User Reviews

Before 'Genre', before 'Billy's Balloon' and before 'Rejected' animator Don Hertzfeldt delivered his first twisted and disturbing animated short film. 'Ah, L'Amour' tells the story of a guy who keeps getting rejected by the girls he wants to ask out. Actually, they reject him even before he asks them out. The girls reject him not with words alone, they literally cut him to pieces.

As disturbing as the shorts I mentioned above, it is also as funny from time to time. I must admit there are less laughs than in the later work, but to start with a short like this is pretty good. If you can appreciate the disturbing kind of humor this is definitely an animation you want to see.

Though not on the level of insane brilliancy as with Don Hertzfeldt's most recent (within the last several year), Ah L'Amour displays the beginning of the Hertzfeldt logic, only this time in a somewhat more innocent form. In several vignettes we see the act of rejection from women in its most base forms, no matter what is asked there is a violent, murderous reaction with "I just want my space", or "No means no you bastard" preceding it. Hertzfeldt also crumples up the paper and starts all over again with each new try, and its sort of heartfelt in its most utterly crude way. It's like a dash of hopelessness given the finest touch, however not yet totally honed to a point, of dark whimsy. The absurdity of Hertzfeldt is there too, though as a "bitter film" by the director it actually ends much more on that note than with everything else. Oh, and a special thanks to a friend- caffeine!

Ah, the beauty of love. Ah, the splendor of its glory. Ah, the agony of rejection. TOTAL agony, that is!

This timeless favourite of the Spike and Mike Sick and Twisted Animation Festival follows the adventure of our hapless male who receives brutal beatings from women when he tries to innocently ask them out. Brutal, as in having his head bashed in, his eyes driven in by stakes, or his heart ripped out. Yes, a love story! Sick and simple, much like "Billy's Balloon".

Best way to view: in a large group with the men reading the male lines and the women reading the female lines. Note how most women cheer at our hero's demise. Hmm, makes one wonder! Available on Spike and Mike video collections.

I had rarely laughed so hard at animated violence until I watched Don Hertzfeld's work, and Ah, L'Amour is no exception. If you have ever known anyone who claims a potential significant other ripped out their heart and performed any of a series of mutilations upon it, you will be delighted to watch as these are acted out literally rather than figuratively. This brief yet cynical look at getting the time of day (literally) from a female rings especially true with most college-age males. The final interaction of the main character with a female is perhaps the most bitter comment on the subject ever dared to be stated explicitly. A few women may be offended at this cynical view, but I think most of us can relate and appreciate this bluntly honest view of the way some play the game of love.

The animated films from Don Hertzfeldt are very simply drawn--with stick figures and only in black and white (except when he occasionally tosses in some blood). So if you're looking for brilliant art, this certainly isn't a short film for you. However, where his films do excel is at being both funny and totally bizarre. Because they are so weird, they are certainly not for all tastes but are great for just the right off-kilter type of person.

This film is broken down into many little vignettes. In each, an innocent guy comes up to a lady and says something very innocuous. And in each case, the lady turns psycho and does something absolutely violent and horrible in return. I'm sure it's possibly trying to say something profound about male/female communication, but I really liked it for the insane reactions. They were so far over the top that they made me laugh again and again. Give it a watch and see if you, too, are the sort of person who might appreciate the oddness of Don Hertzfeldt.

Don Hertzfeldts first real cartoon is a masterpiece of violence, cynicism and bitterness. The simple stick figure style contrasts beautifully with the blood and gore on-screen, and in combination with the silly little tune in the background you can't help but to laugh.

It's a good thing it doesn't last any longer. 2 minutes of this is tiring enough for my laugh-muscles. Animation has really been this funny, and I wonder if it'll ever be again. Anyone who saw this back when it was "released" must have seen more great things were on it's way from Don.

Don't miss this little gem. If you ever see the name Don Hertzfeldt, check it out no matter what. Surreal entertainment is guaranteed.

