The Thief of Baghdad

n a friend's recommendation, we watched this 1940 live action version of Aladdin. As always, I was amused to see how much Disney borrows from Golden Age Hollywood in its development of kid's animated features. But the most interesting thing to me about this movie was my daughters' reactions.

Father and daughters liked the princess.

Both girls were transfixed by the primitive special effects in a way that today's movies never captivate them. It was almost as if today's effects are so realistic, they take them for truth and are unaffected. It's sort of like the way adults watch the XGames and say, "Meh, that run was okay." Somehow the fakey-looking flying horse toy that amuses the sultan managed to convey a sense of wonder that modern movies lack.

The low-tech movie had another advantage that I didn't expect. Usually, when she sees a movie that she likes, Wonder Red will spend the next several days pestering me. "Remember when blah de blah?" "I wish I was yadda yadda." But after watching the Thief of Baghdad, we had a weekend of dress up and pretend. Not only did the simple production methods create a sense of wonder - they somehow also created a sense of possibility.