Customer Reviews

Flatland the Film

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Literally. Flatland by Edwin Abbott Abbott was a little gem of a book which could not be pigeon-holed into a specific genre over a hundred and fifty years ago and as a result ended up on Science Fiction shelves. Combining Geometry and Philosophy (and even Religion), it was an allegory on the human condition, describing a very rigidly-structured Society where square pegs aspired to fit through round holes.

The plot focuses on A. Square, who is led to a series of epiphanies on the Nature of Reality itself to the realization that not only is there an existence beyond his two-dimensional plane in the form of a 3-dimensional universe, but that further dimensions are implied. He learns that appearances are not necessarily all they seem.

Difficult to conceptualize in its reading, Llad Ehlinger, Jr. has managed to graphically express this evolution of the mind. Despite these worlds being populated exclusively by geometric shapes, we are drawn into the story and feel A. Square's transformation as though it were our own, which it hopes to be. Flatland itself is appropiately extremely two-dimensional, yet has endearing qualities. From our hero's perspective, he is at first confused, then exhilarated as he is lifted into the three-dimensional world. We are taken along for the dizzying ride. This is only the beginning for A. Square, who then postulates other worlds with both less and more dimensions. Ehlinger has a sequence which can only be an homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey as multi-dimensionality is explored.

As if this were not a big enough task to tackle, Ehlinger expands the storyline by applying some of the original concepts of Governments to their logical path to War. Flatland, both the book and the movie, can be appreciated at many levels. By adding an extra layer, Ehlinger has actually simplified the book.

I enjoyed this movie. It is mind-bending and thought-provoking, with a graphic element integral to its message. A potentially too-heavy treatise is lightened by very humorous details, such as the warbled battle cries of female lines in Flatland, who need to both sway and make noise at all times in order to be seen when not approached from their sides, so as not to pierce unobservant polygons! There is more than meets the eye to this unusual independently filmed and marketed movie. One viewing may not be enough.

It has been years since I read Abbott's book, but, being a math teacher, I always bring it up in class. A friend just finished reading the book and gave me her copy since mine was loaned years ago and not returned. So when I bought this DVD, I expected to see the Abbott story, but was I surprised. This is not the same story as in the Abbott book. There is a great story line here and the viewer still gets educated on geometry and dimension. The animation is excellent and I even enjoyed the sound on my surround system. Of course, the story makes more sense if you have read the book. Women have a little more respect and are considered thin rectangles, rather than lines. But you still have to watch yourself around them! Very enjoyable movie!

The Author took the story the book by Abbott and wrote a compelling more modern story. It was a great movie, from what I understand the author made this movie pretty much on his own. You need to expect that this film is completely computer generated, don't expect super Hollywood special effects, but even the animation was top notch. One thing I was a little worried about was voice acting, with this type of film that can tend to be lousy, not the case here, voice acting was also top notch. Nothing but good things to say about the picture.

Being a math teacher, I was really looking forward to getting this movie to show to my History of Math students. It's probably not a good fit considering some of the subject matter is a bit mature for the classroom, but I think the author took Abbott's sexism that is more present in the book and softened the edges. Also, the class system that was so prevalent in the book isn't there as well. To some this might quite a departure from the novel but it's really done quite well, and dare I say maybe even a better story.

There is a bit of social commentary in the undertones of the story, and that is what really gives the film that 5th star. It's not just a movie us math geeks will love, but I think others would like it as well, with maybe a little background information.

This independent film has everything to become a big hit... a solid storyline, driven from the book by the same name, that leaves you both amused and disturbed at times. A good soundtrack that leaves it's mark, but doesn't overpower the art and dialogs. Amusing characters that you can't help but sympathize with, and finally, beautiful artwork that has nothing to envy to Hollywood productions, as it doesn't distract your attention from the story itself.

Reading the book beforehand is not necessary, but will definitely help you catch on to the story faster, as you will not sit there wondering what's up with these wacky Flatlanders while an important part of the plot is revealed.

A must see! I highly recommend it.

