1999 animated short
Rating: none
Plot: Same as this version of the Hemingway novella.
Despite obvious flaws, I do really like the Spencer Tracy movie, but this 20 minute short will be the one I recommend to anybody wanting to see a film adaptation of a Hemingway book. But I first have to start with that poster. A must "sea" movie, poster? Really? You're going with that pun? You've got one of the most beautiful and unique animated movies I've seen in a very long time, and you're soiling it with that?
This is a co-production with Canada, Russia, and Japan, but it's the work of Russian animator Aleksander Petrov. I'm not sure I completely understand the process, but it involved 29,000 frames handpainted on glass. That's handpainted. It also took two-and-a-half years to complete. Apparently, Petrov would move the paint around with his fingers to give the impression of fluency, and it really is some of the most beautiful animation I've ever seen. It just looks like a labor of love. And sure, the water looks watery, the sky looks sky-y, the humans are humany, the fishes are appropriately scaly, and all that, but you can tell the angles, the position of the "camera," has been carefully considered, too. To borrow a word from the poster, it really is stunning. And to borrow a phrase--it's a must "sea" film.
The music by Denis L. Chartrand and Normand Roger isn't always perfect, like it can't quite match the beauty of the visuals. I'm not sure how it could though! Also, there's a scene where the guy and the fish--true brothers, if you've read your Hemingway--are swimming together in what I believe is the sky, and that's a little yucky. And maybe the voice work. . .oh, nevermind. Don't pay attention to my nitpicking here because this is a nearly flawless adaptation of a great story.
You should see this. Here's a place you can find and read a little about it. It's also on YouTube.
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