In a desolate and dark world full of shadows, lives one little girl who seems to do nothing but
collect water in jars and protect a large egg she carries everywhere. A mysterious man enters her
life... and they discuss the world around them.
(Source: Anime News Network)
This is a gorgeous, darkly beautiful work of film that’s probably the most surreal work that Oshii has made (helped by the fact that Yoshitaka Amano did much of the art for the film and co-wrote the story). It is the first film I’ve seen that I don’t feel qualified to analyze. Maybe it’s my autism preventing me from seeing some of the underlying metaphors or understanding some of the film’s imagery. Maybe I need more knowledge of art and the vocabulary therein. Maybe I need to know more about philosophy. It’s depressing, tragic, sorrowful, and melancholic. It’s a film which I’d definitely describe as an art film, in that you look at the film, and afterwards you don’t talk about the plot, or the characters, but more about the emotional context the film provoked, the same way you don’t necessarily talk about the story of a painting in an art gallery. I really want this film to get a release from the Criterion Collection, because I’d totally watch another 77 minutes of film scholars and animators talking about this film and the themes and imagery therein. Just so long as they stuck to the film – I really don’t want to hear a whole bunch of general bitching about how this is the only work of anime that’s had any artistic merit the same way I hate it when film historians complain about special effects are killing cinema as a medium*. All of that said, this is an incredibly slow paced film. It’s dark, and there are a whole lot of scenes of nothing exactly happening – which you should expect if you’re familiar with Oshii’s work. It’s something that causes the film to not benefit as much from repeat viewings. There’s enough slow bits there, that on a repeat viewing you’re more likely to gloss over the film, rather than notice new bits that you missed the first time. I completely understand why this film tanked at the Japanese box office – indeed, this is the kind of film that is never commercially viable. However, due to the nature of animation as a medium (and the costs therein), when a film puts this much detail into its animation, and so much craft into its art in general, you have a situation where it ends up costing more than say, something like Koyaanisqatsi or The Holy Mountain. An additional problem is the fact that, well, this is a film that has very minimal dialog, but consequently every line is important. Considering that this film has not received a legal US DVD release (at least on its own), if you import the film and watch it without subtitled, there are bits of the narrative that you’re going to miss, especially when you come to the film’s conclusion. In spite of all that, should you watch this film? Yes. Once. Maybe a few additional times if this movie gets a Criterion Collection release with a whole bunch of material from film historians. Or maybe if it gets a release from Discotek Media with some audio commentary by anime historians like Carl Horn, Brian Ruh, or Frederick Schodt. Or if you’re planning on getting into animation and want to soak in all the wonderful little technical details of this film. Otherwise, just see it once. But see it. Unless you have depression. Then you probably shouldn’t see it. *Looking at you, audio commentary for The Wild Bunch.
Angel’s Egg is an experimental film created by Yoshitaka Amano and directed by Mamoru Oshii. The film takes place in a strange abandoned world, where the skeletal remains of animals and murky rivers meet Neo-Gothic structures. The film centers on only two characters – they are, supposedly, the only two alive in this film. One is a pale-skinned, white haired girl, who is fascinated by filling up round flasks with water and who protects an egg with unknown contents. The other is a brown-skinned, white haired boy, who accompanies the girl midway through the film. Not much is known about him, other than that he carries a cross-shaped object with him. The movie doesn’t really have a linear story and is presented more as a series of scenes. We see the boy and girl, whether individually or together, encounter and react to their world around them. Despite being labeled as a fantasy, these locations themselves aren’t anything beyond fantastic – they range from parks to a small town. What’s featured inside of these places is where things get bizarre. In the town, for example, statues of fishermen hunt shadows of giant fish despite there being no more fish in this world. These small oddities make it so no matter the “scene” being viewed, something strange will occur to let the viewer know this isn’t the world they know. Angel’s Egg is a hard movie to give a review, largely due to it being more of an experimental piece than a conventional anime movie or series. It has a mysterious atmosphere about it and isn’t very explicit about its premise or characters. Character dialogue is sparse and symbolic images are used often. Because of this, a majority of a viewer’s enjoyment will be tied to how they interpret each scene and how much they wish to invest themselves into the movie. There is a hint as to what the creator’s intentions were. Director Mamoru Oshii had lost his faith in Christianity shortly before film production and that alone can be the key to connecting a lot of the film together. On the flip-side, Oshii has reportedly been quoted as saying that even he does not know what the film is about. If this is true, then this film is more of an expression of feeling than of actual thought. It is certainly a product of its time. Humorously enough, it was brought to the U.S. and interspersed with live-action footage with the goal of making it a post-apocalyptic thriller. How anybody saw commercial prospects from this movie, I’ll never know. Besides, to tie in with the themes of the movie, I’d argue the film is more post-rapture than post-apocalyptic. The film