Heavy Traffic

Heavy Traffic represents a follow-up to animator Ralph Bakshi's first feature film, Fritz the Cat (1972). The central character is Michael, the ingenuous son of an Italian father and Jewish mother. An aspiring cartoonist, Michael leaves home in a huff and outrages his family by conducting an affair ...more

Animator Ralph Bakshi's films tend to be somewhat frustrating. He is undeniably talented and his best work conveys a personal and idiosyncratic world view, but most of the screenplays (usually self-penned) are less than satisfying foundations upon which to base the films. Heavy Traffic is entertaining and a great time capsule back to 1973, but the story itself is no great shakes and the dialogue is at times painful. Were it a live-action rather than animated film, the screenplay would do it in, ...more