In my last blog post, I mentioned how inspiring it can be to discover a diamond of a book, concert, movie or any other piece of art. Well, in the last week I have seen two gorgeous movies for the first time and, in connection to my last post, I wanted to write about each of them in turn, as these are definitely what I would consider to be diamonds! Both movies are animations by a French director and comic artist who is new to me, Sylvain Chomet, and the first movie of his that I want to write about today is 'L'Illusionniste', or 'The Illusionist'.
I was interested to watch this movie for many reasons; firstly because, after recently reading and loving 'The Animators', I have a new-found respect for this style of art, although, I strongly felt that I wanted to watch something more original and unique in this genre, and not another Disney or Pixar flick. Secondly, this movie features many scenes in Edinburgh - it shows off the city absolutely beautifully and, as I am about to visit Edinburgh, I wanted to 'get into the mood' of the city! Another reason why I was particularly attracted to this movie is that it is a story that was actually originally written in the 50s by Jaques Tati, a film maker who's work I adore, and which was then adopted by Chomet in 2010 for the production of this film.
Actually, the story behind Tati's original screenplay is quite interesting and a little controversial. The movie focuses on a father-daughter relationship between an older man, the illusionist or magician, and a much younger girl, an admirer who believes that his tricks are real magic. It is said that this was heavily based on Tati's own experience of having an estranged and illegitimate daughter, that the main character was a portrayal of Tati himself, and that this story acted as a kind of personal letter to her. Tati had intended to make this screenplay into a live action movie but never did it - Chomet has claimed that this is because the story was too personal and close to him, preventing him from being able to make the movie, hence why Chomet wanted to make it for him, albeit in a different format to the one that Tati had chosen for it. However, since the release of Chomet's film, a letter from one of Tati's grandsons has come to light, saying that in no way does 'The Illusionist' reflect the real circumstances of Tati's personal life, and that the movie is a great injustice to the true story.
Whatever you choose to believe about the origins of the story behind 'L'Illusionniste', the magic and beauty of the film will never fail to shine through as you watch it. The one huge paradox that I found in the movie, was that it was so incredibly detailed and yet so simple and minimal. For example, the detail of the animation is complicated and breathtaking - I would recommend watching it on a big screen, a couple of times, or sitting very close to the monitor just to have a CHANCE at picking up on all of the minute and important details. Already, I have found out that I missed lots of things and so I must watch it again - your eyes must constantly wander over the screen, seeking out all of the hidden meanings. And yet, there is basically no dialogue! We do hear some bits of Gaelic (at least, I presume that is what it is) and a few sounds that could be French, but the story is pretty much entirely told by the nuances of the characters; the movements and expressions and angles. I find this so extremely clever and awesome!
Another aspect of the movie that really jumps out at you as you watch it is that the pace is so gentle. I guess that, because we are so accustomed to these huge, blockbuster, action-packed movies, produced on grand scales with enormous budgets, it was so surprising to get used to this new feeling of something smaller, something with space and where time moves slowly. I think that this perfectly suited the storyline too, which was one that I didn't know I was going to relate to so much!
The illusionist constantly faces the harsh reality that, in a world full of the growing television industry and glamorous rock bands, there is less and less room for him to perform his old-timely craft, full of rabbits and top hats. After failing to find an audience in Paris, he then tries the London scene, before making his way up to Scotland, performing in pubs and run down old music halls, before ending up in Edinburgh, working in shop windows - the lowest point in his career so far. The girl, whom he meets on his journey and who accompanies him to Edinburgh, brings a little light to his grim life and he, not wishing to break her illusion that his tricks are real, pretends to conjure her up beautiful gifts, subsequently bankrupting himself. Along the way we meet other performance artists - a ventriloquist, a clown and some acrobats - all struggling, and ultimately failing, to find their place in the world, to be able to perform their art. Without wishing to spoil it for you, one of the most powerful moments happens near the end of the movie, when the illusionist writes a maxim; 'Magicians don't exist'. Whenever I think of this, I keep having to remind myself that it said the word 'magicians' and not 'musicians'. Perhaps this movie hit a little too close to home - this would be evidenced by the floods of tears that I was in when it was over!
I would also like to mention the charming French-ness of this film. In what is quite a sad story, there is that element of realism mixed with a wonderful sense of humour that I find so beautifully French!
There is another genius moment of meta in the movie when the illusionist goes to the cinema and a slice of real black and white movie is mixed into the animation. The main character in the movie within the movie seems to reflect our illusionist and this adds such a touch of lightness and a feeling of being 'in the present' to the story too.
Chomet has created a truly, uniquely beautiful movie in 'L'Illusionniste'. It's almost as if he gives us all the puzzle pieces and it is up to us to put them together in our own way and take what we can from it. For me, the heart of the story lies within the art and work of the illusionist, but, I know that for others, the relationship between the illusionist and the girl is what it is really about.
I feel like there could be much more to say about this exquisite film, but I will expand more in my next post, which will feature another of Chomet's movies, and in which there are many echos and shadows of this one. If you haven't seen 'L'Illusionniste', I really hope this post has inspired you to do so, and I would love to know what you think!
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