15/31
In these times of war, a poor woodcutter and his wife live in a large forest. One day, the wife finds and saves a little girl, which brings an irrevocable change in the lives of the couple and those whose path the child will cross. This is the first animated film by Michel Hazanavicius. World War II is one of the darkest periods of humanity. A time when humanity has just given up the gray war, when the world has witnessed the extent of human cruelty. A time when rebirth, redemption and peace were promised. The hand of faith has just struck Europe in its most horrible way, the imposing debt of a great war and a lost generation dominating it. The world has stopped, not because of the Schick, or at least not only because of it, but because of what lies beneath. Before what is the greatest world tragedy up to that time lies an increasingly dark future. Germany was in ruins, having lost a war, the faith of its people and the power of its empire. Vengeance was sworn for the humiliation. A few years after this particularly dark period, there was a humble old couple of German carpenters. The man goes to cut down large trees and the woman bundles the small branches. Both spend a hard day’s work to arrive at a small house in the middle of the forest where her soup and a tired old dog await her. Having never had children, the woman begs for everything she has, having abandoned God or never having brought him to light. She begs the sky, the forest and even the train gods to give her a train. And one day, the train gods answered her prayers. In this empty corner of the forest, a train pierced the white snow of winter, slowly but surely reaching its dreaded destination. And one day, a baby is thrown from the train only for the old woman of the woods to pick it up. A heartless thing for some, but not for her. What follows is a beautifully crafted tragedy, a tale of humanity: the loving force that builds and sacrifices itself and its inherently evil side that retaliates and punishes. Michel Hazanavicius’ animated film takes a very comedic style that places you in the heart of an enchanted forest, with its idiosyncratic cast of characters and the dark setting of World War II, it is one of the most beautiful tearjerker films of the year. A fitting farewell to the illustrious career of Jean Louis Trintignant.