If you were to ask the average person about Disney short films, chances are they would only know a few. But if you were to ask the film buff or animation expert, they would know very well of the Disney short film library. One of those short films that’s been regarded as a classic and heavily underlooked is The Little Match Girl.

Based on the story by Hans Christian Anderson – author of The Little Mermaid and The Snow Queen – The Little Match Girl was originally part of an anthology film of shorts comprising Fantasia 2006. But due to unknown reasons (I’m leaning towards a lack of interest) the film was canceled. However, though the film was shelved, that didn’t mean the segments needed to be gone too. It was decided by the powers-that-be to turn the proposed shorts into short films.

What we got here is a beautiful, well-made piece of animation. The Little Match Girl tells the story of a young girl out on the snowy streets of Moscow, Russia trying to sell matches. But everyone is indifferent to her, and, options becoming fewer and fewer, later that night she tries to warm herself in a snowy alley. She eventually strikes some of her remaining matches to keep herself warm. As the matches continue burning she sees visions of a feast, a warm furnace, and her grandmother. After each vision fades, she strikes all her matches to keep the vision of her grandmother going, seeing a bright Christmas tree lighting the candles.

The film is gorgeous dripping with detail. The animation is top notch. It’s Disney; you’re going to expect great things when it comes to their traditional animation. What I really love about this short film is the mix of orchestrated classical music and 2D animation they blend so well. It reminds me of how well the original Fantasia segments worked. The Little Match Girl is on par with those segments.

Since it is based on a short story, there are going to be some differences. For the most part, this adaptation stays true to the original short story. The only noticeable differences are the setting change from Denmark to Russia and the exclusion of the girl’s cruel and overbearing father. I don’t mind these changes. If you haven’t seen the film, please do. You can find it on The Walt Disney Short Films Collection on DVD and Blu-ray. It’s also available on Netflix. It may be short at only 7 minutes long, but it’s definitely worth a watch.