Angel's Egg -- looking for insights and opinions.

[Steve Berry]

Well,
I just watched this film the other night... Well, actually, I tried to watch it months ago and turned it off after it made me too sleepy. But I had some time last night to finish it, so I put it on for the heck of it..... and I found it absolutely engaging. I'd always found the animation (when it occurs) absolutely beautiful and real to life, and the visual style of the landscape, and the machines, and the character designs were also all very detailed and yet very specific. So, visually, I had never had any problems.

As I began to dig into the second half of the film, the images were so fascinating I was really pulled in. Although the film is almost dead silent, silent to a fault at times really (in my opinion), I much preferred the eloquence of the deeply symbolic images over the endless philosophical rambling of films like Ghost in the Shell 2.

Even so, I got to the end, and I couldn't really put my finger on why I ended up liking the film so much. Some symbology came through loud and clear (in that one could atleast attempt to dissect it)-- the men chasing the shadows of the fish representing the futility of people searching for a god (seemingly Christ for Oshii) that they can't find (or who doesn't exist), the male character being a Christ figure of sorts (with the cross he is carrying), the egg being a symbol of innocence, or rebirth, or faith, the eggs floating to the water's surface representing, perhaps,

Spoiler

that the girl's death is also perhaps a way into the future ....

etc. These things one can atleast put a label or two (or three) on, but I had a hard time wrapping my brain around the film as whole (as seemingly, does everyone, including Oshii). Still, despite the total lack of clarity,the film seemed too thought out to not contain some meaning in it. Man, I feel like I'm discussing a David Lynch film, where the narrative teeters on the edge of meaning, but never quite gels into something solid.

For people who have watched this film and got something out of it, I'd love to get some opinions/interpretations re: the film-- for example opinions on the huge superstructure/machine

Spoiler

with the girl in it as a statue at the end

, or the final very long pull out shot, as well as just on the film in general. I've searched on the net and here, and oddly haven't been able to find a review or an essay that is daring enough to simply state what they think the movie might be about. I find this very frustrating. Looking for some illumination here, even if it is only conjecture/opinion/interpretation.

Thanks.

 

[Anthony P]

Angel's Egg-- looking for insights and opinions

Although the film is almost dead silent, silent to a fault at times really (in my opinion), I much preferred the eloquence of the deeply symbolic images over the endless philosophical rambling of films like Ghost in the Shell 2.

I couldn't agree with you more on this.

Some symbology came through loud and clear (in that one could atleast attempt to dissect it)-- the men chasing the shadows of the fish representing the futility of people searching for a god (seemingly Christ for Oshii) that they can't find (or who doesn't exist), the male character being a Christ figure of sorts (with the cross he is carrying), the egg being a symbol of innocence, or rebirth, or faith, the eggs floating to the water's surface representing, perhaps, spoiler[that the girl's death is also perhaps a way into the future .... ]etc.

Yes, I found those certain elements to be relatively easier to grasp, as well. Except, I thought the male character not really to be a Christ figure of sorts, but more of a seemingly devout seeker of Christ. Which I think ties in with this:

the huge superstructure/machine spoiler[with the girl in it as a statue at the end], or the final very long pull out shot, as well as just on the film in general.

Okay, references were made to the biblical great flood and Noah's ark, and

Spoiler

that long pan out at the end depicted the entire planet flooded, save for a small bit of land. Perhaps Angel's Egg was a depiction of the far-future during the supposed biblical end-times, and the Earth was flooded once again. Except, rather than an ark like Noah's, there's that superstructure/machine, of which delivers the pure souls to the next world or whatever. See, I felt that the male character represented an older, practiced religious person, of whom had spent his whole life searching for his religious truth through strict adherence to religious principles, reading the scriptures and the such, yet never really found what he was looking for. Whereas the young girl represented a type of pure, innocent faith, and maybe that unwavering faith delivered her to the superstructure.

Ugh, I don't know. There's likely something very significant that I'm overlooking.

