This past class we watched a short film Keaton Henson. The film opens up in the forest, where we see a variety of animals, most particularly two owls, two frogs, and a litter of rabbits. At first you are taken in by the beautiful puppetry and the love the animals show for each other. Then, one of the owls is shot by a hunter, one of the frogs is eaten by a snake, and all but one of the rabbits is eaten by a fox. The final few minutes has darker lighting and emphasizes the loneliness of each and everyone of the individuals. Slowly, the remaining few disappear.
I thought of something when watching this film. This film is one about mortality and how we will all die. At first I felt depressed when all the animals meet their eventual demise. Then I realized that the first few minutes were still beautiful despite its ending. Life is beautiful and you should treasure it as much as you can before the inevitable end comes.
I thought of something when watching this film. This film is one about mortality and how we will all die. At first I felt depressed when all the animals meet their eventual demise. Then I realized that the first few minutes were still beautiful despite its ending. Life is beautiful and you should treasure it as much as you can before the inevitable end comes.
There's a huge sense of irony in this piece that makes it all the more tragic. See, most of us will see the deaths of wild animals quite a bit and never turn a blind eye to it. Some of us enjoy hunting or watching nature programs. We wouldn't think twice about shooting a deer or bird. We squish bugs just because their near us.
ReplyDeleteThe way Henson depicted the animals though, he showed them with loved ones; as families like you and I have. He put them in their homes and natural environments then killed them off suddenly as the music turned. This depiction shows the true humanity in all living things. It showed real sadness and loneliness, not with humans, but it was still relatable. We usually don't think about if that bug we just stepped on has a family, or if that deer we just shot was looking for food for it's mate. We just kill them. And Henson put that so coldly, yet so naturally. And the fact the characters were cut puppet animals just made it worse.