Animation Month - Screen Play

Screen Play, by Barry Purves, is with one notable exception, my all-time favorite animated short. Before reading my pseudo-academic ramblings, I suggest you view it first. 

 

Highly stylized, the viewer is continually reminded of the unreality of what they are viewing. Instead of cutting from scene to scene, the sets change around the characters as though we are viewing a real play in the Japanese no theater. An actor narrates and plays key characters throughout the story; black-clad kurogo (puppeteers in traditional Japanese puppet theater) weave in and out of the story, manipulating events. Stunningly beautiful imagery abounds in this film. The story and characters are secondary to the artistry of the film. By the end, even the reality within the play is broken; then the reality of the film itself. The audience is being played.

You can visit Gary Purves' website here: www.barrypurves.com