This short film masterfully uses cinematography, action, color contrast - it was shot entirely in black and white - and audio to tell a universal, moving story - all without the spoken word. It is masterful in the sense that each of these techniques stands out so clearly and its impact is so evident in not only creating the mood, but in conveying the story itself. Produced in 1962 and nominated for an Oscar for Best Short Film in 1963, I saw the it for the first time a few days ago (in November 2005) and found it stood the test of time very well.
If anyone who reads this knows where a copy could be purchased, posting that information would be helpful to film buffs.