Memorable, crazy movie

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

My love for animation, Disney and Donald Duck were what drew me to seeing The Spirit of 43 in the first place. While it is a good and interesting short, I can definitely see why some people and children will dislike it today. Some of it, as it takes on difficult and important issues of the time- something that may come across as dated now-, does get a little too heavy-handed- though also well-intended- and the pace can feel dull due to the serious rather than entertaining nature(though considering the subject it in evaluation couldn't have been any other way). However, the animation is great with good detail and colour, and interestingly Donald's counterpoint looks like an early version of Scrooge McDuck. The war images are very well done and do make their point, if perhaps somewhat too obviously. The music is rousing and dynamic and the story is unique and of good historical interest. The two ducks(Donald and the thrifty) are very strongly characterised and interact very well.In conclusion, The Spirit of 43 is an interesting Disney short, and made well. But it is more for historical rather than entertainment value, and some- while acknowledging how it would have been received back in 1943 where it would have been more relevant- may find it dull, heavy-handed and dated today. 7/10 Bethany Cox

In 1943, this cartoon was an excellent positive propaganda piece discussing the importance of savings and income tax to help America beat the Axis. It made a dull topic a little more palatable to audiences of the day. However, when seen today, it probably seems very, very heavy-handed and pretty dull, as Donald Duck is not particularly evident above all the propaganda. Yeah, he IS there, but he's so overshadowed by the material, that little kids would absolutely hate the film today,...as would most others. Now from a historical point of view, this IS still worth seeing and it does give us an excellent view of the times.

In this Donald Duck short Donald Duck has a dilemma. Spend his money or save it to pay tax and help the American soldiers who are fighting in WW-II. It is an aggressive short and although the Americans were the good guys I don't like propaganda like this. A cartoon character must be used only to entertain and not for political statements. 5/10.

In this documentary short, Donald Duck has just been paid. We've got two sides of the average American: the thrifty (the side that urges you to save part of your money for important things such as your income tax) and the spender (who urges you to spend your money on anything you want). I have been a big fan of Disney for pretty much my whole life. It was not until the previous two years that I had learned of the wartime cartoons such as this one. I have wanted to see them so bad. Well, I finally got the chance after a collector sent me a video of rare Disney shorts at my request. This one encourages Americans to pay their income tax on time so that they can help win the war. It's either the taxes or the Axis. Every dollar you spend is just like supporting the Axis because it doesn't go to help the Allies. After some time making decisions, Donald decides to pay his income tax. No Disney fan should be without this short.