Skip to main content

Review: Fantastic Planet - 1973

INTRODUCTION
As a fan of animation, I have found a bizarre safe haven of sorts in Europe. I have been shocked find some of the most creative, enchanting, and thought-provoking works of this medium in Europe. Anything, from the warped world of Jan Svankmajer to the dreamlike lands of Yuri Norstein. But the film for this review hails from France.
Rene Laloux's La Planate Sauvage is a 1973 Franco-Czech animated science fiction film featuring the design work of imaginative illustrator Roland Topor. With the English title of Fantastic Planet, Laloux's cinematic debut is a truly fantastic tale. On the planet known as Ygam, Oms (or humans) are enslaved and toyed with by the planet's natives, large blue creatures called Draags. However, one Om by the name of Terr escapes his owner and finds himself in the company of radical Oms who defy the Draags.

THE PROS
La Planete Sauvage is film is chock full of allegories. From fighting oppression to the basic pleasures of getting high, La Planete Sauvage is filled with the imagery and ideas of counterculture in the 70s. Topor and Laloux's script is reasonably simple, letting the imagery do most of the talking. With that said, the imagery is spectacular. Topor crafts a warped world that is both dead and alive. The landscape is teeming with life, yet there are barren and empty shots everywhere. Matching the surreal visuals is Alain Goraguer's score. It fuses jazz with certain elements of psychedelic music of the time, compounding the film's contemporary nature. It fits both the surreal visuals of the film and the emotions of the film. The acting is decent. Everyone preforms as demanded and there are no real stand out performances.

THE CONS
The only real problem is the actual medium of animation used. Laloux's film is animated with cutout animation. Laloux made this decision to preserve the quality of Topor's illustrations. There is, however, a sacrifice made when using this medium. That sacrifice is flexibility. The film's animation is stiff as a board. While the Czech animators, like Josef Kabrt and Josef Vana, were able to create movement that is smoother than Laloux's earlier works like the 1966 short film Les escargots, the cutout animation still felt a little stiff. It is an excusable decision, but not an unnoticeable one.

CONCLUSION
Overall, La Planete Sauvage is an impressive work of animated science fiction. While the cutout animation is noticeably stiff and the acting is nothing to write home about, the film makes up for that via its strong counterculture imagery and ideals, surreal production design, and a trippy score. It receives a strong recommendation from me for those who wish to take a break from the large-scale commercial nature of the modern animation industry.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Double Feature: Clearwater Features's TUGS (1989) & Cosgrove Hall's The Wind in the Willows (1983 - 1988)

INTRODUCTION It's probably best that we dial things down and finally get around to talking about something I mention in the description of this godforsaken blog: TV! Namely 80s British children's programming! There's one major reason why I've chosen this unnaturally specific arena of the small screen...I grew up on it. Through the power of the internet, DVDs, and even syndicated broadcasts in the US in some instances, I was able to experience what kids from London to Lancaster watched during the days of Thatcher and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. And I ate that stuff right up as a tot. There was something unique about English programming in general at the time. There was a certain homeliness to it. It was as if you return to your house or flat, turn on the tube, but it was catching an episode of Last of the Summer Wine or Only Fools & Horses that truly made you feel like you were at home. When it comes to kid's programming, I find that the UK is...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: The Color of Money - 1986

INTRODUCTION When I first saw The Hustler  on TCM, the 1961 pool hall drama starring a young Paul Newman alongside legends like Jackie Gleason, Piper Laurie, and George C. Scott, I was rather impressed. I loved its mustiness, Kenyon Hopkin's snazzy score, and the knockout performances by all, and I shall hopefully get around to taking a stab at The Hustler at a later date. So when I learned of a sequel, decades later, but helmed by the one, the only, the cinematic titan Martin Scorsese, my curiosity was more than just peaked. And so I come today to divulge my thoughts on the story of Paul Newman, back at it again as now former hustler "Fast Eddie" Felson, his surprise protégé Tom Cruise, and Cruise's girlfriend, the fiery Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, in Scorsese's 1986 flick, The Color of Money . PROS So there's is a lot to unpack with this film. Does Newman still have it in him to bring back to life the "Fast Eddie" Felson character? H...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: Ran - 1985

INTRODUCTION Akira Kurosawa is likely one of the most important filmmakers of the 20th century. Through his feudal films, we saw the works of Shakespeare reborn and new tales that have been told for decades. Through his modern day exploits, we looked into the heart of humanity at the time, peering into the souls of many. In his 1985 latter-day masterpiece Ran , we saw the best of both worlds. This is likely one of the most powerful pieces of film I've ever seen. I simply can't fathom one word against it. So I am going to bring you all on a tour of the elements of Ran , and how they are absolutely astonishing in execution and affect. Now this review will delve into mild spoilers, nothing too serious, but I highly recommend that you all watch this masterful film prior to reading. But if you do read through this, I hope it compels you to watch this gargantuan marvel of a motion picture, or heck, even rewatch it on account of this. STORY Akira Kurosawa's Ran is a 198...
Post a Comment
Read more