Iron Giant, The (1999) A film review by Steve Lipson
Upon reading the poster tagline for "The Iron Giant," the latest animated feature from Warner Brothers, one may be forgiven for assuming that the movie is intended strictly for children. After all, what more should one expect from a movie that attempts to grab audiences' attention with such a sensationalistic headline as "It came from outer space!" Only upon watching this highly-accomplished film does one realize how unfair to Brad Bird's debut picture this tagline really is; I was even reminded of the injustice done to "Citizen Kane" by its similarly-worded slogan: "It's terrific!"
While I do not mean to put "The Iron Giant" in the same league as Orson Welles's classic, I nevertheless feel that the advertising campaign for Bird's film trivializes its serious intentions. For "The Iron Giant," though vastly entertaining for anyone in the audience, possesses themes and lessons as meaningful for adults as they are for children. The depth of the movie should come as no surprise given the film's pedigree: it is based on the book "The Iron Man" by the late British poet laureate Ted Hughes. And as is to be expected from such auspicious beginnings, the great strength of the film lies in its story.
Admittedly, the basic plot of "The Iron Giant" sounds simple enough: In 1957, at the height of the competition between the Americans and the Soviets in the Cold War, a meteorite crashes in the ocean near the quiet Maine town of Rockwell. Some locals speculate that the debris came from the Russian satellite Sputnik, but what actually fell to Earth was a 100-foot tall alien robot. The adventurous local boy Hogarth Hughes (voice of Eli Marienthal) discovers the giant in the woods, saving his life in the process. The two overcome the language barrier to become friends, although this period of bonding is made more difficult by the need to find metal to feed the Iron Giant (Vin Diesel) and the desire of Hogarth to keep his large new friend secret from his mother Annie (Jennifer Aniston). More ominously, Hogarth soon discovers that he must hide the robot from Kent Mansley (Christopher McDonald), a government agent sent to Rockwell to investigate the crash of the meteorite and the mysterious sightings by townspeople. To ward off any possible threats to the security of the United States, Kent has the entire arsenal of the U.S. Armed Forces at his disposal. Hogarth's only ally in his efforts to save the Iron Giant from imminent destruction is the beatnik artist Dean McCoppin (Harry Connick, Jr.), who reluctantly allows the robot to hide out on his property.
At first, this plot outline with its youthful hero and dastardly villain may seem like it resembles the descriptions of countless other animated films released over the years. But what distinguished "The Iron Giant" from other fare are the serious issues raised and stressed in the screenplay. Brad Bird and Tim McCanlies, who adapted Ted Hughes's book for the screen, wisely chose not to update the story to modern times. Keeping it in 1957 allows them to explore the ramifications that these incidents in Maine would have on a country and a people frightened by the Cold War. In the process, "The Iron Giant" delves into themes still highly relevant to today's times: the danger of guns, the folly of nuclear war, the difficulties of communicating across cultures. And the great achievement of this film lies in its ability to make these issues meaningful to people of all ages. On the topic of nuclear war, adults will find themselves uneasily laughing at a recreation/ parody of those "Duck and Cover" videos of the 1950's that explain how to survive a nuclear attack; children will be struck by a line during the climax that succinctly encapsulates the utter destructiveness of nuclear weapons and how not even the people that launch them are spared. And the movie does not pull punches, either, at another problem as pressing today as it was in 1957: xenophobia. Kent and many others in the movie feel that anything alien is dangerous and must be destroyed; this fear of foreigners extends not just to extraterrestrial beings, but to foreigners on our own planet. Like most of the other important issues raised in "The Iron Giant," Bird does not treat this point in a heavy-handed manner; in fact, Kent most explicitly reveals his xenophobia in a line as humorous as it is ominous.
This sense of humor is a facet of the film that should not be neglected. In addition to being very effective in its action and dramatic scenes, "The Iron Giant" is a very funny movie. Comic highlights of the film include Hogarth's efforts to hide the robot from his mother, especially as he tries to say "Grace" at dinner, and the attempt of the Iron Giant to imitate his friend doing one of his favorite summertime activities. Never does Bird allow the important messages of his film to undermine its basic entertainment value.