This version of the tale tries the most to update the film to a modern audience, and that is its chief failing. The original tale was called a Romance, and this updating removes that very concept from the story. While it follows much of the novella's narrative- in describing the way Flatland works (although the original's King is replaced by a President- who oddly still wears a crown), it departs severely from the original at its most crucial moment, once A Square is visited by A Sphere from Spaceland. In this version, instead of a mystical guide, along the line of the Three Ghosts Of Christmas from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, A Sphere is CEO of Messiah, Inc. Ok....if the mere mention of that plot point has you rolling your eyes, you are not alone. And the attempts at satire only go downhill from there.
Instead of Sphere's lifting up of Square into Spaceland being a religious experience, in this film it merely serves as a `wow' moment used to lead into some cheap gags, jokes, and a display of Ehlinger's animative chops. The story dissolves. Then there is some cheap and rather predictable satire of consumerism and the current Iraq War, which will severely date the film in coming years, as well as a not so funny portrayal of a Spaceland Senator Cube who sounds very much like Ted Kennedy. In the novella, the satire, while based in Victoriana, dealt more specifically with human foibles grafted onto the polygons of Flatland. Here, the polygons of Flatland and the solids of Spaceland are almost total caricatures- such as the gay sounding Flatland Senator who leads the dissenting Chromatist movement, and is assassinated by President Circle's henchmen.
The film is best when sticking to the book's original points.... The DVD comes with an autographed thank you from Ehlinger, but the disk itself has only the film and a brief trailer. Even though the film is low budget, couldn't Ehlinger have included a commentary by himself and others? It would have at least made the DVD, if not the film, worth a bit more, on a level of interest. In this day and age, not doing so is a bit of a ripoff- small budget or not. On a real world note, the slim case DVD package the DVD comes in also has a bad holder for the disk. The disk is far too small and the disk cannot stay in its holder. While a worthwhile effort, Flatland: The Film takes on too much, misses where the book succeeds, and its ending is just bad. But, Ehlinger does show a flair and unique style. If he continues in animation, here's hoping his next film is about the same quantum leap up from this one that Spaceland is from Flatland. If it is, then we'll have a film truly worth all the praise this one has gotten.

I have to say, I love this film. I bought is as soon as the special release was available and my DVD is numbered #11! The detailed animation in this film is very impressive. The intricate inner workings of the Flatlanders blew me away. I mean with a bunch of characters on the screen you could see all of their eyes blink, hearts beat, etc. I was simply amazed at the level of detail.
I never read the book but the story is really great. It really makes you wonder what's beyond our 3D world. My kids loved this film also. They keep asking if they can watch it again. It's really cool to see the different things the kids pick up on, and how they interpret the film.
The film is deep on many levels. The music was spot on and fit each scene just right. I would highly recommend this film to anyone! I'd love to see this in the theater.
FLATLAND THE FILM RULES!!!

We received the Flatland DVD in the mail on Friday, but we were anticipating to watch it the next evening. Since I was so anxious to see it and my daughter was already logged into her computer, I figured it couldn't hurt to get a sneak peek. So I slipped the DVD into her computer.

It turns out that the sneak peek became Family Movie Night. We all were hooked as we wound up watching the film in its entirety on my daughter's computer late Friday night instead of Saturday night as planned!

Ladd not only takes on the difficult task of bringing boring geometrical objects to life, but he also makes these objects very likable and a characterization we all can relate to.

Ladd makes it easy for the viewer to relate in that he makes "A square's" house" across the street from his brother "B square's" house. Also he shows their places of employment as well as detailed interactions with each member of their families. All of these make it very easy for viewers to relate.

We really felt sorry for "A square", especially at the end. (Don't want to give the ending away).

Also, I think "A Sphere" is a very strong character in the story and with that captivating accent makes this character that much more believable. His presence brings the story into a different dimension,..no pun intended. He makes "A Square's" transition into the world of 3D absolutely believable!

Overall the movie was fun for the entire family and I plan on watching it again when it hits the big screen!

Overall, If I had to describe it in two words.

I'd say:

Educationally captivating!

In addition, I would recommend Flatland to all!

Incidentally, I see a part 2 in the future! Flatland II-The Fourth Dimension!

This review covers both versions of "Flatland" released in 2007, one by Ladd Ehlinger, Jr. with a mostly unknown voice cast, and the other by Jeffrey Travis with some Hollywood big names providing the voices.

The source material for both is the 1884 novella by Edwin A. Abbott, but the approaches of the two films differ radically. The book is a staple of science fiction, and one of the few to address mathematical issues at its core. Being a product of its time, the book is technically naive, and politically incorrect based on current sensibilities.

The Travis film is visually slicker, but significantly shorter, and tackles philosophical issues relative to the passage of time from initial publication. As such, it tampers with the plot to mixed effect. Unlike some others, I have no problem with some of the revisions to the underlying plot since they do help bring some of the book's major issues into somewhat sharper focus. On the other hand, they also add a "feel good" and politically correct sensibility that seems out of place.

The Ehlinger film is much truer to its source material, which is both a strength and a weakness. Given a current perspective, its 19th century depiction of the political and social subjugation of women is a distraction that the Travis film avoids. It's also a longer film and could have been more effective with some of the same plot and editing license employed in the Travis film. Where it does tamper with the plot, some of the decisions are questionable as other reviewers have pointed out.

