SSF: “The Cave: An Adaptation of Plato’s Allegory in Clay”

SSF: “The Cave: An Adaptation of Plato’s Allegory in Clay” April 7, 2014

I realize that today’s short this is a bit more philosophical than my usual fare, but not to worry. I don’t really understand Plato’s ubiquitous Cave allegory — whether I’m dealing with it in written or in animated form. So we’re good.

Claymation has always been a bit tricky for me, honestly. I love the amount of patience on display, and the painstaking creative process encourages a tremendous attention to detail. But the roughness around the edges is sometime distracting to me; can’t decide if it’s a bug, or a feature. (In this particular instance, I’m pretty sure it adds to the overall effect. But it’s still a bit of a grind for me.)

Bullhead Entertainment’s actually based in Denver, so they’re practically neighbors. And here’s a bonus Orson Welles-narrated version of the allegory, courtesy of Open Culture. Richard Oden’s animation  — or maybe I should say “the way the camera pans across some still Oden images” — seems a bit flat/lifeless to me (which might be part of the point), especially when contrasted with the much rougher/more organic and detailed Bullhead work. But Welles’ voice is as mesmerizing as ever.

(Speaking of narrators, that’s not Christopher Walken. It’s some guy who goes by the name of Kristopher Hutson. My ears can scarcely believe it.)

Attribution(s): All artwork, publicity images, and stills are the property of their respective creators and/or distributors.


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