The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics (1965) User Reviews (19)

one of Jones's cinematic forays into semi-psychedelia

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 27 June 2007]

No longer working at Warner Bros., Chuck Jones made this mystifying short about a drab delineation in love with a dot. He can't catch her attention until he realizes that he can make angles and all sorts of shapes.

Now that I've seen "The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics", I would say that it's the sort of movie which I wish that I had seen in math classes. Directed by Jones, it's certainly a clever one. However, I wouldn't call it the greatest cartoon. All the stuff about the scruffy squiggle sounds a little bit like they were chastising young people for being independent; ironically, the whole cartoon seems kind of psychedelic! So, it may not be Chuck's masterpiece - in my view, "What's Opera, Doc?" easily gets that distinction - but still worth seeing. Narrator Robert Morley also starred in "The African Queen" and "Theater of Blood".

An experimental, Oscar-winning Chuck Jones cartoon

[Varlaam · 8/10 · 31 January 1999]

In order to lure a cute dot away from a swingin' squiggle, a very conservative straight line learns to turn himself into exciting polygons and Spirograph designs.

This cartoon unfortunately is more impressive than it is entertaining. The overwrought narration by Norton Juster is read by Robert Morley. This is the first collaboration between Juster and Jones who later worked together on "The Phantom Tollbooth" in 1969.

In some ways, "The Dot and the Line" resembles a prototype for that later film since they are both less than the sums of their parts and are both better described than seen. In both cases, Jones is let down by Juster.

This 1965 effort however is shorter, better, and less cute than their 1969 feature, and has sufficient charm and originality to be well worth your time.

Quite Remarkable

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 22 April 2019]

This is such a sophisticated piece of work. The line is boring and inflexible until he begins to think of his potential. Many things are made up of combinations of lines. The squiggle has no order and that would be attractive in the short term, but we know that he is going to get the dot at some point. Of course, she is no great prize herself, petulant and severe in her judgments. Very imaginative.

Overcoming Odds/Abstract Animation

[Seamus2829 · 10/10 · 9 September 2008]

I truly have to admire the works of Chuck Jones. He made a name for himself directing Bugs Bunny shorts for Warner Brothers starting in the 1940's (although he directed many other animated shorts during that era,including animated training films for the U.S. government,some of which featured scripts written by Theodore S.Geisel,later to be known & loved by generations as Dr.Suess),moving on to creating The Road Runner in the 1950's,and moving on even further to working on directing animated programs for television in the 1960's,to animated feature fare in the 1970's. Every now & again, he would surprise us with something different & left of centre. 'The Dot And The Line:A Romance In Lower Mathematics',a short he directed for M-G-M in 1965 is a shining example of this. The story (read by veteran British actor,Robert Morley)is simple:a straight line is madly in love with a dot,who only cares for an abstract squiggle line. This causes the line to re-evaluate his position on things. The concept of abstract animation is by no means a new idea, but Jones (with assistance from co-director/co-writer Maurice Noble)manage to pull it off nicely (the idea for animating abstract images actually hearkens back to silent films in the 1920's,and later augmented by classical music in the 1930's & beyond). Well worth seeking out if you're idea of animation is something that is exclusively for children.

Exceptional effort to maximize the limits inherent in limited animation quite successfully

[llltdesq · 10/10 · 19 September 2001]

This short won an Academy Award and justly so. While others have said the scripted narration is not terribly good, I disagree. There are one or two excessively florid points, but Robert Morley's marvellous reading covers those and overall, the scripted narration is good. The animation succeeds in part because of the narration. Chuck Jones and Maurice Noble have every right to be well pleased with this cartoon. Why it isn't in print, I don't understand. Highly Recommended.

deja vu - I did the production, too, in 1965!