This gut-busting yet painfully honest animation showcases the horrific encounters of a genuine man's quest to find love. His honest attempts to make friendly conversation with each encounter are ill-received, each woman bringing the attempt to a different brutally violent end. The common thread from commenters describe the film as, "both funny and true".

Ah L'Amour was Don's first minor splash in the world of animation. Created while a student at UC Santa Barbara, Ah L'Amour was never intended for a wide viewing audience. Still, you see his personal style of bringing brutal realism to the simple and mundane moments of life —the Scorsese of animation—that shows itself in his later films, Rejected and Everything Will Be OK (both nominated for Oscars). Using extremely simplified scenes and characters (stick figures), his honest sense of storytelling is able to shine. Of all the animator's I've come to know, he is the only one who can bring 3 simple lines to life in ways that a whole crew of 3D animators could only dream of.

Don Hertzfeldt (Bitter Films) is certainly no newcomer to the animation scene. Those familiar with Don's animation methods will know that he challenges himself to using only traditional animation methods abstaining from any digital intervention. In fact, he would have been featured on Short of the Week long ago had he endorsed any official online posting of his films. Ah L'Amour is his first. Let's hope there's more to come.

There is no question as to Don Hertzfeldt's angle here. He has probably experienced much of what is in this film. It is certainly male prejudice but it is still captivating. A spirited young man goes up to women. One he asks for a date. Another he compliments on her shoes. It doesn't matter what he says, the women take delight in destroying him in the most malicious ways. The conclusion sort of wraps it all up in a bow.

"Ah, l'amour" is the ultimate animated slice-of-life comedy of an average male desperately seeking love from the opposite sex. Along his two minute quest he is tortured, maimed, and killed several times, simply for trying to be friendly-- the most unnervingly truthful metaphors of rejection that I have ever witnessed. While this creative, minimalist animation is laugh-out-loud funny, it is also painfully accurate. Personally, I couldn't help but to empathize with the little guy.

BRUTALLY HONEST are the best keywords here, as the video dramatizes how we regular guys feel when rejected by women, even when we're trying to make simple conversation.

Do not believe the garbage appearing on Wikipedia or other sites. While some critics argue that the cartoon is about a "shallow pickup artist," misogyny, and "toxic masculinity," others call it a "beloved" and "gut-busting and painful."

The website "Film Affinity" claims the video is a bitter self-parody, featuring a guy going through a series of excruciating rejections: "In it, a crudely drawn male suitor is subjected to exaggerated bloody violence from all the unreasonably emotional women he approaches, with each vignette closing as the paper physically crumples up the characters in a frustrated heap."

The website "Trendhunter" explains, "The bloody cartoon portrays vicious women that have been inspired some of Don Hertzfeldt's past flames.

In "Short of the Week," Andrew S. Allen describes the cartoon as showcasing the "horrific encounters of a man's quest to find love. His honest attempts to make friendly conversation with each encounter are ill-fated, each woman bringing the attempt to a different brutally violent end."

Will Mr. Smiley Stickman ever find true love? Watch the video and find out the truth!

This film is so good it should be shown to small school children. Don clearly understands the mystery of love well. I saw this online and sent it to everyone I know. I would like to have it put in the Library of Congress. Shown in theaters like the THX sound check . Relationships are soul stealing ordeals that are best left hidden but Ah Lamour is brilliant. It's funny but the minimum number of lines for a comment is ten here on IMDb . That means I have to write almost more lines that the length of this film. Weighin in at around a couple minutes Ah Lamour is a power packed mini movie. After seeing it you will give up dating, sex and having children. If bitterness is your fuel I highly recommend Ah Lamour. For stick figures the animation is actually quite brilliant. See it.

The very best thing about Hertzfeldt is his original vision of animated stick figures.

This is the very first and has many of the elements that make some of his subsequent work worthy. What's missing is the overt self-reference. The character is clearly himself, but in other works, the drawer is explicit, and often the paper as well.

But still funny, if you are a guy. The very same theme occurs in his "rejected" collection where the entire business world rejects the work. But that latter effort is much more clever in that it exploits his OTHER big idea (past the stick figures) the self- reference in the world, not the character.

Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.