in michael barrier's 1972 article on its production, bakshi gives accounts of two screenings of the film. of the reactions to the film by audiences at a preview screening in los angeles, bakshi stated, "they forget it's animation. they treat it like a film.  ... this is the real thing, to get people to take animation seriously." bakshi was also present at a showing of the film at the museum of modern art and remembers "some guy asked me why i was against the revolution. the point is, animation was making people get up off their asses and get mad."