Wednesday, March 20, 2019

The Silence Beneath the Bark

The Silence Beneath the Bark is a 2010 animated short film (11 minutes) about two forest creatures who meet each other after being unexpectedly awakened from their winter hibernation. I'm captivated by the creatures but confused about the ending. The director describes it as a fairy tale. The director also explains the meaning of the ending there, but I'm not fond of endings that require explaining. I'm just enjoying it for the beauty and sweetness I see here.



Here's a view of a landscape -perhaps that very landscape?- after the first snow:

First Snow by Ivan Shishkin, 1875

14 comments:

  1. I got that the little creature turned into a tree, but not satisfied with the director's explanation.

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    1. I think if the author or director has to come in later and tell you you're reading it wrong, then they failed in making clear their original. They should get out of the way of the audience. Don't get me started on Rowling's re-invention of her original Harry Potter characters lol

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  2. I did not get from the video what the creator had intended. I watch first & read afterwards; what I felt it was about was friendship, that sometimes in the winter of our life a warm being comes to us for a short period of time to comfort. So you can see I was way off the mark. The painting of the forest winter scape is quite nice ... but I am longing to say goodbye to winter.

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    1. I watched first, too, and still wonder how she ended up with this film if that was her intention. It was a lovely film, though, and I'm quite taken with her creatures :)

      I'm ready for Spring and a happy farewell to winter cold :)

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  3. I shall have to check this out. I do like the painting. It reminds me a lot of spring as the snow melts or a little dusting came along over night. hugs-Erika

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    1. Yes, an edge-of-season painting as one season gives way to another :)

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  4. I will look later when I get back home, thanks, Valerie

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    1. I hope you enjoy it. I do like the creatures :)

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  5. What a delightful film! I enjoyed the sweetness of the story and the joy they showed whilst they discovered winter together 😁. At the end the little creature turned into a tree so maybe it's about the journey of life and growing up? Thanks so much for sharing and enjoy the rest of your week! J 😊 x

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    1. Yes! I saw a real joy illustrated in their exploration :)

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  6. Captivating, as you said...but I didn't understand what it all meant, either. Why turn into a tree? I read the interview and didn't understand the explanation, either. Why would growing up turn you into a totally different species--represented in the film as white, stark featureless and lifeless? Who would want to grow up at all in that case? Seemed more like a death than a maturity of any kind. I took it more as not to lose the wonder and joy of life. I loved the film but would never have guessed the intent.

    Totally agree with you that an author shouldn't have to explain their work because it doesn't stand clearly on its own. Or be happy with the vastness of individual interpretation. ;)

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    1. Exactly! Once the work is released to the public the creator shouldn't micromanage or direct. Leave us to watch and read. We can do that just fine without hearing what the creator wishes we'd gotten from it ;)

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  7. I love shorts, but didn't get her explanation. I was as confused as everyone else.

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    1. It was beautiful to watch, though, and I don't think it was necessary for the director to force a "meaning" on it.

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