 

[Steve Berry]

Angel's Egg-- looking for insights and opinions

I thought the male character not really to be a Christ figure of sorts, but more of a seemingly devout seeker of Christ.

Ah, come one, how can a guy roaming around with what is essentially a crucifix not be a Christ figure of sorts? :? A christ-figure, to me, can be anyone (even a devout seeker of Christ), as long as they have that "self-sacrificing/ I-will-teach-you-the-way" sort of ambience about them. It's just about drawing paralells to Christ. And the more I think about it, the more it seems to me that the man's actions at the end of the film _are_ a sacrifice on his part (or atleast can be seen as such, from a certain point of view)-- they don't really seem to make him happy. He asks her what's in the egg, and at first, I had assumed he didn't know what was in the egg (which may be true-- it's very open to interpretation), but it's just as likely that he did know. If he knew what

Spoiler

breaking the egg open

would do to her, perhaps that was the point-- that sort of revelation, that loss-of-blind-faith leads one to a better understanding of reality. He could just as easily have been trying to give her that knowledge, even if it made him the bad guy, even if he had to be hurtful, and even if he had to be left alone at the end (seemingly not for the first time either, from the look of the

Spoiler

statues in the superstructure

).

I mean, you can really see him in two different ways-- a seeker, who doesn't know the answer, and does something horrible to another person to find out an answer that he never really gets in the end, OR he is the teacher, the one who knows, who goes to the girl to give her the hard, truthful lesson that she must learn. I think both possiblities hold some water, interpretively.

As for

the huge superstructure/machine and the final very long pull out shot, as well as just on the film in general.

I really liked your take on these. I had been looking at the final, very long pull out shot as a if

Spoiler

the island were actually a space ship or something floating in space

-- I know, that sounds absurd to me too, but I couldn't quite tell what I was looking at. The idea of it being

Spoiler

an island caught in the midst of, essentially, a biblical style flood

is much more in line with a lot of what is said in the film. I suppose, though, even if it were

Spoiler

a space ship, the imagery still holds true philosophically-- it _looks_ like an island lost in an endless sea/flood, whether it's a space ship or really is an island.

Your idea that

rather than an ark like Noah's, there's that superstructure/machine, of which delivers the pure souls to the next world or whatever

is also interesting. That whole superstructure I just found fascinating-- 1) because it's full of statues, not the living, 2) because the girl appears in it at the end, and 3) because the seeker-Christ figure is the only one who gets to see it, both at the end, and at the beginning, and the only one who isn't on it.

I felt, that in some way it was a critique of knowledge or faith-- it seemed very odd to me to have them all be, essentially, praying statues.... As if you couldn't have that sort of faith without becoming a statue. Also, all the other statues in it at the end, they made we wonder about the man left on the beach at the end-- whether he had had some role in their being there as well. One thought that just occured to me was that what we see at the beginning, the shot of the superstructure, is essentially

Spoiler

the same thing we see at the end of the movie-- that namely, the beginning of the movie is the end of the story for the person previous to the little girl

, someone else whom he revealed the truth to, or who he tried to find the truth from (depending on how you see him). This makes some sense to me.

The seeker-Christ figure was very interesting for me in re: to the superstructure, because it seemed to me that, just as we've read him in two ways, you can read his relationship to the "ark" in two ways as well-- that either:
1) he's unable to board the ship because he doesn't have the proper faith, but instead chooses to

Spoiler

break the egg open

and find out the truth (an Adam sort of character, to a certain extent, choosing knowledge), or
2) he's sending them there, because he knows the truth and is revealing it to them.

The more I think about it, the more I feel like the purpose one assigns to him makes everything else in the interpretation revolve around it-- as if he were a lynch pin of sorts for the entire movie.

 

[Steve Berry]

Angel's Egg-- looking for insights and opinions

Any other thoughts on this? I'd love another take on the film.....

