Selfish Giant

[Mollymooreteam]

I haven't seen this since I was a little girl. I look for it in the TV listings every Christmas season and no one airs it. Thank you so much for sharing it. Precious memories of watching it with my brother.

[phealy02]

@Mollymooreteam

I loved your comment: "I look for it in the TV listings every Christmas"...but to no avail. So have I, for many many years, feeling eventually that I was the only one who loved it. And how like the giant's looking for spring is that? I too could be accused of having become bitter in my adult life, yet one view of this story ( and I know the cynical adult Oscar Wilde material very well)... brings tears to my once tear-proof adult eyes... x

[phealy02]

@Mollymooreteam

I loved your comment: "I look for it in the TV listings every Christmas"...but to no avail. So have I, for many many years, feeling eventually that I was the only one who loved it. And how like the giant's looking for spring is that? I too could be accused of having become bitter in my adult life, yet one view of this story ( and I know the cynical adult Oscar Wilde material very well)... brings tears to my once tear-proof adult eyes...

[lupocephalic]

@phealy02

Me too.

This and "The Happy Prince"

Oh ... and the Alistair Sim version of "A Christmas Carol"

Jeez ... now that I think of it ... I'm quite a softy, lol.

Anyway ... I think this is an edited version. Weren't there scenes of The Giant with his brother the Ogre?

[DipeshJain02]

Thanks

[lampshaderoofremote]

MORRISSEY!

[Laniidae]

Thank you for posting this. It's been floating in my head for the longest time, and I'm glad you posted it. Thanks for helping me remember this childhood memory.

[Oppledeldoc]

I haven't seen this since it came out, or shortly after. I always remember the scary Jack Frost character (I don't remember whether he was called by that name) and the "Cornish Ogre." Is there any way of posting the whole thing?

[DanFiebiger]

This version was nominated for an Oscar for the year 1971, the year it was released. It was produced and directed by Peter Sander and Murray Shostak. (The animated short film that won the Oscar that year was "he Crunch Bird" by Ted Petok.) Pyramid Films distributed "The Selfish Giant" film in 16mm in the 70s.

[maeveangel]

I remember my watching this in school as a child. Thank you! It is as beautiful as I remembered it...Please don't split hairs & debate about the letter of the law. Look to all of the holy men & women & children in all faiths who lived by the HEART of the law...who gave of themselves unselfishly in LOVE.

[eyecandyt]

This was the most beautiful cartoon thing i've ever seen.

[SelfishGiantMusic]

You can check out my own take on this classic Oscar Wilde fairy tale by visiting my SelfishGiantMusic channel.

[GenghisKhan44]

@Pnai777 You assume sin is a bad thing. In a way, it most definitely is. Especially the unrepentant sinner. However, no one on this Earth is NOT a sinner. We are all sinners. You. Me. The Pope. No one is perfect. And no one will ever be "perfect" on this Earth. Only in God can we be perfect.

[GenghisKhan44]

@Pnai777 Only when man works with God instead of using Him like a nuclear warhead or a knife to a man's throat can the world be right and good. Man cannot be good by himself, for he is corrupted by nature. He is not completely good. This has been brutally evident throughout history. Look at Nero. Napoleon. Hitler. Kavorkian. Man is good because God made Him good; however, often he uses his talents for evil and depravity. Because evil is enticing! It's fun! But it's also self-destructive.

[GenghisKhan44]

@Pnai777 The only thing good has the power to destroy is its enemy; ultimately, good can overcome even death in the end.

Now, if you think I'm just jabbering gobbledygook, well, you'd probably be right. But I stand behind my faith, and I grow more knowledgeable and closer to God every day. There are many who who have seen God, Jesus, and the Saints, and believed. And even though I have not experienced God in the same way they have, I believe them. Even former atheists have met God and believed.

[cashmere2007]

How deceived I feel!!! Pnai, you are 'just another homophobe', according to the statements below. Why would you ask to be my friend? Homosexuality is NOT a sin. Same-sex relationships r exactly the same as hetero relationships (not every hetero woman likes penetration, not every hetero couple can conceive or want children) with same pros/cons of every day life.

We make great parents - I have a 20yr daughter - raised by my partner and I since she was 5 .. she's awesome.

Y the judgements?

[nickledimepenny]

It was beAUTIFUL. jUST LIKE AS i REMEMBER IT. dO YOU HAVE 'tHE REMARKABLE ROCKET'? i CAN'T SEEMS TO FIND IT ANYWHERE.

[garethvillano]

My niece had her first baby daughter yesterday and this is for her. Absolutley beautiful and poignant.

[dizzyaffect]

i used to watch my VHS of this all the time.....its a family favorite and classic

[talleyho12]

this is a good storie. very poignant to being alone by yourself and not extending your friendship

[dawnrice]

for u know who

[pmanngw]

The sound is good on this - the only problem is it has had all the non-speaking parts cut out of it. I am really after the music.

[Pnai777]

"Garden of paradise?" Whatever! That's so GAY!

