I Generally Do Long Titles Sooooo.... The Man Who Planted Trees

So... What's up guys? If I weren't feeling to lazy to search for the images, I would have started this post with a Spongebob "Who wants to do homework at 3AM?" meme, except... I'm lazy... and it's not 2AM... and Spongebob is dead to me...

ANYWAYS.

I really enjoyed The Man Who Planted Trees. As many fellow students have astutely pointed out, it was nice to see a film that, rather than focusing on war or death or the apocalypse, focused on beauty and peace. I especially enjoyed the way the titular character was drawn and characterized. His large mustache, narrow eyes, and hunched form lended him a sort of rustic familiarity and charm. His custom of speaking very little simultaneously gave him an air of mystery, sympathy, and simplicity. Though he may have actually only boasted one or two direct quotes, I felt I knew and understood his personality and motives--- And as person who believes that any good story hinges up the believability of its characters, this was very pleasing to me. I also liked that, while they told us of his lost family, they did not focus too much on his sadness over them. While one could tell it hurt him, the man, and indeed, the story, chose to go a different route and show the peace that can be found through overcoming sorrows.

I also appreciated the narration. The speaker was very and refined, yet somehow relatable. He sounded smart without sounding snooty, and effectively communicated the sweet, bucolic tone of the story throughout while still displaying a range of emotions. The soft, colored-pencil style of the animation fit perfectly with its setting, cast, tone, and message. I've said simplicity too many times in this post already, but what the hey, it added to that. I also loved how as the man's forest grew and grew, more and more color was used-- not just within the linear, but the actual shapes as well. This was a beautiful way to symbolize the renewal the land experienced.

Perhaps my only real  critique are the moments where the man character speaks of the folks in surrounding villages. The way he speaks of them as "wild men" and "savages," it almost seems as though they are attempting to set up a future conflict. It just felt like a lot of build with no payoff to me. I understand that this was probably primarily to show how much the kind deeds of The Man Who Planted Trees changed the area, but the earlier descriptions seemed a) a bit too eerie for the overall tone of the rest of the film and b) somewhat tacked on and extraneous.

Overall, however, it was a wonderful little film!!!

Too lazy to find a proper exiting gif so here

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