I didn't want to let the thread die yet. I figure, if I'm ever going to find any intelligent discussion of this film on the internet (or anywhere, frankly), it's only going to be here........

 

[Anthony P]

Angel's Egg-- looking for insights and opinions

I mean, you can really see him in two different ways-- a seeker, who doesn't know the answer, and does something horrible to another person to find out an answer that he never really gets in the end, OR he is the teacher, the one who knows, who goes to the girl to give her the hard, truthful lesson that she must learn. I think both possiblities hold some water, interpretively.

The seeker-Christ figure was very interesting for me in re: to the superstructure, because it seemed to me that, just as we've read him in two ways, you can read his relationship to the "ark" in two ways as well-- that either:
1) he's unable to board the ship because he doesn't have the proper faith, but instead chooses to

Spoiler

break the egg open

and find out the truth (an Adam sort of character, to a certain extent, choosing knowledge), or
2) he's sending them there, because he knows the truth and is revealing it to them.

The more I think about it, the more I feel like the purpose one assigns to him makes everything else in the interpretation revolve around it-- as if he were a lynch pin of sorts for the entire movie.

It seems to me that you've got it right here. Now you've got me thinking about it, the consequences of blind faith versus forsaking that blind faith in favor of knowledge may be the essence of this film. I'm thinking that you could see the flood in two ways, as well:
1. The flood is a biblical-style one, of which God brought on the world to cleanse it.
2. If you consider the somewhat futuristic tones of this movie, perhaps it's a Waterworld-type scenario, where the flood is a result of natural causes.
One could also take into consideration that this is a depiction of how people would behave in the face of a situation such as this, reacting to the situation with either faith-based practices or seeking practical knowledge instead. The men attempting to slay the shadow-fish could figure into this as well; the fish would seem to be a portent of the city finally flooding, and the men attempting to kill them would seem to be acting in desperation trying to keep them away, but to no avail.
In thinking more on the superstucture, it could also be simply Oshii's metaphor for religion itself; it's grandiose and transcendental, but to become a part of it, one must become an unperceptive statue. Or, it could really be a ship of sorts.
You know, I bet there's some analyses of Angel's Egg on the web somewhere, I think I'll see if I can find some. I know someone out there has probably seen this movie fifty-some-odd times and wrote a twenty-page analysis.

 

[Steve Berry]

Angel's Egg-- looking for insights and opinions

The men attempting to slay the shadow-fish could figure into this as well; the fish would seem to be a portent of the city finally flooding, and the men attempting to kill them would seem to be acting in desperation trying to keep them away, but to no avail.

This is an interesting idea. You know, I had been thinking of the "shadow-men" as sort of seekers of some sort-- the fish being a symbol of christ or christianity. I had been thinking of it as they're looking for faith/religion, but I hadn't really thought of it as an attempt to stop the flood. That's also very interesting, and makes sense in a certain way. Another thought that had occured to me was that they're looking for something they can't find-- in that, the fish they are hunting are only shadows-- they're not real... i.e. that they're sense of religion isn't valid/truthful (thus, they're chasing shadows).

I hadn't really thought about it until now, but the fish-hunters are the only other "living" people we see in the movie. In some way, that makes them more important to me than I'd thought before..... in that they probably have some relationship to the seeker-Christ figure and the girl-- metaphorically speaking. For example, if they are hunting for a shadow-fish, something not real, to skewer it and make it dead is rather ...anti-religous (if you take the fish as a Christian symbol). This, in comparison to the girl who has a true and utter faith in the egg she carries. And then, even one step further (or one step aside, on a paralell yet different path) you have the seeker-Christ who either knows what is in the egg or wants to find out.

This creates two different kinds of "developmental" arcs in re: spirituality--

fish hunters--> girl--> Christ figure OR

fish hunter--> girl's path
............. --> seeker's path

In thinking more on the superstucture, it could also be simply Oshii's metaphor for religion itself; it's grandiose and transcendental, but to become a part of it, one must become an unperceptive statue.

