I once heard it said that Franz Kafka and his friends would laugh so hard at the stories that Kafka wrote that they had to take breaks from reading them to catch their breath. I then take it that I must read his stories with comedy in mind. I never really found Kafka all that funny, though. I've always found him very dark and slightly frightening. I feel Nick Fox-Gieg, the animator for today's film, succeeds in created the perfect atmosphere for this Kafka adaptation. Fox-Gieg and Kafka actually seem like a perfect mix to me. Their styles are both dark and demented with a hint of humor. We've seen from his video A Good Joke, that he has a sense of humor. From other videos, such as Bird's Eye Bull's Eye or Six Premonitions, we've seen that he has the potential, nay a penchant for dark and eerie films. Their styles seem to me to be totally complimentary. Add to that the fact the sound effects and voice acting are superb and you've got yourself a recipe for success.
The metallic grind of the tanks in the opening scene, the beautifully soft yet tormenting narrator, the frightened boyish pleading of the private; all are perfectly chosen, and perfectly executed for this film. The animation is also well done. I'm not always a fan of his work, it becomes busy and too quick for my liking sometimes, but in this video it was just right. It was frenzied and fluid and distorted, just right.
I really like Fox-Gieg, I highly recommend his other work, it all makes for great viewing. My two favorites, next to this one of course, are The Foxhole Manifesto and A Good Joke. Another job well done for Nick.
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