[Petry · 1 September 1999]

Yes: Amazing coincidence (and shades of the Blair Witch coincidence) Mr. Richard Wiley Jerome and I, Mr. Raymond Kenneth Petry, both of Sacramento CA USA at that time in Arden Junior High School, did Norton Juster's, The Dot And The Line, on his family's home movie camera - we called it, Planar-Vision - the camera had a single-frame feature, and with their tripod looking down on our display board, we pinned variously cloth cuttings of the Dot, velvet hemming for the Line (except when he looked thin and drawn and on-edge, we drew him, on-the-edge) and Squiggle was mohair yarn ... we shot the whole story. For voice we added his little sister, Jeanie, and for hours we re-recorded over our giggles and laughter, till we had it just right and well-timed: then we single-shot each scene straight-through by timings.

In 1965-69, we went to Rio Americano High School, and showed our mathematics class, eventually: We were both scholars: Rich went on to be Salutatorian for Rio Americano in 1969, and matriculated at Stanford, and I took 1st Place in the Central Valleys Math Quiz (against the MAA perfect-top-scorer) in 1969, and matriculated at UCSD, for my BA in mathematics.

The Dot and The Line is a most memorable story done in fun: We're delighted that Hollywood thought enough of it, too.

/rkp

Clever

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 14 February 2008]

A line is in love with a dot but the relationship seems doomed--until the line learns he isn't quite as dull and "pointless" as he thought.

While I don't know if this cartoon deserved the Oscar since it's hard to be a hold of older animated shorts and since the animation was so simple, but it is very clever and is probably a film that Geometry teachers would love and talk about and watch again and again!! While this sounds like I hated the film, I didn't--it just didn't thrill me and the idea seemed like it went on just a bit too long. However, because of its uniqueness and how it actually explains mathematical concepts in a fun way, it's a very good film. People that love the novel "Flatland" would also probably love this little film directed by Chuck Jones.

A line longs for his love, a dot, despite his family's wishes and a large scribble.

[lizz-rinker · 10/10 · 10 March 2005]

I remember watching this as a young child. It was a real treat to be able to see it, since it wasn't like the other programs I'd watch. Although there was only one Dot and the Line, it was better than the Rugrats. The Dot and the Line will remain a part of what defined my childhood. When I told my friends about this great cartoon, they didn't understand what made it so interesting or funny. The art style alone is enough to try and find this film. The last time I saw it was back in 2000. Flash forward a few years. I'm walking through SF when I find myself at a small sidewalk sale. I take particular interest in one book. The title seems familiar. It's a reprint of Norton Juster's book. If you can find it, the book is just as good.

THE DOT AND THE LINE: A ROMANCE IN LOWER MATHEMATICS {Short} (Chuck Jones and Maurice Noble, 1965) ***

[Bunuel1976 · 7/10 · 12 January 2014]

Following the closing down of "Termite Terrace" – the true home of the beloved Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies cartoons – in 1963 and after completing a few more Wile E. Coyote/Road Runner shorts, animation legend Chuck Jones left Warner Brothers for an unfruitful stint at revamping Tom and Jerry at MGM. To counter this perhaps, he also turned his attention to some highbrow stuff on the side of which, the Oscar- winning short under review is one example and the feature-length fantasy THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH (1969) would be the culmination.

What we have here is a series of colourful lines, one of which falls for a red dot, which in turn is infatuated with a doodle (here called "squiggle")! Despite the good counsel of its ilk, the line still mopes after the dot and literally bends itself out of shape to impress it. Before long, the 'jazzy' uncouthness of the squiggle dawns on the latter and it recognizes and starts admiring the 'square' qualities of the line. It must be said that rotund character actor Robert Morley's narration adds invaluable gravitas to the thin plot line. Apart from perhaps wishing kids to love their maths lessons, one could also take this as Jones' denigrating commentary on contemporaneous European abstract animators…not to mention the emerging hippie community!!

