The New Face of Animation

I must have been around 15 years old. My cousin who was 5 then, had a Monster's Inc.(2001) CD which he got as a gift on his birthday. When I sat down to watch that movie with him, I don't think I realized that it was First Animated Movie I was watching. I mean I saw countless cartoon shows while growing up but that was my First Animated Feature Length Film. And that adorable baby voice still gets me hooked every time I watch it since then. By now, I have seen quite a few animation movies. But for various reasons, very few of them have left any lasting mark like Monsters Inc. Probably, it set the bar pretty high. Most of animated movies are cartoons for children and families. Agreed that there targeted audience is kids, but good animated movie for me is one which can appeal to all age-groups, not just their target audience. That is where movies like Toy Story 3(2010), How to Train Your Dragon(2010) and Wall-E(2008) stood out to me.

However, quite recently I came across few movies which are animated but still are not meant specifically for Kids. Rather most of these movies will be completely inappropriate for them, but they still were animated movies. I think reason why movies appealed more to me than any regular animated movie is because here making it an animated movie was a matter of choice rather than necessity. Most of these films probably would have been equally effective if they were normal movies than animated movies. They used liberties the medium of animation gives to show something which might have been difficult to show otherwise. Experience of these movies is so profound that they force rethinking of animation. I am sure there are many more but from what I have seen, some of them are(Spoilers Ahead. If you haven't seen it and really want to see it, there may be spoilers for you in the description):

Waltz With Bashir(2008): Director Ari Folman's quasi-documentary movie about one night in September 1982, when Christian militia killed around 3000 Palestine refugees in the city of Beirut while Israeli soldiers guarded them. Ari Folman himself was one of the soldiers and that night changed his life forever. After 20 years, that night is still haunting him though now, all his memories are extremely foggy. Getting sick and tired of all those nightmares, he travels around the world to meet other soldiers who were with him that night. And slowly but surely whole night sprawls in front of him. From the very first frame, you know something horrible is going to happen and in the end, it does. However, that journey towards eventual end is much terrifying than actual end. The emotions, horror is so palpable that you are constantly afraid of what are you going to see next? Waltz talks about aftermath of war as much as it comments on war itself. It tries to convince us that war is hell, but it does in a way very few films have like Platoon(1986) and it also tells a haunting story of psychic burden a soldier can carry even decades after his involvement.    

Mary and Max(2009): It's a story of Friendship across two continents. Mary, living in Australia, does not have any friend at school and her mother is alcoholic. So she needs a friend but can not think of anyone in her vicinity who will be her friend. Hence she picks up a name from Manhattan telephone diary and sends a letter with Chocolate bar. It reaches Max Horowitz, morbidly obese, middle aged Jewish New yorker who also has asperger syndrome. Only apparent common thread between them is their love of The Noblets. And then we follow their lives, their ups and downs, for next 20 years. We see Mary getting married and then breaking that marriage up. We see Max going into asylum, controlling his weight and in the end, getting his dream job. However, all these years, they only have each other that support through thick and thin and they do not even meet each other. This film is an excellent example of what I said above: "here making it an animated movie was a matter of choice rather than necessity. Most of these films probably would have been equally effective if they were normal movies than animated movies". It is an animation feel that deals with bleak adult themes making it pretty much inappropriate for target audience of animation movies but still director Elliott's animation style gives it a lovely, handcraft feel.

Persepolis(2007): One more animation movie which is extremely inappropriate for children. Adapted from director Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphical novel, this movie created quite a row in the year it was released. It caught almost everyone's attention and garnered heap of praise for a daring attempt made. It's a coming of age story of an Iranian Girl during the time of Islamic Revolution. At very young age, she witnesses Iranian revolution in 1979 in which her family takes active part. However, pretty much only thing this revolution achieves is it passes the baton from one devil to another. So, her parents send her to Vienna for the chance of better future. With her experiences in Vienna, when she comes back, she finds that she and her motherland have changed a lot for their own good and she struggles to find the golden equilibrium. Animated by hand, these black-and-white drawings are really simple but powerful. Its wonderful to see, how much emotions have been put into them. Watching all the events that shaped the future of a country through her eyes, gives a perspective to those who know very little about Iran.

Grave of the Fireflies(1988): I have always been in the awe of what Hayao Miyazaki and Company have done with anime genre. This movie is just another example of it. Though not directed by Miyazaki himself, director Isao Takahata is co-founder of Studio Ghibli with Miyazaki. Of all the 4 movies here, this one possibly is closest to the stereotypical animation movies we see. However, this is one of the early films that handled themes animated films will usually not touch because it is a tragedy, moreover it handles the death of a child. Setsuko and Seita live in wartime Japan. Their father is in Navy and their mother falls a victim to the bombings in their city. They get shelter in one of the relative's house. But soon enough they become a burden and have to move out to the cave by the side of river. Seita can provide for little while but eventually Food becomes a scarce. And struggle to meet the ends take them both as a victim. It is an animation film but still it is one of the most heartfelt movies I have seen. It is full of many memorable scenes that melt your heart like Seita trapping air bubbles in wash rag and then releases it to Setsuko's delighted face, Setsuko and Seita gathering Fireflies to illuminate their cave in the night. It also uses silences to a great effect. It also shows a lot of Patience. Many shots are hold onto so that you can have time to digest, process what you are watching. Characters take time to establish them but then they make more impact. 

Got any more to recommend to me ??