Film Review || Ethel and Ernest (2016)

fig  1.

This movie chronicles the lives of a couple, Raymond Briggs' parents, surviving through World War 2, having a child late in years and beholding advancements of all kinds throughout the 20th century. It is based off an original novel of the same name published in 1998, which was also written and illustrated by Raymond Briggs.

fig 2.

It does not exactly conform to a method of storytelling in its production, instead favouring a joy of observation. By recalling the memory of a another time there can be a dimension of fantasy to it, for example, when recalling the Victorians, we often pick out the most characteristic parts which defined the people. Dark colours, tops hats, slums, and chimney sweeps are to name a few, and it is often depicted as being a rather grim time to live. In this case it is much of the same, except with the 1930s to 60s. In the house, the walls are decorated with the naturalism art style, the couple drink tea out of a pot, and the garden is tended to. Over time the fashion fades and ages, along with a way of life, highlighting the progression of time. It is reflective of the sombre tones contained within the original novel.

fig 3.

In essence the style of the artist, Raymond Briggs, who also did the illustartions for novels The Snowman (1978), Fungus the Bogeyman (1977) and Ug (2001), lends itself well to the animation of Ethel and Ernest and it is clear that reference was used to make the movement look very natural. In action the emotional depth is clear, body language is readable throughout. Each frame tells us everything we need to know about a particular scene from a glance, this is because of Raymond Briggs' previous experience with illustration. Having an artistic vision or expression within an ideas foundation vastly improves quality, helping to create a more emotional, and therefore effective, outcome for the viewership.

Figures
Mainwood, R. (2016). Ethel and Ernest. [film still] [08/03/18]
Mainwood, R. (2016). Ethel and Ernest. [film still] [08/03/18]
Mainwood, R. (2016). Ethel and Ernest. [film still] [08/03/18]