Really romance

[sandrajolly · 10/10 · 17 July 2005]

When I first read the book version of the Dot and the Line, I had to supply the voice and "music" in my imagination, but I thought the book was wonderful. Just a few lines on a page and some words, but it really was romance. The justification for the characters' behavior was so real! I felt for the Line from the very beginning, and hated his rival. My feelings for the Dot were mixed. I just kept wishing she would come to her senses and see the Line for the great guy that he really was! When I was able to view the animated version a few years later, I was happy to see that my own interpretation was pretty much spot-on. I did enjoy the music, and I enjoyed seeing my characters come to "life" as it were. The movie was a faithful rendering of the book, which to me is still a classic! I lent my copy to a friend over ten years ago, and have not gotten it back yet...it is still making the rounds and I hope, making many other people smile.

shape-off

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 23 January 2021]

This opens with Cupid shooting at Dot and missing. Dot is not having Line who is way too straight. Dot is much more interested in having fun with Squiggle. The Line works to prove his worthiness. The big name here is legendary animator Chuck Jones who is the co-director. The narrator is noted actor Robert Morley. I think I remember seeing this some time in my childhood. It has the experimental style of the 60's. It's fun. I do have an idea for an extra scene. Line and Squiggle can have a shape-off. Like bodybuilders, they could pose into various shapes to entice Dot. That would be a great finale.

Experimental but not boring

[midiaarte · 10/10 · 24 July 2001]

Experimental animators usually commit the mistake of thinking that experimentalism must be hermetical, non-objective, and abstract. Chuck Jones proves his point by making an animation film which brings characters and a storyline, but makes it look like a wild piece of experimental animation.

Without sound, the film would look like wild moving pieces. It's the narration and the soundtrack who do the trick. Weird non-objective mathematically abstract images who become human-like characters just with a little voice and music. Brilliant.

I'm personally impressed by this piece, since I saw it on TV as a kid, and instead of learning mathematics out of it, I decided to be an experimental animator. And I am one now :)

There's only one thing wrong with this short...

[pj72 · 6/10 · 23 January 2021]

...the dot. That's right, the dot. I mean, personality-wise. I liked everything else except that. For one, it's very opinionated, and two, for a dot that sounds so cultured, it's not very bright. I personally don't think that dot deserves that line after all she's put him through, but as they say, "Love is blind!"

I never liked geometry

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 30 July 2015]

This is a 10-minute short film from 50 years ago that won the Oscar back then. And even if I did not like it as much as I hoped I would, I am still fine with this decision by the Academy. One reason is that I can see smart writing in here, even if it did not really appeal to me, but the much bigger reason is that it got Chuck Jones an Oscar finally. He was possibly the most notable cartoon director from the 20th century and it's nice to see him awarded finally. He co-directed this one with Maurice Noble, somebody who worked on films like "Dumbo" or "Snow White" and was also a prolific animator since the 1930s, just like Jones himself. "The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics" is probably a really good watch for everybody with an interest in mathematics, or I should maybe say geometry as I have always been quite fond of mathematics himself. The romance story in here was so-so and to me personally it felt more like an educational movie than something which really has a decent deal of emotion. They could have increased that one for sure. Then again, making a moving (in the sense of the heart) film about a cold and factual subject like mathematics is probably a really tough challenge. I guess Jones, Noble and Norman Juster made a solid job all in all taking this into account. However, I hoped for more looking at how this won an Oscar. Not recommended and there are hundreds of short films that Jones made that are better than this one.

Wondrous (some spoilers)

[ColeSear · 10/10 · 24 January 2003]

Under the guise of an educational documentary Chuck Jones here again astounds with one of his most impressive works. Here he not only breathes life into but creates a story about two geometrical figures. In a way this film reminds me of the Ludwig von Drake educational shorts by Disney with the distinction that Jones makes the "math" the center of attention and makes these shapes seem real, instead of having the narrator be overbearing. This film was nominated for Best Picture at the Cannes Film Festival. And it's no wonder it's a great and original work that is a metaphor for human relationships more than anything else. It's also worth noting that this film was unusual and unique when it came out and will continue to be so as the nature of animation has changed drastically. If you have the chance watch this master work by a master director.

Mathematics at its most romantic

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 4 January 2018]

Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons.

Chuck Jones deserves his status as one of animation's most legendary, greatest and most important directors/animators. He may have lacked the outrageousness and wild wackiness of Bob Clampett and Tex Avery, but the visual imagination, wit and what he did with some of the best-known and most iconic characters ever were just as special. 'The Dot and the Line' is the last of three Oscar/Academy Award wins for Jones, 'For Scent-imental Reasons' (one of Pepe Le Pew's best cartoons) and 'So Much for So Little' (more the appreciate than love cartoons for me) being the other two, of the three it's my personal favourite.