This makes some sense too. That seems to fall in line with a bit of what we were saying earlier too.

Man, I can't believe I'm saying this after how boring I thought the first half of the film was (when I watched it months ago), but I really feel like I need to watch this film over again after I've had the chance to think about a couple of the ideas this thread has brought up.

 

[Anthony P]

Angel's Egg-- looking for insights and opinions

This is an interesting idea. You know, I had been thinking of the "shadow-men" as sort of seekers of some sort-- the fish being a symbol of christ or christianity. I had been thinking of it as they're looking for faith/religion, but I hadn't really thought of it as an attempt to stop the flood. That's also very interesting, and makes sense in a certain way. Another thought that had occured to me was that they're looking for something they can't find-- in that, the fish they are hunting are only shadows-- they're not real... i.e. that they're sense of religion isn't valid/truthful (thus, they're chasing shadows).

I had originally the shadow fish to be a metaphysical portent of sorts like I mentioned earlier, but the more you mention the men and the shadow-fish being a slanted metaphor for Christianity, the more I lean towards that actually being the case. The flood had also thrown me off; the fact that the flood was happening made it seem to me that Oshii might actually be trying to tell some sort of far-future end-times story. But, really, if Oshii really was trying to tell an at least semi-coherent story with Angel's Egg, I'd say he pretty well failed. But as an elaborate metaphor, I'd say Angel's Egg is a success. Let's say that the flooded Earth perhaps signifies the unknown that man strives to make sense of, either through religion or the gathering of practical knowledge (and it seems we've established that both are present in the film). I can also tie this in to what you said earlier:

I had been looking at the final, very long pull out shot as a if spoiler[the island were actually a space ship or something floating in space]-- I know, that sounds absurd to me too, but I couldn't quite tell what I was looking at. The idea of it being spoiler[an island caught in the midst of, essentially, a biblical style flood] is much more in line with a lot of what is said in the film. I suppose, though, even if it were spoiler[a space ship, the imagery still holds true philosophically-- it _looks_ like an island lost in an endless sea/flood, whether it's a space ship or really is an island.]

Whether it's an endless flood or outer space, it's still an unknown that men would attempt to make sense of.

I hadn't really thought about it until now, but the fish-hunters are the only other "living" people we see in the movie. In some way, that makes them more important to me than I'd thought before..... in that they probably have some relationship to the seeker-Christ figure and the girl-- metaphorically speaking. For example, if they are hunting for a shadow-fish, something not real, to skewer it and make it dead is rather ...anti-religous (if you take the fish as a Christian symbol). This, in comparison to the girl who has a true and utter faith in the egg she carries. And then, even one step further (or one step aside, on a paralell yet different path) you have the seeker-Christ who either knows what is in the egg or wants to find out.

This creates two different kinds of "developmental" arcs in re: spirituality--

fish hunters--> girl--> Christ figure OR

fish hunter--> girl's path
............. --> seeker's path

Those developmental arcs make quite a bit of sense. The men attempting to spear the fish could be taken as anti-religious, or, they could be taken as a desperate, unmeditated reaction to the unknown (if you were to see the fish as a portent for the coming flood). And, if you took the fish hunters' actions as that type of reaction to the unknown, the actions of the girl and the Christ figure could be taken as being natural progressions from the unrefined reactions of the fish hunters to the more civilized reactions (faith and gathering/exercising knowledge, respectively) of the girl and the Christ figure. So those developmental arcs work for both perspectives.

In thinking more on the superstucture, it could also be simply Oshii's metaphor for religion itself; it's grandiose and transcendental, but to become a part of it, one must become an unperceptive statue.

This makes some sense too. That seems to fall in line with a bit of what we were saying earlier too.

Man, I can't believe I'm saying this after how boring I thought the first half of the film was (when I watched it months ago), but I really feel like I need to watch this film over again after I've had the chance to think about a couple of the ideas this thread has brought up.

