I like animation, but I’m a casual viewer rather than a connoisseur.
I watch a bit of Studio Ghibli to keep up with the cool kids, morning cartoons with my niblings when I’m on holiday, short films at festivals, the latest blockbuster (if it gets good reviews from someone I trust), something that catches my eye at the library…
I watch a bit of Studio Ghibli to keep up with the cool kids, morning cartoons with my niblings when I’m on holiday, short films at festivals, the latest blockbuster (if it gets good reviews from someone I trust), something that catches my eye at the library…
… by which I mean: The Secret of Kells is gorgeous, but I can’t tell you which animation traditions it draws on or how good, technically, the animation is. We watched it recently and I fell in love with the visual rhythm of the film. Celtic spiral motifs repeat through the leaves, branches, creatures and skies; the patterns weaving through the film infuse it with dreaminess. It's interesting to see an Irish-French-Belgian animation production focussing on the visual traditions of Ireland.
The story, a fictionalised account of the making of the Book of Kells, isn’t complicated. Nevertheless, it features a nice range of people (almost all men, but the monks are from around the world; the bad guys/Vikings are definitely bad, but the abbot shows more complexity) and non-human characters (Aisling the forest spirit, Pangur Bán the cat, the comedy goose, the wolves and Crom Cruach the serpent god).
Although the subject is inherently religious, the film itself has a very light touch in this regard. It feels quite secular. I appreciate this, but I also imagine that those wanting to find echoes of their faith in the film will probably be able to do so. Why not watch it yourself and tell me what you think?
Have you seen any interesting films lately? Please recommend them in the comments or on Twitter - I'm always on the lookout for new viewing material.
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