It is not easy making something interesting, let alone sweet and romantic, out of Maths, which was always one of my least favourite subjects in school due to struggling to understand a lot of it. 'The Dot and the Line' does just that.

The story is incredibly charming and touching, effective too in its simplicity and paced just right, not frenetic but never dull. Personally found the narration very pleasantly thoughtful and found myself learning a good deal. Robert Morley's delivery is nothing short of marvellous.

Funny or hilarious 'The Dot and the Line' may not be, it isn't that kind of cartoon. Instead it is very educational but still managed the ideal balance of educating and entertaining.

Animation is the more abstract style, for the story and that it deals with Maths and Geometry it suited the cartoon to a tee. It's simple but not cheap, with enough detail and colour to make it more appealing.

Characters look very cute and are cute in personality too, it's not everyday where one cares for and develops an emotional attachment for shapes but it happens here. The music is a nice fit.

Overall, beautiful and made me appreciate Maths more. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Sorry, Chuck; but we found this to be just a trifle Pretentious! Besides, where's the ROAD RUNNER & COYOTE?

[redryan64 · 8/10 · 25 March 2009]

PERHAPS THE DESIRE to do an animated short subject which was something other than a pre-feature film sort of a laugh getter on the local movie theatre's play bill. The position being a likened to that of a journeyman Stand-Up Comic's serving as an opening act for an established Star Singer; such as a Sinatra, Bennett or Streisand. Be that the case or not, there's no denying that Producer-Director and universally recognized Animation Guru, Mr. Chuck Jones, overwhelmingly succeeded in bring the world a solely unique film.

PLEASE PARDON our ignorance, but this was a title completely unknown to us until yesterday evening (3/24/09), when the Turner Classic Movies Channel celebrated the birthday of Chuck Jones with the playing of a special about his life; as well as running many of his great shorts from Warner Brothers/Looney Tunes-Merrie Melodies and MGM's Cartoon unit.

WITH this, our 1st & 2nd viewings (they re-ran the entire line-up); we have only come away with truly mixed feelings about THE DOT AND THE LINE: A ROMANCE IN LOWER MATHEMATICS (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1965).

UNQUESTIONABLY, the project had been undertaken with the firm resolve to make it as high class and polished animation as it could possibly be. Background art, "Character" Design" (if it can be called that), color work and accompanying Musical Score, by Eugene Poddany, all measure up to the highest of standards. It manages to keep our interest up at a high level; if only to see what comes next.

OBVIOUSLY the cartoon, as well as the original story, tries very hard to be more than just a little story of fantasy and imagination. There certainly some "hidden meaning" in all of this on screen business; being underscored by the off camera narration provided by the 'veddy English' veteran Actor, Mr. Robert Morely. In fact, tour way of thinking, it is done without subtlety or underplaying. We felt as if we were being constantly bombarded with messages of "LOOK! HOW DIFFERENT THIS IS!"

THE LOGICAL question next would have to be asking ourselves about just what sort of subtle messages are we supposed to get from a viewing? Are there any obvious or less than obvious metaphors? Is there some relevancy on screen to real life in the mid 1960's?

FIRST INSTINCTS seem to go toward the plethora of tales that have related the misfortunes of star-crossed Lovers caught on the opposite sides in ongoing Family Feuds. (Not the TV Series, Schultz!) These would include that of the Capulets & the Montagues (Romeo & Juliet), the Hatfields & the McCoys or the Cub Fans & the White Sox Suppopeters. This aspect appears to be a trifle obvious.

COULD THE answer lie in the hardship and tribulations of being different. This could be done in such a manner as to be an intentional reference to the Racial problems that were then approaching a boiling point in our country. After all, what would seem to be better qualified to represent the Races of Man than the different shapes; such as Dots, Straight Lines and Scribbled Lines? That did truly have a possibility of a connection and would make it a precursor to GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER? (Stanley Kramer Productions/Columbia Pictures, 1967).

BUT to that we cannot give a ringing endorsement. Whereas no one can say for sure and meanings of any work in the Artistic World may be valid in one's view and interpretation; but mean something totally other for another.

