
Montreal Botanical Garden
The Man Who Planted Trees was a very beautiful film to watch. I enjoy listening to stories being read, and I like Frederick Back's animation a lot, so a mix of both was very cool. Back's style is different than what people in the modern world think of when they hear the word "animation." Most might think of Cartoon Network, anime, or Disney, Dreamworks, and Illumination Entertainment movies. Back's animation is like dream-inspired sketches that flow together with a certain surreal feel, in contrast to the solid, perfection-oriented animations from the previously named categories.
When the first World War was mentioned in the film, I began to wonder whether the story was telling real-life events. A quick search reveals that it is a short story by Jean Giono, who wrote a letter saying that Elzéard Bouffier was not real. The point of the story was to show planting trees in a good light. It is a good motive for making a story, and Dr. Seuss' The Lorax also has similar themes.
I love nature and trees, so that made the film just that much better. The ability for one man to plant an entire forest is an amazing thing to think about. Time to become a hermit and start planting oak trees.
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