The Flying Sailor

The Halifax Explosion of 1917 is an established fact, with devastation wrought that raised a hue and cry about spies. Amidst the tragedy, one sailor was found more than a mile from the harbor, naked. The story was that the explosion had ripped his clothes off and blown him about two kilometers, with no harm.

That's one explanation, although I can think of others. In any case, his story was accepted, and this Oscar-nominated short form Canada's National Film Board offers it as a cartoon.

In the past, the Oscar nominees for best animated shorts have been plagued with pieces that could have been done easily as live action. None of this year's fall under that curse, nor the one about "animated radio", a lecture with some pictures. Unfortunately, as beautiful as this is, it's not a story, it's an anecdote.

Great short on just one storyline of the many available on this horrific event.

If you want to know more about the explosion then search it, there's plenty out there. Don't assume this short is anything but that, a short of one person's story. Don't rate it poor because you want it to be what it's not.

These take a LONG time to make, appreciate that.

I liked the music, the flashbacks, the colouring, the rawness, right down to some gestures the sailor makes. I won't give it away, it's a short after all.

You can watch it on NFB website and youtube. NFB stands for National Film Board of Canada.

In Halifax harbour, a colision between two ships. One of victims of explosion - a sailor jump, for two kilometers, pushed by blast. The skin of film - the life flashbacks, from childhood to the life in Marine, conflict against a mate, a game . And , again. Techical, more than interesting. But the end is so brutal than a sort of dessapointment becomes fair.

First , because it has an obscure purpose . To remind the explosion ? Maybe is it enough. To suggest an experience, eccentric , special, strange and a miraculous survive ? It just well works in this sense. Or, maybe, to offer one of stories so loved by inner child inside us . For this, just applauses.

In short, an Oscar nominated.

The only problem for me - the impecable survive, in his mouth, of...cigarette.

This short takes a look at the kind of thoughts that might race through a sailor's head as he was carried through the air by a terrible explosion, such as the one that devastated the Nova Scotian town of Halifax in 1917. You may find yourself scoffing at its claims of truthfulness, but people in Halifax really were picked up by the explosion and deposited kilometers away. In any case, the short is moving and beautiful. Special attention should be paid to the soundscape, which combines a beautiful score with all the sounds a sailor might have heard throughout his life, from his childhood in a grimy port city to the moment two ships collided in a harbour, setting off thousands of tons of explosives.

The animation is incredible and music is great I do agree most shorts seem to have great music so maybe that's tedious but well done for sure! Not sure if id agree with the person that gave this a 3 but anytime flashes of images happen in other cinema I love it a lot usually it's different overall this is an incredible short decent for Oscar recognition and probably won't win. The surprise of it all is extraordinary and I always love pianos maybe cause I'm autistic they are a great ambiance to me! The animation is quite impressive more than anything else and I hope some appreciate this odd little short.