AND just what is our evaluation of the many levels of this animation? Well our opinion is as valid as the next guy's, so here it is, THIS PRODUCTION came on the heels of a new style of Cartoon Short as exemplified by those produced by the folks over at United Productions of America; that's UPA for short. Their style of animation, backgrounds, character design and storytelling were looked upon as nothing less than sensational by both the (genuflect!) Critics and the Public. Doing their releasing through Columbia, UPA gave us such memorable moments of animation as the MR. MAGOO Series; which reached its zenith with the Magoo starring full length animated feature, 1001ARABIAN NIGHTS (UPA/Columbia, 1959).

HOWEVER IT IS another UPA project that this DOT AND LINE brings to our mind. It is the adaptation of the Doctor Suess classic, GERALD McBOING-BOING (UPA/Columbia, 1951). There appears to be more than just casual similarities here.

STARTING with the design, which appears to be a copy or homage to UPA, the film could easily have been done by that Studio, instead of Jones & MGM. The character design, such as it was follows suit and the format of having a narrator wasn't exactly an exclusive of UPA, it was an element of the McBoing-Boing film and its sequels & TV Series on CBS TV. But it is the central theme of the UPA Gerald short is that of the loneliness and despair that one who is different can feel in a World that seems to be all out of synch with him.* For our money, that's where it is.

SOMEONE ONCE said that "Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery!" This may well apply to Mr. Chuck Jones' THE DOT AND THE LINE; for it has just too many similarities to be purely coincidental. Why, even the UPA style was used by Walt Disney in some Cartoons done in the '50's and '60's.

AS for a Grade for THE DOT AND THE LINE, Schultz and I give it a C+. It's worth seeing once, but fails to inspire further viewings, and more, more, more………, etc.

NOTE: * Who should know better than I, who was born and raised a REDHEAD!!!

POODLE SCHNITZ!!

A half dozen "Termite Terrace" refugees led by director Jones . . .

[oscaralbert · 10/10 · 28 January 2021]

. . . were so traumatized by the razing of Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, Elmer F., Yosemite Sam, Sylvester Cat, T. Bird, Wile E. Coyote, Foghorn Leg-Horn, and Michigan J. Frog's hangout that they could not pull so much as a rabbit out of their animators' hat while beginning their new gig in bittersweet exile. However, these guys were so talented that they could catch the essence of WAR AND PEACE in ten minutes even if they just had a dust bunny, a tiddly wink and a toothpick with which to work. That's pretty much their entire cast for THE DOT AND THE LINE: A ROMANCE IN LOWER MATHEMATICS. It's likely that Mr. Tolstoy would NOT have felt the need to scribble out 1,225 pages about Napoleon and a bunch of fictional Russians IF he'd just been able to enjoy this brief cartoon before he put pen to paper. As a champion of serfs, Leo always avoided redundancy.

A cartoon with different angles

[SimonJack · 8/10 · 12 December 2016]

The date of release on this short subject cartoon was Dec. 31, 1965. It strikes me as an early cartoon look at computers and the logic of the digital age – well before their commercial time. It reminded me also of the Morse Code which had been invented in 1836 (and I studied as a youth and later in the U.S. Army). Of course, here the mathematics is all geometrics. And, hidden within the cartoon is social commentary, a moral of sorts.

"The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics" is a splendid cartoon. It's from a story by Norton Juster. The humor of the dialog read by Robert Morley is quite good. It's a delight to watch the various contortions – like a child drawing lines and angles in a frenzy on paper. The line is the "hero" of this piece. He finally wins over the dot (the heroine?) when she sees through the unkempt and disheveled character of the squiggle. I could see variations on this pattern – a cartoon of dots and dashes. How about "binary beginnings." Or maybe, "logic bent out of shape?"

It's a pretty sophisticated and somewhat educational cartoon. It won the 1965 Oscar as the best short (cartoon). I probably saw it in a theater originally, but saw it again a couple of times in recent years. It came as a bonus on my DVD of "The Glass Bottom Boat." I think most viewers will enjoy this artistic short. It's a cartoon that has more than one angle.