Coda

A drunken man stumbles out of a club when he is struck by a car and instantly killed. As a crowd gathers, his spirit continues its stumbling journey home – with Death following close behind, to collect him up.

There is an almost perfect calm stillness to this short film that it builds very well in the first half, then delivers on in the second half. The narrative is as simple as it sounds; a man sits with Death before the end comes, however it is the manner and tone of delivery that makes this animated film impact as it does. The tone is very thoughtful and calming, so while there is bargaining and fear of death (and Death) it is done in such a way that it captures the feeling of appreciating life and experiencing the beauty of it. This unfolds in particular in the second half, where the images and ideas are really very touching with their simplicity – not their simplicity in terms of what happens, but more the base feelings of the man and how easily they are connected to. We hear of this base fear and need in regard to the oft-told story of soldiers crying out for their mothers as they lie on the battlefield, and this short connects to that, but does so stripped of the emotional side of the fear, or the desperation at least.

The animation adds to this feeling, by having a great flow and design. It moves very smoothly and is very creative in what it shows and how it shows it; the first half is good but in particular the second half is very strong. It a very delicate film, with a simple idea, but it is surprisingly affecting, with a good understanding of the fear of death, and of the desire for more time and what we would do with it.