Analysis Of The Secret Of Kells: Magical Breach In Pop Culture

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The Secret Of Kells – Magical Breach in Pop Culture Cinematography
A major part of our lives but also a significant factor of consumerism, an ideology we are well acquainted with, is represented by popular culture, which promotes prevalent ideas and products for the general public ”unites the masses on ideals of acceptable forms of behaviour”(Delaney). While exploring the overwhelming varied section of motion pictures, I had the opportunity to discover the fascinating and underrated Irish film The Secret Of Kells (2009), a Best Animated Feature nominee, which is directed by Tomm Moore, an Irish illustrator, comics artist and filmmaker. Although different from the popular animations from Disney and Pixar, this hand-drawn 2D feature reunites …show more content…

The main inspiration is the legendary Book of Kells itself, which is generally considered to be “one of the most important artifacts of Irish civilization” and “one of the high points of medieval art” (Moore). As a viewer of this feature and recently accustomed with some fragments from the book, I can tell that the unusual style of the animation skilfully reiterates the pattern of the drawings and calligraphy from the manuscript. The ingenious blend of styles and animation techniques does not end here, as the animators “[researched] other medieval art”, which is contemporary with the Book of Kells, but they were also inspired by “comics like Bone and Calvin and Hobbes”, perhaps triggering some nostalgic feelings amongst the audience (Moore). The art of the painters Gustav Klimt and Alphonse Mucha - both known best for their distinct style - are significant elements in Moore’s animation (Moore). Other elements in this artistic mix are “the animated feature The Thief and the Cobbler by Richard Williams, the beloved TV animation Samurai Jack by Genndy Tartakovsky, the Russian historical movie Ivan the Terrible and German Expressionism “ (the last two being important for “the use of shadows in the portrayal of the characters’ lives and behaviour”) (Moore). Furthermore, all this is brought together under the appearance of 2D animation, conferring an old-fashioned air and the form of astounding visual poetry, which 3D animation can hardly

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