:: Thursday, May 09, 2002 ::

This has been the week of animation. DVD Tuesday saw the release in mass media of two examples of what I always talk about when I talk about the ultimate blending of film with conventional and computer animation. I'm always on the lookout for a great looking "cartoon", whether it be conventional, digital, or stop motion, and with the evolving convergence of animated and computer composited imaging discussed at length here on the Cartoons section of the Cultural Blender, the two DVD's I purchased this week are the most recent examples of how enlightening experiencing the cream of the current crop of animation can be. Both DVD's rate an 8 of 10 on the Mikometer.
On Tuesday, I purchased the DVD of Richard Linklater's "Waking Life". lensed (on digital video) and computer animated in 2001, and one of the many independent films (this was financed and produced in part by the Independent Film Channel, which always gets a workout from my Tivo) which only played in a handful a theaters across the country, and was one I wanted to see but missed when it was realeased. So even though I hadn't yet seen "Waking Life", I bought it instead of rented because I had an epiphany that it was special. And speaking of special, as a special bonus attraction, I also picked up the DVD version of the excellent "modern" animie retelling of a classic Japanese "manga" from the late forties, "Metropolis", based in part but not entirely related to the Fritz Lang silent film of the 20's bearing the same name created by noted Japanese "Cartoonist" Ozamu Tesuka.

The "double feature" nature of these back to back purchases, and the warm feelings and emotional/spiritual epiphanies I received upon viewing them makes this a more than perfect moment to open up the ol blogger program and gush about the collision of film, conventional cel animation, and computers, and the many enjoyable and wonderful ways in which the convergence of artistic medium is shaping a new generation of art and film, inspired by the past, the present, and the future, infused with spiritual awakenings and epiphanies, and presented at a most critical time in the juncture of history, that if only everyone on Earth would take the time (perhaps inspired by my blognanigans) to either purchase, rent, or somehow obtain a private showing of each film, and thereby come to the realization that we are all wonderfully fashioned cogs in a universal scheme of what sometimes purports to be a chaotic existence, and we are saved, with salvation unending, in a scheme that has nothing to do with conventional ideas of religion, of which the mortar is being chipped away in great chunks before our eyes, and much to do with a world view and a universal view , which has been around for centuries, and which doesn't embrace the bickering foisted upon it's populace by the separatist warring religious factions, but remains a mystery which only begins to make sense upon the passing from this plane to the next in our human/geological/thoughtpoetic journey into the heart of ours' and the universe's soul.

The first "cartoon" is "Waking Life" (and I'm rather proud that both these films employ computer animaton as a way to "enhance" an otherwise "standard" filmic medium, (in the case of "Waking Life", a "real, filmed story", and in the case of "Metropolis" cel animated characters seamlessly blended into a CGI background)) Most of the critics, including Ebert loved this film upon release, and my need to see quotient was higher than high for this one. The film critic Kevin Thomas in the L.A. Times totally missed the impact of this entertaining and thought provoking work of art when he mentioned that the "characters philosophizing about the meaning of life" impeded with the enjoyment of the audience for the excellent "animation". Au contraire, Kevin. Most of the movie's wonder derives from it's spiritual message.
Richard Linklater's "Slacker" in 1991 (not to be confused with the recent "Slackers") basically told it's story by showing a myriad group of "streetcorner philosophers" discussing everything under the Austin sun. In execution, "Waking Life" does much the same thing.

"Waking Life" Mikometer Rating.......8 of 10

The main character, let's call him "everyman", played by Wiley Wiggins, whom astute viewers will remember as Mitch in Linklater's seminal high school movie, "Dazed and Confused" arrives in the city by train, calls a friend upon arrival to hitch a ride, notices a girl sitting in the station, and then hitches a ride with a "character in a captain's hat", piloting an amphicar, who spouts philosophy, and whose passenger (played by Linklater) gives directions to where Everyman will be let off. Upon leaving, with the driver's quixotic reverie reverbrating in his mind, Everyman picks up a note in the street, admonishing him to look to his right, which he does, right in time to see a car speeding upon him.
I used the term "played by" above, when mentioning characters, but the actors are merely canvases for the digital artists, who weave a psychedelic (literal) dream world from the images originally filmed with DV. All this is interestingly explained in special features on the DVD, and this is one very special work of art, and video package.
The character of Everyman "wakes up", goes about his routine, and meets several interesting characters, some eerily recognizable beneath the surreal animation, who chat on and on, rather like the Slackers of Linklater's first film, giving our hero insights into the meaning of life and dreams.
After a few "days" existing like this, the hero begins to realize he is in a "Groundhog Day" type of situation, where he knows he is dreaming, but doesn't seem to wake up.
Eventually, by the way, I expect these blog entries to have links to places where I will discuss more in detail certain aspects of these films. There won't be so much in the initial "mini review", or else there will be a link to the actual review "blog".
The film is excellently presented, and the philosophies and conversations among the interesting characters are astutely realized. I very much liked this picture, and after viewing it, I put on the second film in the double feature, the equally excellent "Metropolis", described by Roger Ebert (who regards both my favorite anime films, Akira and Ghost in the Shell as masterpieces of the genre.) as the epitome of digitally enhanced anime.

I think I shall probably discuss "Metropolis" in another post, since this has become somewhat unwieldy.
I'll close this entry by saying it sure is wonderful to live in an age when the "lowly cartoon" in the form of animated films like the two on the double feature, can enhance one's perception of life and death, and the meaning of same. Hopefully more of humanity will embrace a more panthiestic view of the universal someday.
Perceptions involving Tima, Kenichi, the robot policeman Pero, the sweetly endearing FiFi, evil hawkish Duke Red, brave misguided Atlas, and the richly imagined world of "Metropolis", which is the first animated feature to combine digital backgrounds with composited cel animation for the characters (sporadically used in the recent Disney features but only in certain scenes.) throughout the whole movie.
The result is magnificent, and a full review will come later.
"Metropolis" and "Waking Life" Mikometer Rating.......8of 10


:: Michael Nyiri 10:18 PM Leave a Comment on this Post ::
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