Why you should watch The Legend of the Wolves

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The work combines stunning visuals, important themes and mythological plots.

A full-length cartoon by Irish director Tomm Moore has been released on the Apple TV + streaming service. His previous works "The Secret of Kells" and "Song of the Sea" have long won the love of the audience, were nominated for an Oscar and many other prestigious awards.

Moore has not directed feature films since 2014, only directed an episode of The Prophet and produced The Hunter for Netflix. But now the famous author has returned to his standard style, which cannot be confused with anyone else. And "The Legend of the Wolves", which Tomm Moore created together with the artist Ross Stewart (they have already collaborated in "The Secret of Kells"), is absolutely not inferior to the previous cartoons and even surpasses them in some way.

This is again an incredibly beautiful animation, in which very important general themes intersect with the personal experiences of each person. And at the same time, the cartoon allows you to plunge into Irish mythology.

Acquaintance with legends

In the middle of the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell conquered Ireland. To keep the city of Kilkenny safe from the wolves that inhabit the nearby forest, he hired an experienced hunter, Bill Goodfellow. He sets traps in the forest and hunts down predators.

Meanwhile, his restless daughter Robin, left without a mother, dreams of becoming a hunter and learns to shoot from a crossbow. Once, having gone secretly into the forest, she meets an unusual red-haired girl Maeve. While awake, she looks like a person (albeit with a little animal habits), and when she sleeps, she walks in the guise of a wolf. And now Robin must convince her father and everyone around her that the predators in the forest are not enemies and there is no need to fight them.

Of course, these are not all plot twists, even from the plot of the plot. But "The Legend of Wolves" is the case when it is better not to reveal the cards in advance, the action will surprise you more than once.

At the same time, it is important to understand that Moore comes up with his stories based on the ancient legends of his native Ireland - as he did in previous works. And in that very Kilkenny, the author spent his childhood, now his studio Cartoon Saloon is located there.

His Mystery of Kells is dedicated to the writing and salvation of the famous Book of Kells, a vividly illustrated collection of gospel texts produced by Celtic monks. "The Song of the Sea" told about the mythical people-seals, who were called the Silks (or Selki).

All these legends are not well known to viewers of other countries, and therefore each cartoon becomes an excursion into the past of the author's homeland. And The Legend of Wolves is no exception. The very wolfwalkers that appear in the plot are not just werewolves. In Ireland, these were kind creatures who could heal wounds and help in danger, rather than devouring random travelers.

Moore allows an untrained viewer to learn a little more about them, inevitably causing after watching a desire to rush to study the myths of Ireland, and at the same time to envy the abilities of these charming animals a little.

An excursion into history and conflicts

It is no coincidence that the authors fit the fantasy plot into the historical setting. The invasion of Cromwell (who is, in fact, the main villain here) into Ireland is a reflection of the main conflict of history. Moreover, this confrontation is destructive and dangerous for all parties.

The conquest of Ireland is reflected not only in the brutal order of the city. Even the young Englishwoman Robin cannot find her place in life: she was not voluntarily transported to the hostile Kilkenny, but the children do not care. In town, she is teased for her alien accent and strange behavior. And later in the forest, on the contrary, they will call it too urban. Even her father is trying to make her an exemplary housewife. It seems to be for her own good, but still against her will.

The Legend of Wolves shows how people create conflict even where it is completely unnecessary. This reflects the lostness of the Irish as a people at the time of the conquest. And it is unusual that the struggle of nations is reflected here as a confrontation between man and nature.

This, by the way, makes the cartoon akin to many works by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, and first of all - with "Princess Mononoke". Cartoon Saloon is often compared to the famous Ghibli, and for good reason. Like their Japanese colleagues, the Irish follow their own unique path, trying to preserve national folklore and inscribe very serious themes in children's cartoons.

But the matter is not limited to just an obvious opposition. The cartoon creates contrasts literally at all levels, and here everyone can already find the theme that is closest to him. For example, the ability of a curious child to easily perceive everything new in comparison with the ossified prejudices of adults.

If you wish, you can even spot the opposition of the sexes here. After all, the wolves are ruled by a woman, and the city is ruled by Cromwell. And Bill doesn't want to listen to his daughter's voice. Although the authors are unlikely to have laid such an interpretation. But then every seeker will see his own.

Contrasts even in unique footage

It's no secret that many people love Tomm Moore's cartoons not so much for the plots as for the magnificent picture, which can be recognized literally by a couple of frames.

At the dawn of his career, creating "The Secret of Kells", he did not just make another hand-drawn cartoon. Together with Nora Toomey, who later directed The Hunter, Moore stylized the visuals to match the Book of Kells. And in the work "Song of the Sea" the pictures also seem to have come from old drawings.

But it is in The Legend of the Wolves that the authors have more room for self-expression. Even in the visual range, the already mentioned contrasts are everywhere. The city of Kilkenny is very rough, pale and angular. This is even more noticeable when monotonous square warriors in armor appear. It is a tough world of iron, stone and fire.

And as the opposite - the forest and its inhabitants. An abundance of colors, as if they came from the paintings of Vincent Van Gogh, and completely smooth and soft details. In the city, all movements are sharp, in the forest everything seems to flow: the red hair of the hooligan Maeve flutters in a wave and even a pack of wolves resembles a river stream.

Moreover, the animators were able to show the different visual perception of the world by a man and a wolf. Here, a little more than in the rest of Moore's works, the presence of computer animation is felt, which, of course, does not spoil the perception at all. The authors literally allow you to see the world through the eyes of magical creatures, trying to even aim at visualizing smells.

As a result, "The Legend of the Wolves" offers an absolutely unmatched video sequence. Almost every frame of this cartoon looks like a real picture, even if you take a screenshot and print it. But at the same time, it does not seem static: moving objects in the background, elaborated details and dozens of other little things bring this canvas to life and add depth to it. And even those who do not feel close to the plot will be able to enjoy the special aesthetics of the cartoon.

A tale of friendship and family love

And yet it is worth noting that for all the seriousness of the ideas, The Legend of Wolves remains a bright story in the spirit of Pixar's work. She manages to both amuse, and almost bring to tears.

It's not even about jokes, which are quite enough here - what is one cheerful city dweller in stocks worth. And Maeve, being a typical teenager, manages to amuse himself and make fun of Robin.

First of all, this is a story about good feelings, not hatred. Two very different girls decide to help each other and soon discover that they have a lot in common. Their communication is funny and touching at the same time.

More importantly, the plot is not inclined to portray Bill as a rude patriarch who does not want to hear his daughter's voice. In fact, he only goes the same way as one of the heroes of The Song of the Sea: having lost his wife, he sincerely wants to protect the child from troubles, making the wrong decisions only out of ignorance, but not out of malice.

And therefore, in the finale, the father is given not only the opportunity to realize his mistakes, but also allow himself to touch the world that he has resisted for so long. After all, adults sometimes need to understand that other times have come.

It's almost safe to say that The Legend of the Wolves will be one of the favorites for the upcoming reward season. Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart have created a gorgeous cartoon that will appeal to audiences of all ages. It is incredibly beautiful visually and stands out vividly against the background of the abundance of computer 3D animation. And the theme of life in peace with nature is adjacent to the story of the love of parents and children. The perfect combination of general and highly personal that will definitely hook anyone.