim. In its barnstorming, uninhibited way, HEAVY TRAFFIC set a precedent for overt violence, language and sexuality in animated film, something no other movie of its type since has been able to duplicate.

Overview: Ralph Bakshi is an animator who has directed nine films since making his debut in 1972. His first movie, FRITZ THE CAT (1972) was about an iconoclastic cat who indulges in sex, drugs and violence within the film's almost eighty minute runtime. COONSKIN (1974) was another journey into sex and violence by the director, this time with an African-American protagonist giving the Mafia and police a run for their money. WIZARDS (1977) marked a major change in content for Mr Bakshi, with much less sex and violence than his other movies, in this tale of a wizard aiming to control the world via the use of technology. In complete contrast, THE LORD OF THE RINGS (1978) took J.R.R. Tolkien's classic tale, giving it an animated spin, again less strident than Mr Bakshi's first films. Into the 1980s, AMERICAN POP (1981) was a slight return to more racy form for the director, in this story of a Russian Jewish musical family through the years. HEY GOOD LOOKIN' (1982) was concerned with several characters in Brooklyn set during the 1950s. It was a slightly more measured film in terms of its content versus Mr Bakshi's first works, but still had much innuendo and some violence. FIRE AND ICE (1983) was a fantasy about a woman and her son wanting to take over the world during the Ice Ages. Mr Bakshi's final film thus far as director, COOL WORLD (1992) was a combination of animation and live action, in a narrative about an animator who finds himself in the cartoon of his creation, and being pursued by a beautiful woman. HEAVY TRAFFIC was Ralph Bakshi's second film, and one of his most notable works for several reasons.

Apart from FRITZ THE CAT, HEAVY TRAFFIC is striking for its unrestricted scenes of animated sex and violence, accompanied by much coarse language. This allows the director to explore many facets of humanity in an explicit, no holds barred manner. Mr Bakshi here largely presents the underside of New York City, with all of its sleazy aspects on view for viewers to take in and consider. The director does an energetic study of this, leaving very little, if anything, to the viewer's imagination. Mr Bakshi has as his central focus a young animator, highlighting his family life, especially his parents' interfaith marriage, and how the union of a Jewish woman, and an Italian man, is not without its problems. Michael Corleone's reaction to his parents' marriage, their fractured family life, and how he, and his father, and several other characters, handle New York City's many foibles, make up the content of the film. The movie also contains examinations of family, religion, promiscuity, homosexuality, interracial relationships, employment issues, to name a few themes. While the film's intentions to be as honest as possible within the animated format could be seen as being admirable, nonetheless, leaving everything hanging out, as the saying goes, does have its drawbacks for the film as a whole.

The avalanche of sex and violence in HEAVY TRAFFIC, at times, can be overwhelming to take. While it seeks to serve not only a comical but also, a satirical and black comedy purpose, having too much taking place all the time leaves the viewer exhausted mentally. One does have the inclination at times to say, enough already, I have seen that, any more and it is overkill. The director's aim to slaughter as many sacred cows as he can within the film's running time is a monumental feat, and an achievement not to be underestimated. A little more quiet and thought in the film, though, would have done it wonders, spacing the many frenzied segments better, making them more palatable overall. This would have made moments such as Ida's recollections of her childhood, one of the most touching segments of the film, even more powerful. The film's most thoughtful, beautiful moments occur at the movie's conclusion when Michael and Carole are in the park, dancing together. It seems as if all the film's derring-do leads to this, which is surprising, but does give the movie a nice feel at its conclusion, wiping away a little of its overarching grime. In all, the director has to be given credit for making a film that was, and still is, technically excellent, and stands as probably Ralph Bakshi's most unrestricted movie project ever.

Acting: As this is an animated feature there is a small amount of acting as such, with the exception of Joseph Kaufmann and Beverley Hope Atkinson in several live action scenes. Despite appearing in a limited number of scenes in HEAVY TRAFFIC, Joseph Kaufmann makes his presence felt in the movie. An actor with a definite aura of streetwise, nous, and easy charm, Mr Kaufmann's contribution to the film is one of its assets, adding a human note to the sometimes overwhelming melees taking place onscreen.

Soundtrack: HEAVY TRAFFIC has a funky score that is in keeping with the setting and themes of the movie, suiting the melting pot of New York City, and the frayed emotions of the characters in the film. There are a number of songs used in the movie, with 'Scarborough Fair' the most memorable.

Mise-en-scene: As mentioned previously, Ralph Bakshi has assembled a film which is technically very well made. The melding of real outdoor locations with animation is a marvel to witness, and the special effects and lighting used in many instances is eye-popping. The DeLuxe color stock is beautiful, filled with color without ever being overly bright to watch.

Notable Acting Performances: Joseph Kaufmann.

Suitability for young viewers: No. Frequent coarse language, male nudity, female nudity, adult themes, high-level violence.

Overall Grade: C

Link: IMDB Page

Trailer