Yeah, I was thinking that I need to watch it again too, as I've only seen it once as well, although I honestly didn't find the film boring at all. You seem to have retained the film pretty well for watching it that long ago; I just watched it last month and still have a hard time recalling some of the details.

 

[Steve Berry]

Angel's Egg-- looking for insights and opinions

Seems like it's just you and me Anthony P--

Has anyone else seen this film and got something else out of it?? I'd love to hear some other perspectives and interpretations.

Had some thoughts about the egg she carries versus/in re: to

Spoiler

the eggs she makes

.

After reading over the thread again, one thing we hadn't touched on was the eggs that come from

Spoiler

the girl after she dives/falls into the water

. I thought this was also very interesting. I felt like it was representative of her transformation into.... well, whatever she is when

Spoiler

she appears in the monolithic structure at the end

. The thought has occured to me that those eggs are somehow the beginnings of a new "Angels Egg" for whomever the next person is, on her path-- that the scene with the eggs floating to the top of the water like bubbles is also one of the other big things that tie's the movie into a big circle.

This thought about the eggs reminded me of the earlier discussion we had had about the super-structure capping the movie as well. Does anyone have any thoughts about the eggs? And if the egg the little girl is carrying _is_ much the same as

Spoiler

the eggs she makes at the end

(which doesn't seem so far fetched to me, as the movie is called Angel's Egg, and eggs are a running theme in the movie)-- what does that say about the egg she's been carrying? As in-- perhaps that gives the viewer a clue to deciphering some of the things that the egg may represent.......

It's an interesting thought to consider that the seeker/Christ-figure may have acted much the same with other people before the little girl, each of them carrying their own eggs, and each of them

Spoiler

creating their own eggs at the end

. The movie does point to this in some ways-- particularly in re: to the superstructure appearing (or is it receding?) at the beginning of the film, in much the same way that it does at the end-- with the seeker-figure watching it from the beach.

Anyways, just looking for some thoughts and perspectives re:

Spoiler

the eggs that the little girl makes

. Lordy, that sounds like some tripped out hentai that I'm talkin' about there...... ::chuckle::

 

[Cloe]

Angel's Egg-- looking for insights and opinions

I've seen Tenshi no Tamago many, many times and love it. It's on my Masterpiece-rated list. I don't really have more to add to the conversation, though. My love for ths film comes purely from the aesthetics. I also don't think it's possible to really pinpoint and label every underlying theme in the film, nor is it neccessary. I'd rather not analyze it too literally. It's interesting to hear theories, but I take each one with a grain of salt, as nobody except for Mamoru Oshii (and I don't think he even fully understands, really) truely knows what the film is about.

 

[Anthony P]

Angel's Egg-- looking for insights and opinions

Had some thoughts about the egg she carries versus/in re: to

Spoiler

the eggs she makes

.

After reading over the thread again, one thing we hadn't touched on was the eggs that come from

Spoiler

the girl after she dives/falls into the water

. I thought this was also very interesting. I felt like it was representative of her transformation into.... well, whatever she is when

Spoiler

she appears in the monolithic structure at the end

. The thought has occured to me that those eggs are somehow the beginnings of a new "Angels Egg" for whomever the next person is, on her path-- that the scene with the eggs floating to the top of the water like bubbles is also one of the other big things that tie's the movie into a big circle.

This thought about the eggs reminded me of the earlier discussion we had had about the super-structure capping the movie as well. Does anyone have any thoughts about the eggs? And if the egg the little girl is carrying _is_ much the same as

Spoiler

the eggs she makes at the end

(which doesn't seem so far fetched to me, as the movie is called Angel's Egg, and eggs are a running theme in the movie)-- what does that say about the egg she's been carrying? As in-- perhaps that gives the viewer a clue to deciphering some of the things that the egg may represent.......