[cashmere2007]

@Pnai777 You are AN IDIOT!!!

[Pnai777]

@cashmere2007 I apologize for coming across as a homophobe or an idiot. My sense of humor can be very un-PC sometimes. I remember posting this comment thinking it would be interesting to use the word "gay" just to see who would react first, thinking it was being used in the context of one's sexuality. Homosexuality doesn't really bother me one bit and I think the "Garden of Paradise" idea in this animation is really quite brilliant...along with Wilde's writing.

[Pnai777]

(continued) Knowing what I know of Oscar Wilde the "Garden of Paradise" in this story probably was a symbol for a place where somebody (Oscar Wilde) can be in his or her own true nature whether regardless of sexuality, race, beliefs, etc. I admit the way I chose to portray this idea was idiotic, but it was also purposeful.

[Skulldini]

Very interesting point you've made there in your description box. Never quite thought of it like that. Your refering to Wilde's homosexuality right ?

[GenghisKhan44]

@Skulldini Thinking about it after a while, I've concluded that homosexuals, adulterors, divorcees, etc. are no worse than you or me. We're all sinners.

It's only a problem if they think they aren't sinning, that's all.

[GenghisKhan44]

@Pnai777 This is still a problem to this day. After all, what good is high GDP without someone to inherit it? In Europe, America, Australia, China, and Japan, birth rates are drastically, either barely at or (significantly) below the replacement rate. That means that when your parents get old (or you if you have kids), you will only have about one working age person for you and your mate. Production will decrease, and the economy will shrink because there are fewer people working.

[GenghisKhan44]

@Pnai777 Of course, this is not all caused by homosexuality. No, no. Abortion, contraception, and the pursuit of prosperity before God and family (among other things) all play crucial roles in this lack of new children (and the likely decline of Europe and America, quite frankly). These are all things faithful, practising Catholics (if no one else) stand against. And in the decades to come, it will be clear why we (and others) do.

Although, theologically speaking, all sins are equal.

[GenghisKhan44]

@Pnai777 Biologically? How do you mean? Do you mean "is homosexuality as bodily harmful (or harmless) as theft, lying, cheating, stealing, murder, and the like?" Sexual sins do tend to spread STDs around, and cause "unwanted" children to be conceived. So...

We and others? Yes, that is what I am saying.

[Pnai777]

@GenghisKhan44 Whatever myths you have chosen to brainwash yourself with are only myths. Theologically it may be true that "all sins are equal". Biologically your 7 deadly sins - greed, pride, wrath, gluttony, sloth, extravagance, acedia - are posing as a much unneeded hurdle for us all. Maybe if you stopped being so "sinful" you would recognize that you are just as "guilty" as homosexuals, non-Christian God worshipers, and aetheists.

[GenghisKhan44]

@Pnai777 These people are not truly religious. They are addicted not to God, but to power.

The true "addicts", one might say, to religion, are the canonical saints. And these are people who were truly devoted to God and serving Him. Some of them to the point of dying for Him. THAT is true Christianity. No Christian should strive to be a powerful bishop lording his power over his congregation. It would be better to have never been born than to be such a man.

[GenghisKhan44]

@Pnai777 That said, priests, bishops, and deacons are invaluable conduits to God, no matter the state of their mortal souls. While the common priesthood was made to go and make disciples of all nations, the ordained priesthood was made to bestow grace upon the people, and to provide the services only an ordained minister can give, such as the Eucharist, forgiveness of sins (except in extreme circumstances), and initiation.

[GenghisKhan44]

@Pnai777 I never said I wasn't. Sin is sin, and all are imperfect in the face of God. Even Mother Theresa was imperfect. It is only in realising that we cannot ever be perfect by ourselves that we can find ourselves. God completes us because He made us that way.

[Pnai777]

@GenghisKhan44 (continued) This is why many, if not all fundamentalists would say that homosexuality is an "abomination of God".

[Landulphcounter]

I used to read this story to my kids when they were younger. Looking forward to reading it to y young grandson.

The other Oscar Wilde short stories are all worth reading. Every one is a pearl.

[pmanngw]

Did you edit this yourself?

[GusF]

Thanks a million for posting this. I haven't heard this story in a very long time.

Who's the narrator? His voice is very familiar.

[ksol1460tv]

@GusF - As far as I can make out the ,ki is Paul Hecht. Produced by Potterton Productions and Reader's Digest. You can buy copies on ebay sometimes, also it's listed at Turner Classic Movies so they might show it as a short subject.

[ksol1460tv]

@GusF geez, the -narrator- is Paul Hecht, my cat jumped on my keyboard!

[NemetFox]

This is a beautiful story, well told. Also I'm happy to see the quality of this video, even though it is the shorter version of the story.

Thank you for posting this. I'm teaching this story to my ESL class here in Korea.

[Booshie321]

cheers for this..im gonna use this in class.

[withoutthegate]

The copy was borrowed and I don't have it anymore

[GenghisKhan44]

BTW, excellent story.

[sarangheo23]

one of my most favorite stories when I was growing up.  thanks for posting.