Fantastic Planet October 23, 2010

1973, Czechoslovakia/France.
French with English subtitles.

René Laloux's adaptation of Stefan Wul’s novel is heralded for its innovative approach to animation as well as the sociopolitical territory that contains the film’s thematic nerve.

Laloux permeates the world of Ygam with tensions drawn from our own, establishing the fantastic planet of the title as a conflict-ridden space hidden beneath its deceptively vibrant surface. Drawing on the society within which the filmmakers worked (production on the film was halted due to the Soviet invasion of Prague), Laloux’s vision strikes a defiant criticism of Cold War European politics, suggesting a darker, more ruthless system held secret from public awareness under the pretense of order and harmony.

A true cultural artifact of the late 1960s and early 1970s, Laloux’s imaginary world is brimming with psychedelic shapes and patterns while its inhabitants practice meditation and explore new states of consciousness.

Official Website: https://artsemerson.org/Online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loadArticle=Load&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::article_id=52D3E657-DF4D-47D8-A998-81214587F341