Ernest & Celestine - Simple Brilliance
Quick Thoughts; Ernest & Celestine (Ernest et Célestine, 2012)
Made by Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar and Benjamin Renner, this film fills Luxembourg's position in the series.
Ernest & Celestine is a measured work of excellence. A synthesis of sci-fi-esque world design and subtextually driven character relationships, this is as warm as it is conscious. Set in a world in which mice and bears live in segregation - bears in the world above and mice in the world below - Ernest & Celestine explores fear between two beings made alien to one another. In such, this can be read as a film about class and/or racial divides. Fundamentally, however, this is a film about alienation and curiosity catalysing friendship; about truth being expressed through ties, not cuts. And so it sees a strange mouse and an outcast bear become friends through crime, confront prejudice and reveal the uncanniness of segregation. There is certainly a good degree of sentimentality associated with this tale. Its pseudo-political commentary is far from complex - and in such a way that it is difficult to know how exactly to construe this; is it a film aiming towards kids, or not? Certainly, there is a 'family friendly' element to Ernest & Celestine, but it struggles to find a balance between complexity and simplicity. Thematically and subtextually, this seems all too simple for an adult audience, but likely challenging for younger viewers. Aesthetically and tonally, this is universally evocative. And such dampens the intensity of this conflict between audiences, but it nonetheless remains difficult to speak about the subtext of this narrative without realising its limitations.
In short, a perfect encapsulation of a simple idea, Ernest & Celestine is a work of great imagination. The McLaren-esque sound-montage, the world design, the animation style, the narrative juxtapositions, are all products of brilliance. And so whilst this may not be a masterpiece of storytelling, it is whole and highly enjoyable.
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End Of The Week Shorts #94
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End Of The Week Shorts #95
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Ernest & Celestine is a measured work of excellence. A synthesis of sci-fi-esque world design and subtextually driven character relationships, this is as warm as it is conscious. Set in a world in which mice and bears live in segregation - bears in the world above and mice in the world below - Ernest & Celestine explores fear between two beings made alien to one another. In such, this can be read as a film about class and/or racial divides. Fundamentally, however, this is a film about alienation and curiosity catalysing friendship; about truth being expressed through ties, not cuts. And so it sees a strange mouse and an outcast bear become friends through crime, confront prejudice and reveal the uncanniness of segregation. There is certainly a good degree of sentimentality associated with this tale. Its pseudo-political commentary is far from complex - and in such a way that it is difficult to know how exactly to construe this; is it a film aiming towards kids, or not? Certainly, there is a 'family friendly' element to Ernest & Celestine, but it struggles to find a balance between complexity and simplicity. Thematically and subtextually, this seems all too simple for an adult audience, but likely challenging for younger viewers. Aesthetically and tonally, this is universally evocative. And such dampens the intensity of this conflict between audiences, but it nonetheless remains difficult to speak about the subtext of this narrative without realising its limitations.
In short, a perfect encapsulation of a simple idea, Ernest & Celestine is a work of great imagination. The McLaren-esque sound-montage, the world design, the animation style, the narrative juxtapositions, are all products of brilliance. And so whilst this may not be a masterpiece of storytelling, it is whole and highly enjoyable.
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Previous post:
End Of The Week Shorts #94
Next post:
End Of The Week Shorts #95
More from me:
amazon.com/author/danielslack