"The Iron Giant" delivers what audiences have come to expect from most good animated features this side of "South Park": a story that captivates both children and adults. The term "animation" has unfortunately come to pick up negative connotation in some quarters, from people who deride animated features as kiddie cartoons. But Hughes's book virtually cried out for animated treatment. By filming the movie in such a way, Bird avoided the pitfall that plagues so many summer movies: having the special effects overwhelm the story and characters. Instead of directing a movie that basically forces the audience to marvel at the latest advances in computer-generated imagery, Bird has created a film in which the marvel of a 100-foot robot walking on Earth can be experienced, but then the audience moves on, to focus on the relationship between Hogarth and the Iron Giant and the issues that the screenplay explores. And it cannot be denied that the use of animation allows for some undeniably impressive effects, as in a neat scene where the robot reassembles himself after being separated into pieces. But never do such images seem as if they are inserted for their own sake, rather than to further the story.
Brad Bird, formerly a director for the television show "The Simpsons," has fashioned a movie that combines the best aspects of both animated and non-animated features. In fact, Bird's film, aside from its screenplay, possesses artistic merits that rival those of most any motion picture. Admittedly, the animation in "The Iron Giant," while quite good, is not up to Disney standards. But Bird compensates for this minor flaw by a mastery of the visual and story-telling techniques universal to success in the medium of film. His use of light and shadow in particular stood out for me. Throughout the movie, one observes impressive lighting effects that add to the mood of a scene: the mother's angry look emphasized in the car headlights she stands in front of, a flashlight beam swooping through the dark, hazy patches of light filtering through the trees in a mysterious and idyllic forest setting. Later, in the Hughes house, the menace represented by Kent Mansley is rendered very clear as he emerges from the dark to confront Hogarth in his room. Seeing the very sharp contrast between light and shadow on Kent's face made me think nostalgically back to black and white film-making, when such high-definition lighting effects could be created with ease and effectiveness. But color animation can create such ominous scenes at times when their live-action counterparts cannot.
With his use of sound, too, Bird demonstrates an awareness of the lessons learned from non-animated settings. In the typical Disney animated movie, one's enjoyment of the film is often marred if one does not like the songs in it. But "The Iron Giant" is no musical; like most live-action films, the songs are played in the background of the action. And Bird even improves on the way most directors employ their soundtracks. Too often in non-animated features, the director adds a popular song as filler or as a transition between scenes. Bird does not fall into this trap; in one notable scene, for example, Kent's investigation into the mystery of the robot does not stop though a song that is not part of the action is playing. The audience still understands what is going on and we still laugh; the movie continues unimpeded despite relying for its effect on silent comedy and drama. By merging the freedom and creative potential of animation with the time-tested techniques of live-action film story-telling, Bird has fashioned a truly memorable picture.
Perhaps best of all, one's satisfaction with "The Iron Giant" is not hampered by a disappointing conclusion. The film ends as it should: somber enough so as not to trivialize the important issues it raises, yet happy enough to please children. And after the end credits roll, the movie leaves one with a lot to think about and talk over with one's family. "The Iron Giant" leaves unresolved such issues as the robot's origin and purpose, and the religious intentions of the film. At first, I considered such ambiguity to be one of the few weaknesses of the film. But upon further reflection, I realized that leaving us with such uncertainty may have been just Bird and McCanlies's intention. The movie raises a lot of points for discussion in which the film-makers' message is clear, as in their attitude to nuclear war. But many questions remain open for us to come to our own conclusions: If extraterrestrials exist, why might they want to visit Earth? Does the Iron Giant (as a sentient robot) have a soul? In the end, "The Iron Giant" is a thought-provoking motion picture that provides solid entertainment for all ages; perhaps this is the highest compliment one can give to a family film (or any movie for that matter). But I cannot resist one more commendation. Because I was not pleased with the original advertising slogan for the film, I have come up with my own tagline: "It's terrific!"
E-mail: sjlips@hotmail.com
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