Frequently held as one of the most emotionally-affecting animated short films ever made and rightly so Mark Osborne's 'More' is a poignant allegory for Mankind's everlasting search for happiness. The main character is a depressed factory worker living in a grey and dreary metropolis, whose only sanctuary exists within his dreams, as he recalls the bliss of childhood. Wanting to help those around him, our character invents a pair of special glasses, into which he places a few drops of his own inner happiness, spreading bliss and contentment to everybody in the city. He becomes rich and famous for his invention the world's greatest inventor! but ultimately finds that it has come at the cost of his own happiness. By sharing it around to everybody, he has diluted the bright light within himself to nothing.
The stop-motion animation in 'More' is exceptional, serving well to give the characters sullen, downcast expressions and producing the bleak, emotionless cityscape in which they live. The film has been released with two background music tracks. The first, from the version that I watched, is "Elegia," from New Order's 1985 album 'Low-Life.' It is a remarkably hypnotic piece of music, complementing the beautiful images and themes wonderfully. The track "Hell Bent" by Kenna was also later used as an alternate background track, though I am yet to see this particular version.
Many modern short films are simply produced to tell a quick story, straightforward and insignificant. Others, like 'More,' attempt so much more than this, and it is truly remarkable that, in just six minutes, Osborne has endeavored to explore the very meaning of life. Whether he has succeeded or not is left entirely to the viewer, but here is certainly a film that leaves you with plenty to think about.
The stop-motion animation in 'More' is exceptional, serving well to give the characters sullen, downcast expressions and producing the bleak, emotionless cityscape in which they live. The film has been released with two background music tracks. The first, from the version that I watched, is "Elegia," from New Order's 1985 album 'Low-Life.' It is a remarkably hypnotic piece of music, complementing the beautiful images and themes wonderfully. The track "Hell Bent" by Kenna was also later used as an alternate background track, though I am yet to see this particular version.
Many modern short films are simply produced to tell a quick story, straightforward and insignificant. Others, like 'More,' attempt so much more than this, and it is truly remarkable that, in just six minutes, Osborne has endeavored to explore the very meaning of life. Whether he has succeeded or not is left entirely to the viewer, but here is certainly a film that leaves you with plenty to think about.