randy_byers | The Secret of Kells (2009) (Reply)

This film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature last year, although I didn't notice. I did notice that it was getting great reviews when it finally started getting a US release. It is a French/Belgian/Irish production.

holyoutlaw and I saw it at the Metro last night.

This is a fantasy for older children about the origins of the Book of Kells. A young Irish boy living in the abbey at Kells becomes an apprentice illuminator of books, despite the disapproval of his uncle, the abbott, who is focused on making the abbey safe from the attacks of the viking Northmen. Despite the fact that it's mostly set in an abbey amongst clergymen, and despite the fact that it's about the creation of an illuminated version of the Gospels, it is much more pagan in spirit than overtly Christian. One of the main characters is a spirit or fairy of the forest who is a wolf girl reminiscent of something out of Miyazaki, and the boy must visit the lair of the ancient Celtic diety, Crom Cruach, to accomplish his goal.

The story is very good and very powerful at times, but the visual design is utterly splendid. It's based on the Insular Art style of Ireland that was used in the Book of Kells, although not strictly. It is relentlessly flat and abstract and stylized, which is something I just loved about it. It's very distinct from the modern Pixaresque style of rounded, 3D, semi-realistic animation (which I also like). It reminded me of Persepolis (2007) in the way that it's based on an ancient illustrative style and keeps the sense of being a flat image in a book. It's particularly appropriate for this story, which is all about illustrating a book. Both movies even represent the sea in a similar way, with overlapping planes of waves creating a simultaneous sense of depth and flatness. The Secret of Kells even at times uses the flat perspective that you see in ancient artwork. And yes, there's plenty of Celtic knots, and spirals up the yinyang.

It's a lovely piece of work altogether. The music is great, it's a celebration of art and imagination and nature and book-making, and one of the main characters is a cat who doesn't talk -- or at least only talks cat. Three thumbs up, and third eye open. From what I can tell from the Wikipedia article about the Book of Kells, it even hews pretty closely to actual legends and known history of the book.