The Mountain Head

This short, done with rough hand-drawn animation and with sung and spoken narration (a musical form of entertainment, the Japanese equivalent of the Western minstrel/bard), tells the story of an old man so parsimonious that he couldn't bear throwing away the pits from some old, discarded cherries, which he ate rather than discard. What follows is true, quite poetic, justice. As the old saying goes, true justice is something most of us would actually be happier without. An Academy Award nominee for Animated Short in a very good year. It bears repeated viewing and is an excellent piece of work. Hopefully, it will see print sometime soon, as it deserves a wider audience. It is part of Shorts Program 115 on the Sundance Channel as well as part of the program for the first year of The Animation Show, still showing in some locations. Give it a look-well worth seeing. Most highly recommended.

I freely admit that I don't think I truly grasp it quite yet, but that does not prevent me from absolutely loving this piece. Contrary to some previous reviews, I absolutely love the sound effects. I thought the audio pitch when it switches to POV shots really envelope the viewer into the picture, particularly noting the cherry eating scene. The animation is stylistically rough, avoiding solid fills, but complements it's rough construction with soft pastel-like strokes. The deep earthy palette reinforces the connection between the man and nature. Don't expect a conventional animated piece (I.E. vibrant colors, hard edges, and a conspicuous theme). I absolutely loved it and would highly recommend it to any animation buffs or lovers of the unconventional film.

I just discovered this animation artist from Japan, Koji Yamamura, from Amid on Cartoon Brew. One of Yamamura's animated shorts showcased there was this one as linked from YouTube, Atama-yama (Mt. Head), that was nominated for the Oscar as Best Animated Short for 2002. It tells how a man who chews cherry pits keeps having some leaves grow on top of his bald head that he frequently cuts off and saves in a jar. After a while, he lets the leaves grow into a tree but then people start hanging around on his head so he tears the tree off leaving a hole with water. As all this happens, a narrator tells what goes on in various pitches. This was such an interestingly weird short that I may watch it again to catch up on all the images. Yamamura is truly an artist among his country's animators. Uniquely funny especially with the way it all ended. So on that note, I highly recommend Atama-yama.

This animated short from Japan is bizare. It is a fable I suppose about a guy who eats too many cherries so a cherry tree grows out of his head and then a bunch of people have picnics on his head. Yea, it makes no sense and features a anoyingly bombastic Japanese voice over that will enrage you more than it is entertaining. The animation is intentionaly crude but this one was somewhat hard to swallow. GRADE: B

This film is a little difficult to digest, much like the cherry pits consumed by the main character. I personally quite enjoy Japanese film, though as another commenter posted earlier, it can sometimes take some acclimation. And even I found this a little weird, though only for the story content itself.

The animation is quite striking and well done, and I disagree with some comments that objected to the singsong style of the narrator throughout the story; for myself, the Japanese language lends itself well to this type of iteration (if you've been to Tokyo, think of the "Irasshimase!" that greets you when you enter a shop) and I thought it added to the authenticity of the story.

The film probably comes across as weird and bizarre to some people, and for good reason: it is indeed a bit off kilter. But I don't think that's any reason to dismiss it. There is some clear talent here, and some very nice storytelling - and the ending had me laugh out loud, proving once again that comedy is 70% delivery.