The Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid

Year: 1968

Runtime: 28 mins

Language: Russian

Director: Ivan Aksenchuk

FamilyAnimationFantasy

Set in modern Copenhagen, tourists gather around the Little Mermaid statue as a guide explains its story. A fish beneath them scoffs and begins recounting the mermaid’s love. On her fifteenth birthday she surfaces, sees a prince battling a storm, saves him and declares that the beautiful and brave should not die, leading her to wish to become human.

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Timeline & Setting – The Little Mermaid (1968)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Little Mermaid (1968). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Copenhagen, Alabaster Underwater Palace

The surface scenes unfold in Copenhagen with tourists and the Langelinie statue. The action shifts below the water to an alabaster underwater palace where the mermaid sisters dwell. Coastal settings show the prince’s ship, the shore, and the convent, linking two realms.

❄️ Ocean 🏙️ City

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:15

Main Characters – The Little Mermaid (1968)

Meet the key characters of The Little Mermaid (1968), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

The Little Mermaid (Nina Gulyayeva)

A curious and determined mermaid princess who loves a human prince and seeks to transcend her aquatic realm. She demonstrates courage and selflessness, accepting physical pain and the risk to her life for love, while remaining aware of the price she must pay for it.

💙 Love 🧜‍♀️ Mermaid 🧭 Desire

The Prince

A young prince who survives a shipwreck and captures the mermaid’s heart. He is courteous and brave, yet ultimately defined by his loyalty to his human world, which complicates the mermaid’s sacrifice.

👑 Romance 🗺️ Duty

The Sea Witch

A cunning magical figure who offers the mermaid a potion that grants transformation in exchange for her voice. She embodies manipulation and the lure of easy power, using bargains to tilt fate.

🪄 Magic ⚖️ Bargains

The Guide

The narrator who frames the surface tour of Copenhagen and bridges the world above with the mermaid’s underwater tale. He represents the storyteller’s lens through which the audience views both realms.

🗺️ Guide 🗣️ Narration

The Fish Guide

A talkative aquatic guide who helps orient viewers to the mermaid’s world, offering commentary and a whimsical perspective on events beneath the waves.

🐟 Guide 🎙️ Commentary

The Fish Narrator

A talking fish who narrates portions of the tale, providing meta-commentary on love, fate, and the moral of the story from an underwater vantage point.

🗣️ Narration 🐠 Storyteller

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:15

Major Themes – The Little Mermaid (1968)

Explore the central themes of The Little Mermaid (1968), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

❤️ Love and Sacrifice

A mermaid falls in love with a human prince and makes a dangerous pact to pursue him, sacrificing her voice and enduring pain for a chance at love. Her devotion pushes her to defy her aquatic world and seek a life among humans. The romance meets tragedy when loyalty and fate pull the two lovers in different directions. The story presents both a beautiful, doomed romance and a cautionary note about changing who you are for love.

🪄 Transformation

The mermaid’s transformation into a human body is literal and costly, achieved through magical means that demand a heavy price. The hag’s bargain and the subsequent pain of walking as a human symbolize the contentious nature of changing one’s nature. Transformation is portrayed as powerful but not inherently liberating, highlighting the limits and consequences of desire.

⚖️ Fate and Social Boundaries

The mermaid’s longing challenges the boundaries between sea life and human society, underscoring a rigid social order. The hag and the sisters illustrate how bargains and sacrifice attempt to reposition someone within a different world. The narrative offers two endings, suggesting fate governs both realms and prompting reflection on belonging and identity.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:15

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The Little Mermaid Summary

Read a complete plot summary of The Little Mermaid, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

The Little Mermaid Summary

The Little Mermaid Timeline

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The Little Mermaid Timeline

More About The Little Mermaid

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The Little Mermaid (1968) Plot Summary & Movie Recap

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The Little Mermaid (1968) Spoiler-Free Summary & Key Flow