Renaissance

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For anyone who is interested in animation, film noir, or science-fiction, Renaissance is a must-see. It is a foreign film by an independent French production company, Onyx Films. Although it is foreign, it is simply the best example of an independent animated film that I have ever seen. The film brings the dark film noir style of Sin City, the futuristic vision of Blade Runner, and some of the most incredible 2-D animation and coalesces them all into a completely new film. The film has one famous character, voiced by Daniel Craig (Casino Royale). The themes of Renaissance touch areas that most Hollywood or big budget productions are unwilling to deal with. Its overarching theme is the idea of eternal youth, and the power and danger that comes along with that pursuit. It is a risky subject, one that has been dealt with by the likes of Indiana Jones, but in a much darker, more sinister way. The lines between good and bad are blurred; a mob boss helps the protagonist, a beautiful, seemingly naïve young woman turns into a vehicle of possible destruction. The film, set in 2054 Paris, is a comment on where our world is headed with advertising and the constant pursuit of perfection by whatever means necessary. Even if it means death for some or betrayal for others, Renaissance glides along leaving no one untouched by the fascination of what eternal life could be. Yet the idea has a consuming aura of darkness and fear, as the pursuit is fraught with murder, greed and exploitation. What makes it independent is obviously in its creation by an independent studio. Onyx Films has two producers and a short list of nine films that they have produced, only five of which came prior to Renaissance. The cinematography is very much about two things, the city as a character and characters within the city. The city plays a menacing, terrifyingly lonely place full of evil, corruption and greed, not really the normal perception of Paris. The characters, once again are vague. The protagonist is a renegade with a past of hard crime. The women are strong and susceptible to the same greed as men. The mafia is a friend to a policeman. Good and evil are not all as they seem. And the mis-en-scene shows exactly this. There are numerous close-ups and character studies. And, because the film is animated, Renaissance is able to do amazing things using reflections, shadows, and camera angles that would be impossible to achieve in almost any other type of movie. And once again the themes really set this film apart from almost all Hollywood (or for this purpose, Pixar) types of films. The animation deals with very adult themes, and watches the pursuit of youth and beauty, a thing that many strive for, blow up into something terrifying and haunting.