Rotoscopers
  • News
  • Podcasts
    • Animation Addicts Podcast
    • Every Episode Ever
  • Reviews
    • Animated Movies
    • Art Books
    • Blu-ray/DVD
    • Live Action
  • Interviews
  • Opinions
  • Studios
    • Aardman
    • Blue Sky Studios
    • Disney
    • Don Bluth
    • DreamWorks
    • Fox Animation Studios
    • Illumination Entertainment
    • LAIKA
    • Lucasfilm Animation
    • Paramount Animation
    • Pixar
    • Sony Pictures Animation
    • Reel FX
    • Studio Ghibli
    • Warner Animation
  • Animation Calendar
No Result
View All Result
Rotoscopers
  • News
  • Podcasts
    • Animation Addicts Podcast
    • Every Episode Ever
  • Reviews
    • Animated Movies
    • Art Books
    • Blu-ray/DVD
    • Live Action
  • Interviews
  • Opinions
  • Studios
    • Aardman
    • Blue Sky Studios
    • Disney
    • Don Bluth
    • DreamWorks
    • Fox Animation Studios
    • Illumination Entertainment
    • LAIKA
    • Lucasfilm Animation
    • Paramount Animation
    • Pixar
    • Sony Pictures Animation
    • Reel FX
    • Studio Ghibli
    • Warner Animation
  • Animation Calendar
No Result
View All Result
Rotoscopers
No Result
View All Result
Home Indie-mation

Indie-Mation Club Week 3: ‘It’s Such a Beautiful Day’ Review

Rotoscopers by Rotoscopers
February 19, 2018
in Indie-mation, Reviews
3 min read
0
Indie-Mation Club Week 3: ‘It’s Such a Beautiful Day’ Review
545
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

When I watched It’s Such a Beautiful Day a year ago, I was immediately taken aback. This was something new and different that I had never experienced in an animated film. I am sure many feel the same way when experiencing the work of indie animator Don Hertzfeldt for the first time. His films are unlike any others, which is what makes them so special. I can’t think of anybody else, for example, who expresses the despair, wonder, and the profundity of the universe with stick figure drawings. I can’t think of anybody else whose mind works in quite the same way as Hertzfeldt’s does in many ways; his thoughts are expressed quickly, indirectly, and often in a tangled mess but it all somehow still makes total emotional sense.

It’s Such a Beautiful Day is Hertzfeldt’s first, and only, feature, as he works predominantly in short films — although, even this isn’t easily classified as a feature. It’s made up of three previously released shorts, placed side by side, all depicting the life of a stick figure named Bill as he spirals into severe mental illness.

Hertzfeldt has a knack for finding insight and humor in the mundane. Disconnected moments in Bill’s life fly by at lightning speed, all monotonously described by a disembodied and unidentified narrator. The narrator does little other than factually observe Bill’s actions, but stating the minutiae of human action and interaction so plainly is inherently absurdist — we’ve never been asked to think about our instinctive behavior in those terms before. By putting it this way, it all seems pretty pointless and ridiculous.

In a sense, Hertzfeldt’s animation style is as simple as it gets. For the majority of the film, he uses stick figures, a monochromatic color scheme, and a spotlight on the main action while the rest of the screen remains black, limiting us to tunnel vision. It’s a way to express Bill’s state of mind: his perspective is limited and self-centered. He’s stuck within his own head. The world seems dull to him.

Hertzfeldt immerses us in Bill’s headspace through intricate techniques that elevate the film beyond its seeming simplicity. He layers sounds you might hear during a walk outside — wind, leaves, people chatting — and raises them to an anxiety-inducing cacophony, mutating the world into an overwhelming place and allowing us to understand Bill’s state of discomfort. Hertzfeldt’s absurdist imagery manages to be both illogical and entertaining in its uniqueness. These odd detours all reveal something about Bill’s unraveling psyche, while their randomness prevents them from feeling heavy-handed.

It’s Such a Beautiful Day is a claustrophobic film, as the audience is asked to share in Bill’s existential crisis. Fortunately, Hertzfeldt also gives us respite from the chaos by playing classical music or observing a small natural detail. These are genuinely beautiful moments that make for a complete and sublime experience. While It’s Such a Beautiful Day is only a 60 minute film, its ambition is huge. With simple tools at his disposal, Hertzfeldt attempts to sum up life on earth as he sees it, and he succeeds in a way that is difficult to describe. It’s so abstract, instinctual, and somehow completely clear.

