Balance

This short film was completely absorbing and finely worked out. It held my attention from the moment it began until the conundrum of an ending, which earned it a round of applause at the 19th Street Theatre in Allentown, PA, where I saw it. The film illustrates the need for humankind to cooperate and shows what happens when one doesn't do so, when he puts his selfish interest above the good of the group, even to sending others to their death. One's selfish pursuit cannot be justified, the film implies, even in the pursuit of art (after all, it was music in the box and the man wanted that music for himself or wanted to explore the interior of the box, i.e., the music, in greater depth). Film has many implications, would repay several viewings and stimulate much discussion.

By far the greatest short I have ever seen. The style of animation in this short is very interesting and a little dark, but appropriate for the story. The moral of the short, the need for cooperation in society and what could happen without it, comes through clearly and is well done. It won the Oscar for Best Short Film in 1990, and it certainly deserved it. Check this out!

10/10

Sometimes the visuals in our heads can only be realized through animation,because it is not bound by flesh,gravity or reality. BALANCE is twisted and surreal,an interesting look at men who risk falling into nothingness for the chance to hear music. The equivalent of a Kathe Koja story set to film,BALANCE is unforgettable right up to its ironic, haunting final image.

I second the view of the Canadian commentator, who said this was the greatest animated short every made. It is perfect in a way only Chris Marker's "La Jetee" is--pure and simply, one of the best films ever made. Go out of your way to find it on video--it should be on one of the "International Tournee of Animation" videos or the video pictured above. 6 men. 1 platform. And a strange object.

'Balance (1989)' is an enigmatic stop-motion short steeped in an eerie atmosphere. It tells the tale of several identical people who occupy a strange floating platform that easily shifts depending on where the weight is carries is distributed. To begin with, the men occupy their shared space in harmony, taking simultaneous steps to achieve their goal of fishing over the platform's edge. Soon, however, one of the men retrieves an odd box from the endless void, and the peaceful existence of the people is thrown into disarray. The piece is quite clearly an allegory of some sort, with the box potentially standing in for a number of things that our society (the people) will do anything to attain - even at the expense of one another's well-being. As a metaphor, it works really well. However, it can also be enjoyed on a surface level. The ways in which the men utilise their knowledge of weight distribution to get what they want is really entertaining. The plot is ultimately one of psychological and social manipulation. Its atmosphere is one of is strongest elements; the film really does give off a uniquely creepy vibe from the moment it begins. It's really interesting overall. Plus, it has a wonderfully bleak ending. It's great. 8/10.