The White Seal

A few months after Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, Chuck Jones once again returned to the world of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book with this version of “The White Seal.” Two-thirds of his Kipling trilogy consists of the more obscure tales from that classic tome, and that’s partially why I appreciate them so much. There’s also the simple fact that The White Seal is just a beautifully animated, completely engaging work.

These Kipling adaptations feel different from much of Jones’ more popular work, as they’re more mature and slower paced, less reliant upon physical humor and filled with palpable moments of dread and tension. The first one in The White Seal comes from watching a young Kotec chased by a shark, but a vast majority of the tale is occupied by his venture to find a new home where they’ll be free of the humans.

Naturally, he encounters several underwater denizens, both friendly and cruel. None of these encounters are as cruel as the ones with mankind. A scene of Kotec staring in horror as the humans hunt down and kill many of his fellow seals shies away from showing the act itself, but through clever visual choices and Kotec’s expression we still get the intensity of the moment.

And I haven’t even begun to describe the look of the piece. The character animation is fluid and dynamic, with personalities evident in their movements. A scene where a young Kotec meets a whale is a small marvel, as bubbles distort his face as they float across the frame. What’s even more interesting is how Kotec goes from cute and cuddly, looking like the big eyed critter you’d find in any children’s cartoon to a more realistic representation, so too does the rest of the piece. Kotec ages before our eyes by repeatedly leaping out of the water, appearing larger and fuller with each joyous dive.

The backgrounds point towards Jones’ love of abstract, as Nova Scotia is all geometric patterns of white and blues, and ocean waves are green lines under the water. The island paradise that Kotec discovers is made up of large chunks of colors, with little detail work. These bright colors and simplistic shapes give The White Seal a buoyant feeling that is quite effective for the piece. Same can be said for Roddy McDowell’s airy vocal work as both Kotec and the narrator. A slight step-down in artistic achievement from Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, The White Seal is still a wonderful work in Jones’ extensive output.