If you’ve seen It’s Such a Beautiful Day let us know what you think. We’d love to start a discussion in the comments section!

To listen to the animation addicts podcast on It’s Such a Beautiful Day click here.

 

Edited by: Kajsa Rain Forden

Tags: don hertzfeldtindie animationindy animationIt's Such a Beautiful Day
Previous Post

Studio Ghibli Fest Announcement

Next Post

Marvel’s ‘Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur’ announced as new animated series

Rotoscopers

Rotoscopers

Rotoscopers is an animation news, reviews, and interviews site for animation addicts young and old. In addition to articles, the site has a podcast called the Animation Addicts Podcast and YouTube channel.

Related Posts

[REVIEW] ‘Where The Crawdads Sing’ Is a Riptide of Emotions
Live Action

[REVIEW] ‘Where The Crawdads Sing’ Is a Riptide of Emotions

July 12, 2022
[REVIEW] ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ – If It Ain’t Broke… Just Add More?
Animated Movies

[REVIEW] ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ – If It Ain’t Broke… Just Add More?

July 1, 2022
[SERIES REVIEW] ‘Amphibia’: Disney Channel’s Magnun Opus
Disney

[SERIES REVIEW] ‘Amphibia’: Disney Channel’s Magnun Opus

May 21, 2022
[REVIEW]: ‘The Bad Guys’ – So Bad, It’s Good
Animated Movies

[REVIEW]: ‘The Bad Guys’ – So Bad, It’s Good

April 22, 2022
Load More
Next Post
Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur

Marvel's 'Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur' announced as new animated series

Discussion about this post

Popular Posts

  • Animation Addicts Podcast #259: Disney Canon Tier Ranking- The Golden Age 56 views
  • Animation Addicts Podcast #260: Disney Canon Tier Ranking- The Wartime Era 47 views
  • Animation Addicts Podcast #262: Disney Canon Tier Ranking- Silver Age 45 views
  • Animation Addicts Podcast #261: The Secret of Kells – Am I A Commoner? 40 views
  • Animation Addicts Podcast #263: Disney Canon Tier Ranking- The Bronze Age 23 views
  • 11k Fans
  • 12k Followers
  • 5.9k Followers
  • 5.3k Followers

Recently Added

Animation Addicts Podcast #263: Disney Canon Tier Ranking- The Bronze Age

Animation Addicts Podcast #263: Disney Canon Tier Ranking- The Bronze Age

August 16, 2022
Animation Addicts Podcast #262: Disney Canon Tier Ranking- Silver Age

Animation Addicts Podcast #262: Disney Canon Tier Ranking- Silver Age

August 9, 2022
Animation Addicts Podcast #261: The Secret of Kells – Am I A Commoner?

Animation Addicts Podcast #261: The Secret of Kells – Am I A Commoner?

August 2, 2022
Animation Addicts Podcast #260: Disney Canon Tier Ranking- The Wartime Era

Animation Addicts Podcast #260: Disney Canon Tier Ranking- The Wartime Era

July 26, 2022
Animation Addicts Podcast #259: Disney Canon Tier Ranking- The Golden Age

Animation Addicts Podcast #259: Disney Canon Tier Ranking- The Golden Age

July 19, 2022
Rotoscopers

© 2019 Rotoscopers

Important Links

  • About
  • Support
  • Contact
  • Store
  • Privacy Policy
  • User Posts

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Podcasts
    • Animation Addicts Podcast
    • Every Episode Ever
  • Reviews
    • Animated Movies
    • Art Books
    • Blu-ray/DVD
    • Live Action
  • Interviews
  • Opinions
  • Studios
    • Aardman
    • Blue Sky Studios
    • Disney
    • Don Bluth
    • DreamWorks
    • Fox Animation Studios
    • Illumination Entertainment
    • LAIKA
    • Lucasfilm Animation
    • Paramount Animation
    • Pixar
    • Sony Pictures Animation
    • Reel FX
    • Studio Ghibli
    • Warner Animation
  • Animation Calendar

© 2019 Rotoscopers

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Posting....