In Wes Anderson's more than 20 years of directing career, "Canis Island" released on April 20 is his ninth feature film. Although the number of films is small, he has a large number of fans with a unique aesthetic style and interesting themes, a lonely, funny and neurotic protagonist.
Even many fans have locked this animated film as their top ten of the year before watching the film. (like me)
"Canis Island" continues its previous style, with Japanese culture as the background, cleverly narrates with a dog's perspective, and combines Wes Anderson's imaginative freedom with animation to create an alternative adult animation.
This is also Wes Anderson's first movie released in mainland China.
In the near-future Japanese city Megasaki, "canine flu" is raging. The mayor quarantined all the dogs and exiled them to an abandoned garbage island far away from the city, including the dog of the mayor's adopted son Atari.
In order to find his pet dog, Atari hijacked a small plane to brave the dog island and went through many adventures with the five dogs on the island.
What's interesting is that in the opening movie, Weiss has already reminded that the dog's dialogue in the film is translated into English, and the human dialogue is not translated because it is in Japanese that dogs can't understand. This is why many viewers wonder why a large number of subtitles are not added when watching movies.
Atari is just the main character, and the real protagonists are the dogs.
"Canis Island" subverts the human impression that pets are poor and helpless after losing their owners. In fact, Atari's pet dog in the film is a guard dog. His duty is to protect the owner's safety at any time, even if he sacrifices himself. s life.
None of the other dogs are delicate, and they live actively even in the harshest living environment in Canis Island. They have the complete freedom and dignity of dogs.
Growth is the theme of "Canis Island". Atari and Diandian seem to be the relationship between the owner and the pet, but in fact it is more like the relationship between caring and being cared for, and even the only friend. So Atari's rescue is his only choice.
From the "chief", we can better see the complete emotional relationship between people and dogs. From a wild dog who has never felt love, to being willing to be domesticated and becoming a guide dog, the leader did not lose the freedom he thought was higher than other pet dogs, but gained wholehearted love.
This kind of love can make him stop panicking and hurt his master by mistake. It is the first time he sees his own appearance and enjoys catching the toys thrown by the master.
"Thank you for taming me. Then please let me take care of you."
This kind of friendship between people and pets, and the independence of dogs, is also reflected in the fact that after having his own family and children, he "quit" the job of taking care of Atari's guide dog and handed it over. To the chief.
Humans are not the only life theme of dogs, they also have the right to choose their own family.
Completely different from cute pet movies, Wes continues his usual cold and humorous style, mixing healing and sadness, expressing affection with playfulness, and telling touch with companionship. Do not deliberately go to the healing department, but it can still make you feel warm.
From "Life in the Water" to "Moonrise Kingdom" to "Budapest Hotel", Wes continued his funny sense of humor, and the dogs also have their own unique personalities. Even if the life is difficult, it didn't delay them from fighting in groups, teasing girls, and complaining to each other.
Weiss also perfectly unified the traditional Japanese culture and his own aesthetic style in the film. With the bold use of color, strict symmetrical motion shots, and detail control, many people laughed and said that his films are most suitable for obsessive-compulsive watching.
This time, Weiss's control of the picture and the lens is still perfect, and for these details, it is worth brushing the movie twice. For example, a large number of traditional Ukiyo-e illustrations from the Edo period in Japan appear in the film, but the protagonist is replaced by Wang Xingren.
Sakura, haiku, torii, taiko, sumo, kabuki, and cultural metaphors are not a list of Japanese elements, but the essence of heart.
Wes once said that he was deeply influenced by Akira Kurosawa and Hayao Miyazaki, this time he simply added all the elements of the two into the film ingeniously. The posters of the young samurai, the industry and the sense of doomsday in the future city all add thickness to "Canis Island". At the same time, Wes also retained his objective alienation attitude.
In the production of his last stop-motion animation "The Great Fox Papa", Wes insisted on using real hair from animals to achieve the most realistic viewing experience.
"Canis Island" is also completed by Legendary3Mills Studio in London. More than 500 dog and 500 human models of hundreds of expressions are all handmade, and the production cycle is more than one and a half years.
Even if it is an animal-oriented animated film, "Canis Island" does not deliberately sell cuteness to please the audience. Beyond the main line of searching for pet dogs is the conspiracy and tricks of the Mayor of Cat slaves, and human society has also fallen into totalitarian rule and student movements. It looks like a story about dogs, but it is actually a reflection of human beings.
Director Wes Anderson is also a famous dog party. The dog "Chief" dubbed by Brian Cranston in the film is because the director once adopted a black Labrador of the same name.
The inspiration for "Diandian" came from the film screenwriter and Wes's friend Roman Coppola's childhood loyal pet dog "Yojimbo/Intentional Stick".
The dubbing of "Canis Island" still uses Wes Anderson's Queen's team, Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton, Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, and Japanese actors Yoko Ono and Takayuki Yamada. , Matsuda Ryuhei, Matsuda Shota, Watanabe Ken and so on.
If you are a dog party, a fan of Japanese culture, a fan of Weiss, or even a mild obsessive-compulsive disorder, I recommend this time, the opportunity to watch "Canis Island" on the big screen.
Finally, come and feel the cute love from the director~
This is the 608th issue of "Won't Disperse",
There used to be a dog before leaving. Do you remember what it was called?
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