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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Right up there with Mononoke!, July 10, 2001
This review is from: Spring & Chaos (DVD)
Actually, I bought this anime completely unaware that I was buying it. I bought a different DVD entitled "Toology." It is an unauthorized biography of the (extremely musical) heavy metal band Tool. When I got home and put the disk in my player, I was quite suprised to find that I was suddenly looking at the menu for an extremely obscure anime named "Spring & Chaos." After the shock wore off, I decided I'd take it back, but I was attracted by the music and strange images. I decided I'd take it back the next morning, but in the meantime I'd make use of my purchase. First (and I recommend doing this), I watched the trailer and the included interviews and biography of Kenji Miyazawa. Those gave me a pretty good idea about what I should expect. Then I watched the movie itself. I was completely blown away. To address the encoding problems, I'll say this: it's not that big of a deal. Sure, the visuals get a little gummed up, and at times I found myself willing the subtitles to appear on time, but those little imperfections are VERY easy to overlook when you compare then to the film itself. I expect it will take a few more spins to really get the whole experience, but from watching it once, I was thuroughly impressed. The images are dazzling, the characters are full and very lifelike, dispite the fact that they're kitty-cats, and the screenplay was just EXCELENTLY written, as are most of the "good" animes. I recommend this DVD to anyone who enjoys a good film -- as oppose to a movie or flick. If you like to have to think about your films, this is definately a gold mine for you. The poetry ain't half bad, either.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Experience of Being a Poet, January 30, 2005
This review is from: Spring & Chaos (DVD)
The unwritten rule in animation is that you should only animate what can't be put to film with actors. On the surface, Spring and Chaos seems to defy that rule, presenting the biographical story of Japan's most celebrated poet, Kenji Miyazawa. However, to take us out of the harsh reality of Miyazawa's life, director Shoji Kawamori uses animation to bring us into his soul. Trees sparkle and shudder when inspiration strikes. Mountains glisten by night. The dead swim through wintry fields, hoping to take Miyazawa back down with them. It's a film filled with metaphoric beauty - definitely one of the most unique animated films I've ever seen. Highly recommended!
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Instantly transfixed by the imagery, June 12, 2001
This review is from: Spring & Chaos (DVD)
I bought Spring and Chaos on a whim, enticed by the promise of experimental animation and some insight into the Japanese culture. Before I watched the movie, I read the reviews that there were "awful" encoding problems. So I started the movie, and expected the worst. If there were problems (oustide of the 2 second pixelation) then I didn't see them. After the first minute I was hooked, and watched with enjoyment til the end. It is a bit short, and while being short and recalled, the pixel problem shouldn't have been. Some parts are confusing in a metaphor sense (the train hallucination) but they're fairly easy to get. A fantastic biographic look at a foreign poet. If you are in any way interested in Japanese culture, foreign authors, or a well made story, buy this movie.
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