Tag: Animation
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Over the Hedge. Dir. Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick. DreamWorks. 2006.
After Verne, an anxious turtle, breaks through the boundary of the manicured hedge he enters a pristine garden on the periphery of a middle class suburbia. A far cry from the overgrown animal-populated wood, the suburban garden represents a natural environment controlled by humans, a place where that which is considered wild or ‘other’ is…
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A Matter of Loaf and Death. Dir. Nick Park. BBC. 2008.
Beloved characters Wallace and his side-kick canine Gromit return for another film, and this time they are running Top Bun, a brand new bakery. Business is booming for the duo, but a serial killer is on the loose, killing all the bakers in town. While Gromit begins to fear for the pair’s safety, Wallace is…
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Bee Movie. Dir. Steve Hickner and Simon J. Smith. DreamWorks. 2007.
This textbook human thinking opens Bee Movie [2], an animation which follows the film’s aptly alliteratively named protagonist, Barry B. Benson, an aspiring bee, on his search for individuality in a conformist bee society that has worked non-stop for ‘27 million years’. Barry, disillusioned at the thought of working for the rest of his life…
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Ratatouille. Dir. Brad Bird. Pixar. 2007.
Within Ratatouille, the scene in which Remy figures out that he is able to control Linguini, Brad Bird confounds expectations through undermining the stereotype about the animality of rats, and using the rats as symbols for immigrants. This interaction challenges the human/animal binary and strengthens the anthropomorphism of Remy. The director, Bird, suggests unity within this…
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Ratatouille. Dir. Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava. Pixar. 2007.
Brad Bird’s Ratatotuille challenges how we stereotypically perceive rats through the depiction of the protagonist, Remy. The narrative shows Remy struggling with finding acceptance in human society, despite the exceptional cooking talents he has to offer. In anthropomophising Remy to directly challenge our negative perception of rats, Ratatouille promotes wider messages of hope and perseverance for the underdog, as…
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Ratatouille. Dir. Brad Bird. Buena Vista. 2007.
In a world where humans are relentlessly attempting to control and train animals, it is intriguing to see this portrayed in reverse in Brad Bird’s, Ratatouille.[1] Remy the rat is depicted as significantly smarter than the human (Linguini), as he teaches him how to cook and navigate his way around a kitchen; whilst Linguini remains predominantly confused…
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Ratatouille . Dir. Brad Bird and Jan Pinkava . Walt Disney Pictures. 2007.
The final shot of Ratatouille, the image of a rat in the restaurant sign, symbolises the fantasy of the rat and human worlds crossing, and the idealisation of a rat chef being accepted by human society. However, this is ultimately impossible, as darker themes lurk beneath this image. The sign features a silhouette of a rat…