The works of master Czech animator Jan Svankmajer are both fascinating and repellent, and Jabberwocky, one of his finest works, is no exception. Svankmajer is not a creator whose goal is to provide comfort; having lived through a repressive communist regime, his work is filled with anger, irony, melancholy, and darkness. Yet it also has its share of humor and even, on occasion, optimism; more importantly, Svankmajer has genuine brilliance, both as a craftsman and an artist, and this is especially true in Jabberwocky. What this short film means is subject to debate, as are the best surrealist works, but meaning is secondary to the associations that each viewer brings to it. It undeniably has a relation to childhood and growing up, but beyond that the exact meaning is obscured. What is not obscured are the images themselves, which are frightening, gorgeous, abominable, or enthralling...or some combination of the four. The animation is, as usual, excellent and the imagination behind it is stunning. Walking wardrobes, dolls eating dolls, sailor suits riding rocking horses -- Svankmajer plays with these images in a way that makes them unforgettable. Jabberwocky is thrilling and disturbing, a surrealist treat.
by Craig Butler
review
