Customer Reviews

The District!

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I think there are two ways to describe why this animated film is so exceptional. The first is that it stretches the concept of a film to the limit while still, I think, being a film. When I watched it the first time, it seemed more like a collection of music videos put together as a training exercise. The second time I accepted it as a film and was so appreciative of it that I had to give it as a gift for Christmas. Reason number two is that the translation of hip hop forms to an Eastern European context is a really good way to expand discursive spaces. It would be equally interesting to watch Snoop Dog and Ice Cube perform Ibsen. I think this demonstrates that hip hop forms are not limited culturally or intellectually. (Some might argue that they always have to involve violent crime, however, which could be a good debate, and this film could be an example as corruption and violence are constant factors in the plot.) Really though, both the plot and the animatography, if that could be a word, are enough to cause a seizure if you try to play the whole game all at the same time. It takes a consistent effort to watch it calmly and remember you don't have to see every detail of every scene, every look on every face, every meaning of every comment in order to enjoy it. I think this is more like a music album for me, something I make friends with, then talk to a little bit once in a while, as opposed to a rental where I meet it once and that was it.

The District has a fun, if not particularly amazing story, but the style and quality of the animation is absolutely jaw-dropping. The movie wanders through just about every type of animation that I have ever seen, blending them all into a stylish melange that will leave your eyeballs popping. As hand drawn animation fades cleanly into cell shaded graphics, which are then replaced with simple paper animation you will frequently find yourself wondering just how they managed to pull that last animation stunt.

This is supposed to be the South Park of Eastern Europe, and it is, except that I never liked South Park in the first place.