The Periwig-Maker

Not being a schooled film critic, I'm not entirely certain what to call this kind of animation; but I think of it as a sort of "claymation," and I associate it with the Wallace and Gromit films or, more recently, "Chicken Run." These are, of course, highly entertaining films and technically very impressive. But they're not films one takes as seriously as, say, "The Seventh Seal."

"The Periwig-Maker" shows that this kind of animation can be used for much more serious purposes. The film threw me. I knew from the publicity that it was about the plague; but given the precedent of Wallace and Gromit, I expected a sweet, ultimately upbeat, family-values kind of narrative. Isolated, distrustful man opens his home and his heart to a young girl in need and learns that love triumphs over all obstacles--we've seen this kind of thing before, and that's what I went into this film expecting to see again.

I'm not making any revelations when I say that this movie is DARK. The final voiceover tries to put a positive spin on things by expressing hope for future generations. But still, it's dark. It's heavy. It's about guilt and atonement. It's an art-house film, not "family entertainment." And I'm extremely impressed that the filmmakers managed to accomplish that using this kind of animation. "The Periwig-Maker" is a pioneering film, and I'm eager to see what filmmakers do with this medium in the future.

The oscar nominated short stop-motion film depicts a wig maker (voice of Kenneth Branagh) in Plague-era Europe. While suitably dark and featuring Kenneth's best acting since at least the late-eighties, still has the air of pomposity that may be off-putting to some. Furthermore I didn't particulerly care for the ending. Still the stop-motion animation is pain-stakingly conceived & the attention to detail is beyond reproach. I can't help but think back to the marionette play that John Cusack put on in the beginning of "Being John Malkovich". Which is a roundabout why to say this is artsy stuff and not for kids.

My Short Grade: B-

Where i saw it: Atom Films

The dark animation style and music really gave this short a creepy feeling, which I loved. The story was very interesting, but the ending left me with a kind of "that's it?" feeling. The animation may not be incredibly impressive visually, but it works well with the story, which is one of the better stories for an animated short that I've seen. Check out BALANCE (10/10) if you liked this one.

8/10

Siblings Anette (producer)and Steffen (director) Schaffler have created a mesmerizing version of Daniel Defoe's take on the great plague of 1664 in London. Its macabre yet romantic story lends itself perfectly to the extraordinary visuals which wouldn't be out of place in a Tim Burton film. Given that it took the Schafflers 5 years to make their 15 minute animated short (of which 2,5 pre-production) one can imagine how much trouble they took to create their quite astonishing sets. They even went so far as to actually build sets with miniature bricks! In this age of Computer Generated Images it is satisfying to see what effect sheer manual craftsmanship can have on the look of a film. For a great part the sets are responsible for the authenticity of the production. The story handling is sober and the drama never heavy handed. Its rather thoughtful handling of the material might be an obstacle for some of the younger persons in the audience, but I for one enjoyed it very much. I hope Anette and Steffen come up with something new in the near future and hope they take their time producing it!

Periwig maker is narrated by the excellent Kenneth Branagh and follows a man quarantined inside his home whilst a plague ravages outside (links to current events perhaps?!) The art style is very mesmeric and well crafted. It's not a very long film, indeed it is only 15 minutes long but that's all the more reason to check it out for yourself. Plot is straightforward and the ending intense.

8/10: Very intelligent artsy film