Anime Review: Angel's Egg

In a desolate and dark world full of shadows, lives one little girl who seems to do nothing but collect water in jars and protect a large egg she carries everywhere. A mysterious man enters her life... and they discuss the world around them.

(Source: ANN)

Angel's Egg Genres: Drama, Fantasy

Angel's Egg Synonyms:

Angel's Egg Studios: Studio Gallop, Studio DEEN, Studio Hibari, Tokuma Shoten,

Angel's Egg Review

This is a gorgeous, darkly beautiful work of film that?s probably the most surreal work that Oshii has made.

This is a gorgeous, darkly beautiful work of film that?s probably the most surreal work that Oshii has made (helped by the fact that Yoshitaka Amano did much of the art for the film and co-wrote the story). It is the first film I?ve seen that I don?t feel qualified to analyze.

Maybe it?s my autism preventing me from seeing some of the underlying metaphors or understanding some of the film?s imagery. Maybe I need more knowledge of art and the vocabulary therein. Maybe I need to know more about philosophy. It?s depressing, tragic, sorrowful, and melancholic. It?s a film which I?d definitely describe as an art film, in that you look at the film, and afterwards you don?t talk about the plot, or the characters, but more about the emotional context the film provoked, the same way you don?t necessarily talk about the story of a painting in an art gallery.

I really want this film to get a release from the Criterion Collection, because I?d totally watch another 77 minutes of film scholars and animators talking about this film and the themes and imagery therein. Just so long as they stuck to the film ? I really don?t want to hear a whole bunch of general bitching about how this is the only work of anime that?s had any artistic merit the same way I hate it when film historians complain about special effects are killing cinema as a medium*.

All of that said, this is an incredibly slow paced film. It?s dark, and there are a whole lot of scenes of nothing exactly happening ? which you should expect if you?re familiar with Oshii?s work. It?s something that causes the film to not benefit as much from repeat viewings. There?s enough slow bits there, that on a repeat viewing you?re more likely to gloss over the film, rather than notice new bits that you missed the first time.

I completely understand why this film tanked at the Japanese box office ? indeed, this is the kind of film that is never commercially viable. However, due to the nature of animation as a medium (and the costs therein), when a film puts this much detail into its animation, and so much craft into its art in general, you have a situation where it ends up costing more than say, something like Koyaanisqatsi or The Holy Mountain. An additional problem is the fact that, well, this is a film that has very minimal dialog, but consequently every line is important. Considering that this film has not received a legal US DVD release (at least on its own), if you import the film and watch it without subtitled, there are bits of the narrative that you?re going to miss, especially when you come to the film?s conclusion.

In spite of all that, should you watch this film? Yes. Once. Maybe a few additional times if this movie gets a Criterion Collection release with a whole bunch of material from film historians. Or maybe if it gets a release from Discotek Media with some audio commentary by anime historians like Carl Horn, Brian Ruh, or Frederick Schodt. Or if you?re planning on getting into animation and want to soak in all the wonderful little technical details of this film. Otherwise, just see it once. But see it.

Unless you have depression. Then you probably shouldn?t see it.

*Looking at you, audio commentary for The Wild Bunch.

Cryptic, visceral and evocative

_Angel's Egg_ is an enigma. A vintage classic from director Mamoru Oshii, it is difficult to critique this film like your standard anime because, well, this is quite unlike anything else I've seen before. One word frequently used to describe this film is 'art' - a vague term, but one I'm inclined to agree with.

One of the things that makes _Angel's Egg_ so unique is that it doesn't conform to the status quo of film construction. It lacks a 'plot' or 'characters' in the usual sense, but rather uses such elements in conjunction with visuals and sound to produce a piece of expression. The 'plot' revolves around a young girl living in a desolate, crumbling world, seemingly alone. She spends her days collecting water in jars and clinging to a large egg before she encounters a mysterious man. The characters are just as enigmatic; barely ten lines of dialogue are exchanged throughout the entirety of the film and their actions are fairly limited.

~~~img400(http://www.thegeekgirlproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/tnt11.jpg)~~~

As you've probably gathered, it's impossible to consider these in the same manner as conventional 'plot' or 'characters'. Such constructs are completely superficial here, and instead must be regarded as a platform for interpretation, to try and gain and understanding, and if not that than a feeling of what this film is communicating.

Visually, _Angel's Egg_ presents some of the most haunting and intriguing imagery I've ever encountered. This is really quite high quality stuff, especially considering it was released in 1985 (when Studio DEEN was seeing better days). Everything is harsh, somber and provocative - it evokes intense feeling and emotion, I just can't pinpoint what specifically. And the colours! The landscape is surprisingly dynamic, from clusters of decaying Gothic architecture to large open plains, but everything seems to be constructed from stone, rain and wind. There is nothing else. It's chilling. Background artist [Shinji Kimura](http://anilist.co/staff/100373/ShinjiKimura) (_[Akira](http://anilist.co/anime/47/Akira)_) really struts his stuff here. The cumulative effect of all of this is a heightened sense of surrealism. This surreal atmosphere is emblematic the entire film, really.

~~~img400(http://www.nekoblog.ch/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/tnt28.jpg)~~~

In attempting to interpret this film, acknowledging the vast amounts of symbolism is vital. This isn't particularly difficult as every aspect of the film is symbolic for one thing or another, from the opening shot to the closing one. There appears to be a heavy emphasis on Christian imagery, which really didn't speak much to me given my limited understanding of and care for the subject. It's heavily esoteric. For some, the film tackles the struggles of maintaining faith; an exploration of religious quasi-existentialism if you will . Apparently, Oshii himself was training to become a priest and may have had difficulties dealing with his own faith before taking up directing, and thus the film is extremely personal. I doubt anyone besides Oshii himself understands his intentions with creating _Angel's Egg_, and even then I'm not so sure. Ultimately, as with all art, interpretation is entirely subjective. What you take away from this film will probably be entirely different from what others do. Besides, if you focus on what the film ultimately means you probably won't find any definitive answers. Rather, consider how it made you feel and what thoughts it evoked.

~~~img400(http://www.nekoblog.ch/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/tnt2.jpg)~~~

Even at only 71 minutes long, the pacing can be slow as not much actually happens and the film is littered with freeze-frames. That said, every moment of this film should be properly considered to gain the most from it, as everything communicates something and has some value behind it.

When watching _Angel's Egg_, don't expect to be satisfied. Entertainment was probably the last thing on Oshii's mind when constructing this. Think and feel. Retrospectively, the film has a very Eliotian feel to it, both in theme and in design. Ultimately, different people will gain varying amounts from the film. Personally, the prominence of religious symbolism was a bit overwhelming for my tastes, but others will appreciate it more (and less) than I did. Interpreting and valuing art is purely subjective, and as such the final numerical score I've given is really an arbitrary one. For some, this film will fly completely over their heads and for others it will be immensely more profound. Art buffs and those with a stronger knowledge of Christianity will probably benefit the most from this film, but it could prove to be a valuable experience nevertheless.