It's an interesting thought to consider that the seeker/Christ-figure may have acted much the same with other people before the little girl, each of them carrying their own eggs, and each of them

Spoiler

creating their own eggs at the end

. The movie does point to this in some ways-- particularly in re: to the superstructure appearing (or is it receding?) at the beginning of the film, in much the same way that it does at the end-- with the seeker-figure watching it from the beach.

I actually hadn't thought about the eggs too much. But, more parallels to christianity could be drawn here when I think about it. The egg is a symbol of birth, of starting anew, and most christians refer to their point of turning to the religion as being "reborn". Also, one of the core tenets of many christian persuasions is that of "saving souls", or making new converts of people. Perhaps the girl was making new eggs with the intention of giving them to others, so they could share a similar experience.

I also don't think it's possible to really pinpoint and label every underlying theme in the film, nor is it neccessary.

You're right, it's neither possible nor necessary. But it is fun.

 

[Steve Berry]

Angel's Egg-- looking for insights and opinions

My love for ths film comes purely from the aesthetics. I also don't think it's possible to really pinpoint and label every underlying theme in the film, nor is it neccessary. I'd rather not analyze it too literally.

I can understand why one would love it purely from an aesthetic point of view-- and I would say that for a person like yourself, who seems to have a great love of animation simply as a visual medium-- that this makes a great deal of sense. I love Angel's Egg as a visual experience as well. Very much so in fact. I just think there's really something to be missed though, if one isn't exercising one's "mental/critical faculties" while watching this film.

This film has so much to offer when analyzed-- largely because it is so ambiguous and not very direct. A film narrative based so heavily on symbology, rather than typical plot and character devices, really requires the viewer to be an active thinking participant to get some meaning out of it-- I mean, you have to really exert yourself to (intellectually speaking) get much out of the film beyong the aesthetics of it as a visual medium.... This, rather than say a plot based film that gives you more obvious meaning through the conflicts between characters, that resolution, and their growth.

I guess my point was that although it's hard to "pin down" a meaning on something like Angel's Egg (thank goodness), that would, to me, never be a very good reason not to think critically about the film's meanings that are so intricately embedded in the "pure aesthetics" of which you were speaking. The film is, really, particulalry interesting and well thought out when you begin to pick it apart a bit-- more than most films, anime or otherwise. It seems a shame to me not to explore that aspect.

Of course, interpretation is subjective, but that's the beauty of it. Nothing's "right"-- neither my opinion nor Oshii's. Some are better argued and supported than others.... but that's about it. I dunno-- I guess, to me, to not attempt to analyze the symbology of the film would be to miss much of what this film is offering. It doesn't really seem a whole lot different than the discussion going on in the Mindgame thread. Angel's Egg is more "symoblic"/easier to talk about on intellectual terms (which is part of why Mindgame is an easier/more accessible viewing experience)-- but I think there's room to look at Mindgame through the same lense... Why being swallowed by a whale? Why the capping montages? Why some of the sequences (say, the body paint one, or the sex scene)? Why is God always shifting shapes? The film is a joy to simply watch, of course, but I think there's a different type of legitimate enjoyment you can get from the film that comes from thinking about it critically/intellectually.

 

[Cloe]

Angel's Egg-- looking for insights and opinions

I just think there's really something to be missed though, if one isn't exercising one's "mental/critical faculties" while watching this film.

This film has so much to offer when analyzed-- largely because it is so ambiguous and not very direct.

Oh, I completely agree. I never meant to discourage analysis, but somehow I articulated something that seemed to imply that eariler (blame lack of sleep). I simply meant that I, as one who has seen and loved Angel's Egg, prefer to embrace its ambiguity rather than spend time obsessing over the symbolism and that it all means. I understand the content is there to be analyzed, and I think it's great that you and Anthony P have had such an enlightening discussion. But the reason I have simply been watching this thread and not participating this entire time is because I feel that the film will lose a little bit of its magic if I try to nail down every reason behind every detail. I'd prefer for some of it to stay beyond my comprehension.

