Freedom is a one-minute animated cartoon from Bruno Bozzetto, to celebrate “60 Years of Freedom.” (That’s Italian freedom, of course. Italy was liberated from fascism in 1945.) The cartoon shows one generic blob-man breaking out of his little gray box, thus inspiring neighboring blob-men to attempt their own liberations. It’s cute, and the message is undeniably positive, but I had two problems: 1. The first blob, who won his liberty, didn’t go back and help his imprisoned fellows. Didn’t even look back. This is especially incongruous in the context of celebrating Italy’s freedom, since Italy did not liberate herself, but was assisted in the effort by Allied armies. 2. The title at the end is oddly worded: “Freedom must always be conquered,” it says. I assume (and hope) the sentiment was something more like “must always be won,” but got lost in the translation. (The Italian version reads “La liberta va sempre conquistata.”)

All that aside, it’s a fine little cartoon. Bozzetto is ever the maestro.