Tiana, Kena and Nick went along to Wes Anderson’s latest stop-motion animation Isle of Dogs during the week. Check out what they thought (summary with links to their full length reviews included):
Tiana (17)
Set in Megasaki City, Japan (not a real city), Anderson presents a society split in two as a result of a dog-flu and other canine related biohazard disasters that are rampant throughout the city and produce a mass anti-dog hysteria. With a Mayor who happens to be part of a royal dynasty obsessed with cats, the anti-dog campaign trumps and so beloved pets and strays alike are sent to Trash Island. So unfolds the lives of five alpha dogs stuck on this land of garbage however everything changes when Mayor Kobayashi’s 12-year old nephew, Atari, crash lands on the island in search of his beloved dog.
The opening scene of the Japanese drummers, moving in fast and dynamic motions seemed dizzyingly complex but was perfectly executed, setting the tone for the rest of the film. The micro-sets themselves were intricate and ambitious, especially the ones that take place in the science lab halfway through the film.
Despite having a highly predictable and conventional ending that undermines Anderson’s creative genius, the first half of the film makes the entire film worth watching. The film itself, deals with complex themes of corruption, inhumanity and being an outsider and reflects Anderson’s intense fascination with Japanese cinema: heroism of the deemed insignificant, noble loyalty of canine-companions, rejection of intolerance etc. As Anderson himself stated “We think of it as referring to a whole range of Japanese filmmakers and Japanese culture, but Kurosawa is the main movie influence” with Kurosawa’s Drunken Angel, Stray Dog and High and Low all dealing with similar layers of corruption and humanity and Anderson drawing on these themes but transforming them in an inventive manner. The very idea of using dogs as the centre of the narrative is just ingenious, the writing is hilarious while meaningful at the same time and the character development reflects creativity and imagination.
Read Tiana’s full review here.
Kena (17)
I just can’t fathom how long it must have taken to film, and how difficult it must have been to keep consistency with the story if one frame takes a lot of time to set up. Big kudos to the animators, in Isle of Dogs, their work is seamless, and beautiful. My friend’s favourite scene was when a character is preparing sashimi: chopping wriggling squid tentacles, a live spider crab and fish… the audience gasped collectively when we saw it on screen, it is a serious work of art. My favourite part of the animation was anytime there was clouds or vapour, such as the fumes from an airplane engine whilst taking off, they used cotton wool or light white string to replicate it and although you laugh because it’s such a funny sight, you still deeply respect it and can accept it as part of the world you’re immersed in. I won’t say it’s easy to suspend disbelief for the whole movie – but in the times where you can’t help but notice the figurines’ plastic melded faces or their slightly-off movements, it’s then that you’re reminded what a feat this whole film is. And to further wow you, all of this intricate stop motion animation is exalted by Anderson’s classic manipulation of colour, and uniquely iconic angles and shots. Don’t worry Anderson fans, they’re all in there.
Anderson keeps all the native speakers’ Japanese dialogue in the film, but graces us with live interpreters to help us understand, but I really enjoyed that aspect of it; even though I am studying Japanese for the HSC, I could only pick up a few words, but the foreign language helps to alienate us from the people to affiliate more with the dogs, who also can’t understand Japanese, which is an interesting perspective to be in.
Read Kena’s full review here.
Nick (16)
If you know me, you’d know that Japanese culture, Wes Anderson and dogs are some of my favourite things. With Isle of Dogs being a culmination of these, I walked in with high expectations. As soon as the opening credits began to roll, my girlfriend and I fell in love with the film – paired with Anderson’s typical sans serif titling, three drummers bash away at their traditional Japanese percussion, their rhythms setting the pace for the films upbeat, quirky tone. From a technical level, this film is a masterpiece. Anderson’s surgical attention to detail is put on full display in his stop-motion animated work (this film being Anderson’s second endeavour into the style, after Fantastic Mr Fox). A bold colour palette, dynamic cinematography and a roaring score by Alexander Desplat work together to make Isle of Dogs not only a great family film, but a technical marvel that film lovers and older audiences can appreciate too. I’m always going to be first in line to see any Wes Anderson film and I can’t wait to see what he charms us with next.
Join the Film in Revolt team for a school holiday teen screening of Isle of Dogs at Palace Central, Sydney on Tuesday 17 April. Kena will be introducing the film and join us afterwards for film trivia.