Angel's Egg is more "symoblic"/easier to talk about on intellectual terms (which is part of why Mindgame is an easier/more accessible viewing experience)

I don't know if I'd fully agree with that. You're probably correct in saying Mind Game is more accessible, but I think both films are on equal terms intellectually. Just in different ways. Angel's Egg is like a mist, which one must slowly make their way through to discover its secrets. Mind Game is more like a hurricane, with hoards of information being strewn about all over; one must do their best to take a quick glimpse at everything to put together all the neccessary puzzle pieces and derive their own personal message.

 

[Steve Berry]

Angel's Egg-- looking for insights and opinions

I know it's a bit OT, but I still think there's something.... more "immediate" and visceral about Mindgame, versus the experience I get watching Angel's Egg. They are, of course, both worth their weight intellectually. I don't disagree with you on that. There's a lot to be "mined" in Mindgame.

However, I thought your example of your favorite part in Mindgame (in the other thread), where the girl falls back into the grass with a smile on her face was a very good example of the difference between the two films-- the experience you get watching that scene is a visceral, immediate, almost emotional reaction. That sort of experience is really the overriding one in Mindgame-- it happens again and again-- whether it's the love scene, or the "body" painting scene, or many many others. On a large scale, there's some interesting intellectual statements being made, but .... well, I guess when I compare that to Angel's Egg, Angel's Egg comes out very different.

There are, of course, very immediate/painful scenes in Angel's Egg. Still, much of the movie grabs me because the symoblic density of some of it's images is so incredible-- fish swimming through the streets are cool aesthetically, but for me, even more, it's the heady concept behind the fish that really grabs me when I watch it. Same thing goes for the floating eggs, or the superstructure, or the "flood." Those scenes are all very beautiful visually, but they lack a certain.... heart that Mindgame has-- the sort of thing that grabs you and makes you wince or smile or chuckle or cry.

Still, I know we're sort of comparing apples and oranges. It's such a wonderful pleasure (and a privelege) though, to get to do it.

 

[Cloe]

Angel's Egg-- looking for insights and opinions

There's a lot to be "mined" in Mindgame.

Hahaha, how long did it take you to come up with that one?

There are, of course, very immediate/painful scenes in Angel's Egg. Still, much of the movie grabs me because the symoblic density of some of it's images is so incredible-- fish swimming through the streets are cool aesthetically, but for me, even more, it's the heady concept behind the fish that really grabs me when I watch it. Same thing goes for the floating eggs, or the superstructure, or the "flood."

Oh, definitely. It's the kind of film that you sit still for after you're finished watching it, re-thinking and working out symbolism in your head. Like you mentioned, though, there are some scenes that invoke immediate reaction/emotion. One of my favorite moments in Angel's Egg is when the man with the cross

Spoiler

destroys the egg

. I never could figure out what his intentions really were here; I mean, it was obviously a vindictive thing to do, but the expression on his face was so sorrowful and painful. And the little girl's reaction, crying and screaming, broke my heart. Throughout the course of the film she displayed emotion, but in an almost detatched, apathetic kind of way (if that makes any sense). At the very least, she was soft-spoken. Just hearing this pained, primal scream emerge from her really jolted me.

Still, I know we're sort of comparing apples and oranges. It's such a wonderful pleasure (and a privelege) though, to get to do it.

Most definitely.

 

[Swissman]

Angel's Egg-- looking for insights and opinions

Hello,

You know, I bet there's some analyses of Angel's Egg on the web somewhere, I think I'll see if I can find some. I know someone out there has probably seen this movie fifty-some-odd times and wrote a twenty-page analysis.

I wrote an paper about the use of time in the plot and narration of Angel's Egg some years back when I visited a specific course in cinema studies at my university. It's about ten pages long but it's in german. My thesis was basically that time is materialized throughout the whole movie (ruins, arc, fossils...) and is dangerous.

I think Angel's Egg is one of the best anime movies ever made and I consider it to be one of few true "gothic" anime.