Films rarely communicate a beautiful message in a beautiful manner. The Oscar-nominated The Illusionist (2010) manages both while displaying a simple and refined bravura. Daring in its simplicity, and refined in its execution, The Illusionist gives new meaning to the moving art of motion pictures.
The Illusionist is an animated Belgium film directed by Sylvain Chomet and written by Jacques Tati. Delightfully personal, The Illusionist follows a wandering wizard of little wonders, whose stage entertainment is pushed out of major venues and into bars and lawn parties. Finding a young girl whose innocence and fascination allows her to appreciate this performer's growingly outdated tricks, the principal character finds himself traveling with this new companion with whom he forms a father-daughter bond. A tale of the past generation's fading stage entertainers and how they are being replaced by ostentatious rock stars, The Illusionist is a multifaceted film that is a wonderland of messages and meaning.
Both the director and the writer are critical to the success of this film. On the surface, the simple animation leads the audience to think of this film as a cute child's tale, but in fact, the film abounds with maturity and thought-out precision that is skillfully hidden from sight within Chomet's artistic vision. The motif of illusion, for example, constantly sneaks its way into scenes, and Chomet uses the motif to its full potential, making it a subtle yet strong component of the film.
Tati, who wrote the original screenplay, creates a balanced plot full of tasteful humor that contributes to the focus of the film rather than distracting the audience from the plot's direction. Using thematic elements of illusion, companionship and compassion, Tati's story plays out with unexpected grace. This grace is achieved through the perfect coupling of director and writer. As I watched the movie, I could not help but think that the director also must have written the script, for they fit so naturally together: the visual and plot features harmoniously coincide. Because of the nature of the script, which has little to no dialogue in most scenes, there is no reason to praise the actors; The Illusionist is truly the brainchild of Chomet and Tati.
Paralleling great poetry in its beauty and depth of meaning, The Illusionist analyzes the ephemerality of all things and, in the same breath, the immortality of delight. Like a beautiful landscape in the spring time, The Illusionist allows us to watch the simplistic beauty of life dazzle us with its brilliance, and despite a slight shower which grays the world with sadness, the film shows us that when the rain finally seizes, the world is left newly clean and resplendent.
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