So which is better? In my opinion, the short answer is the Ehlinger film. Despite its length, political incorrectness, and technical inferiority (the animation of the Travis film is much more sophisticated), it resonates at a technical level to a degree that the Travis film can't match. As a scientist, this means a lot to me. On the other hand, the Travis film resonates on an emotional level that the Ehlinger film can't match. So the answer may be whether you're looking for technical insight or emotional satisfaction.

Most jarring in the Travis film is that, unlike the Ehlinger film, the animators never quite caught on to the implications of a two-dimensional universe. It is filled with objects which are instantly recognizable to us, yet would be clearly impossible or meaningless in the film's reality (e.g. the protagonist's daughter has toys which only make sense to someone with a 3-D perspective, and how does he open his briefcase?). The cover art is an obvious first impression example. The Travis film's characters look more human, but ask yourself how their eyes work. One detail of the book is that looking at a Flatlander from above, all of his internal organs are clearly visible, as they should be. Travis' animators hint at this, but don't meet it head-on. The Ehlinger film's animators may not have had the resources to make as slick a film as Travis', but they obviously gave a great deal of thought to what they were doing (or maybe not, since the necessary designs were all in the book). In short, Travis had the budget, but Ehlinger had the passion for the project - albeit perhaps a bit too much respect for the source to create a truly superior adaptation.

The differences reflect different target audiences, though. The Travis film is an educational short film which was obviously meant to be viewed by classrooms of middle school and high school students. As such, it had to be socially inoffensive while conveying concepts of geometry that would never occur to non-mathematicians. That it includes recognizable names voicing the characters will help it grab a bit more attention - an educational short film for the "X-Files" generation. The Ehlinger film would mostly appeal to people with a college level interest in mathematics, or others who are already familiar with the book.

Neither film is perfect, but I'm giving the Ehlinger film a rating of 4 and the Travis film a rating of 3. Depending on your sensibilities, your conclusion may be exactly opposite of mine, so I hope this review includes enough information to guide you to an informed selection.

Or, like me, you could simply buy both... ;-)

Decades have passed since enjoying "Flatland". It was required reading for a College Class. The introduction to a different way of thinking about the Universe and Infinity was my reward. My Love for Mathematics was forged in a Smithy of bewilderment during the first few pages. My awareness of the World described in simple Euclidean Geometry has expanded to embrace the Beauty of the plane of existence we inhabit. The film was simple but subtle in a way that both theoreticians and laymen can enjoy. I think about "Flatland" every Day. This Film is a wonderful diversion that will be viewed over and again.

The first surprise from this movie was receiving it in the mail less than three days after I ordered it. The packaging was quite familiar, because it looked very much like what I had done when I sold software I created on CDs. Unless you (the guy selling the CDs/DVDs) do a run of several thousand disks and cases, you'll never get the look of a shrinkwrapped DVD like you buy at WalMart. But, if you pay close attention to all the pieces and assembling them just right, and as Ladd Ehlinger Jr, sign the disk and include a nice signed note, you can make it into something of a keepsake. The Miami Vice DVD will get handed off to the first person who asks for it and quickly forgotten. Flatland the Film isn't walking out of my house without help from a 4D sphere.

The next surprise... I've only watched it once, and expect to watch it many times and catch more of the nuances and details... At the start it seems to flip between animation and full screen text almost epileptically (for lack of a better word), like an old style silent film, except without the silence. If you go in expecting a faithful film portrayal of Abbott's book, the printed narrative looks like it might be the device to provide that, until it hilariously breaks into modern colloquialisms. Those sucked me into this film.

My Dad gave me Abbott's book to read when I was in 4th or 5th grade. I remember reading it with a very literal mathematical focus, which was probably to have lost everything intended by the book! It's kind of like how in high school, I "read" To Kill a Mockingbird (actually the first and last 3 pages), then BS'd my way to an A on a "book report". 15 years later, a friend from the UK sent me a copy of the book for my birthday, which I actually read, absorbed, and loved. Walking in others' shoes (to use the Mockingbird parlance) is the common thread. I reconnected with Flatland one afternoon when I was in grad school, and appreciated that there was so much more to the book than I'd seen as a 10 or 11 year old.

I can sort of see the same dynamic working with this film and kids. If you turn the sound down, there are lots of interesting things to watch, like the way the Flatlanders face each other to talk, their innards, how death works. I could see a bunch of 6 year olds cutting out little shapes and playing Flatland on a kitchen table, mimicking things they see in this movie. Maybe even picking up A Square and letting him look down on Flatland, with the Flatlanders oblivious to his presence. And yet, the movie is chock full of little nuggets for more sophisticated viewers to discover. I will probably have to watch it 10 times to catch all the funny signs in Spaceland. Some of the quips are very quick, like the explanation that "circles" in Flatland are not true circles, but polygons with so many sides they approximate them. Basically, King Circle and his ilk were posers.

Most definitely an enjoyable film, a fun experience, something I will share with friends and family in the future.