Original Frankensteins Continued: Part 1

From Contributing Editor, Doug Cummings:

With every Film Journey article, I find myself in a space battle. That is, what to add and what to cut, to be brief but informative, in-depth but accessible. And my latest article was no exception.  In "Original Frankensteins," I comment on seven giants in world animation--Ladislaw Starewicz, Lotte Reiniger, Alexander Alexeieff, Yuri Norstein, Norman McLaren, Stan Brakhage, and Don Hertzfeldt--but could have included so many more major figures. Consider this post an addendum; here I briefly mention (alphabetically) ten more films currently available on DVD that represent the work of animation masters.  (So get your Netflix or Zip.ca or whatever queues ready...and don't hesitate to share your reactions and comments with Beyond.)

• Barefoot Gen (Mori Masaki, 1983) This adaptation of Keiji Nakazawa's famous autobiographical manga is based on his experience as a child in Hiroshima the day the atomic bomb was dropped. Though it doesn't shy away from relaying its share of eye-witnessed horrors--strikingly and nightmarishly illustrated--it also contains a surprising amount of broad, earthy humor and a strong critique of Japan's wartime political structure.

• Grave of the Fireflies (Isao Takahata, 1988) Though Takahata was co-founder of the popular Studio Ghibli with Hayao Miyazaki, he still remains the lesser known of the two filmmakers, which is unfortunate. Without downplaying Miyazaki's brilliance, it's safe to say that Takahata (who has a degree in French literature) has focused more on everyday subjects, mature themes, and visual experimentation, often to spectacular results. Fireflies, which tells the tragic story of two young WWII orphans trying to stay alive in firebombed Tokyo, is widely considered his masterpiece. With a depth and sensitivity equal to the best live action, this unforgettable film is a dramatic high point for the animation genre.

(More recommendations tomorrow.)