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Posted by  TheArtrix on 01/30/2007, 12:32 CET (@522 BMT) |
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/10
It's january 29, 2007. International Film Festival Rotterdam is halfway in it's run, and a perfect opportunity for me to see Princess.
Rotterdam isn't very far away from where I live, but it's still quite a hassle to get there. That's why I bought my ticket in advance, which turned out to be a necessity as the whole room was stuffed and not a single seat was left available. Of course, only three screenings in only one place tends to do that, but still, it seems that the medium of animation still fascinates many.
Princess has nothing to do with actual princesses, or royalty, or anything associated with the aforementioned entities. Instead, it tells the tale of August, his sister Christina and her daughter Mia. The location is a bit unclear, but my guess is that it's probably in Denmark.
Without revealing too much, Christina, better known as "Princess", was a porn star until she got killed in a car accident, leaving her daughter Mia behind. August, a priest, takes her under his care and discovers that Mia is basically a 5-year old whore. Being a priest and all, he decides to restore Mia's and his sister's dignity by getting rid of all the porno products depicting "Princess". When the porno company refuses to cooperate, Argus pretty much takes "justice" into his own hands.
An interesting aspect of the movie is how animation is used to portray a certain reality, instead of just being the reality. This translates into the many parts taped by a household video camera, or the frequent taped porno sequences. It tends to become slightly annoying, as the animation/live action ratio is about 40/60, and that the live action sequences look awful on the big screen. However, it does what it's supposed to do, to make it look like it actually happened.
When we look at the animation aspect of the movie, I can't help but feel a bit disappointed. Even though it served it's purpose, the frame rate was pretty low on many occasions, and the artwork could've been somewhat cleaner. The frame rate might be explained by the detailed shading of the characters and various effects that would take considerably longer if the frame rate was higher. I'm guessing it's all a matter of budget. Even though the frame rate is low, the crew managed to portray detailed movements that tell exactly what you need to know.
Could we compare this to anime? May people say so, I say no. Even though it's obvious that the crew must've watched a big load of anime, this movie is less anime than Avatar, the last airbender is (which, in my opinion, is no anime either). The style is just too different. Perhaps a more fitting description would be that it's European, as it has similarities with the European cult-flicks and the visual style seen in European comics. I also sense a light American influence in the character designs, but heavily masked by dominant European look. It certainly shares one thing with anime: the low frame rate, and even so, many animes have higher frame rates.
If you're reading this, you probably figured out that this movie is not meant for children. If you like to see people being beat up till they lose at least 2 liters of blood, this movie is for you. There's also a bunch of guns, crowbars, and quite some sex. If you're already used to see lots of bloodshed in anime and video games, this movie will provide just the right amount of that, and it won't cross that bar.
Which brings us to the story, which perfectly fits the title "cult-flick". As in many cult-flicks, the story is vague, can be interpreted in a countless number of ways and has a moral buried deep within it. In the end, it's not even sure who the real "bad guy" is, as the protagonist uses a lot of senseless violence himself. It's not clear whether the director is being pro-Christian or is portraying religion as something that "makes good people do evil things". I'm guessing you have to draw your own conclusion, because this movie won't do it for you.
Score: 7.8/10.0
Anders Morgenthaler is the artist of Wulffmorgenthaler, but you wouldn't say that when you see this movie, apart from the excessive amount of sex. He has definitely proven himself to be a skilled director who can do impressive things with limited resources. If you want to try something new, go see this movie with an open mind. You can find more info about Princess at the Princess website
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