makes reference to religious (mostly Christian) beliefs, which tie in to Oshii’s loss of faith. Stained glass windows featuring fish and the boy’s cross shaped object are a few of the smaller references to these beliefs. Most notable is the boy’s corrupted version of Chapters 7-8 of Genesis. He claims that when the dove never came back, Noah and everyone on the ark remained there, soon forgetting about the dove and even themselves. Between these symbols and long stretches of silence are short scenes of dialogue that help shape who these characters are. For instance, the girl expresses her desire to see whatever is inside the egg, promising a place of warmness and comfort despite the cold rainy weather outside. The boy comes off as more cynical while the girl is hopeful and optimistic. Because of the lack of characters, having these two contrast each other is a smart decision. This isn’t found in just their attitude. The girl seems more familiar with her surroundings while the boy clearly is new to the area. Even if the events of the anime aren’t fully explained, moments where the girl shows or warns the boy of something help bring me closer to the world of Angel’s Egg, wanting to know more about the peculiarity that permeates this world. The art for this film is very gloomy, preferring darker colors to give the movie a more melancholy tone. The only exception is found at the beginning, where the boy encounters an eye-like structure with statues on it amidst a scarlet backdrop. The film has decent animation and captures things like the fluidity of water or the facial expressions of the girl well. However, it does have a few flaws. Long stills are usually used to impact an important scene or draw out a feeling of finality. It’s used a few times here but I felt that they went on for a bit too long. It became less of a feeling of impact and more of a way of filling up time. Additionally, animation in the fish hunting scene and the girl’s awakening scene are reused. I’m a bit more forgiving on this since I know it was most likely a low budget film and it’s not as easily apparent. The soundtrack may be the weakest element here. Earlier, I said the movie was a product of its time and I meant it in more ways than one. Tape hiss is heard constantly throughout the film and the higher frequencies found in whistles and screams are harsher than they need be. The music itself is appropriate for the film, with a booming male chorus for the fish hunting scene and a piece for violin and female voice used during the title screen. The only true unconventional piece that comes to mind is the credits piece, which is a sole piano that uses repetition to mask its odd melody line. The voice acting is fine, as sparse as it is – the only negative would be Mako Hyodou’s yelling voice, but this is more a flat reaction than an actual critique. Overall, I give Angel’s Egg a 6. It’s an odd, almost mythic movie that enshrouds itself in mystery. Despite its gloomy appearance and avant-garde leanings, it doesn’t push a viewer away. Instead, it gives them opportunities to dive into its world and leave it haunting their memory. This film will entice those liked more experimental works such as BLAME! or Serial Experiments Lain. Even if you don’t care for those shows, I’d still ask that you give it a chance. At only a little over an hour long, it’s worth watching at least once. Do you like or dislike this anime? If you haven't watched it, are you encouraged to watch it or not? Leave a comment on my profile telling me what you think of the anime and/or my review. Thanks for reading and have a blessed day!
good visuals, painfully slow, you could argue that it's message is sophisticated, and not for bottom iq people, but it's so vague you can interpret it in many ways without ever knowing for sure what certain intentions were. Ex. it's about atheism and being free from religion, but what made sense in the world of the movie? what is the death egg purpose? what about the creatures in the egg-trees? what was in the angel's egg? what was really the soldier's purpose? it's not really made sure what was the conflict in the movie, or if there was a villain. You're left with symbols that aren't strictly defining, and can be frustrating, along with how long they drag out beautiful pictures for so long. All these previous things makes it hard to concrete things into meaning. I would say a commentary over this movie would be very eyeopening, it would call out a lot of bullshit that directors pull and try to force on the audience to try and figure out while shifting blame on them for "not getting it," like the Prometheus commentary. I would say if you want to watch this, please do not watch at 1X speed, maybe 1.25x-1.5x and hopefully that makes it have better pacing, but even that is prone to problems for what things happen in the movie. This movie suffers from what many short films do,(and judging but how long they dragged their feet in the movie they tried really hard to hit that 71 minute mark) they make appealing environments,(sound, imaging, art,) in place of dialog and story, to come off as nuanced and meaningful, whether it is or not. It's like that trick of not telling a message so you have to come up with a solution yourself, and once you piece it, you feel better.Take for example, One Small Step, they spare you the dialog for nice visuals and music, to seem meaningful in a meaning that has already been told many times, and is nothing new, it just invokes an emotional response, however more straight forward than Angel's Egg. Really, Angel's egg is not a masterpiece and doesn't deserve a rating of 10 ever, and it's purpose as a movie seemed to be the same purpose of One Small step; to showcase art and animation and what they can accomplish visually, but not what they can accomplish in clever storytelling.
~~~Two souls, unbeknownst to each other's identity, coexist within an other-wordly environment. Both unable to recall where they came from or how long they've been there. The world around them emits an eerie aura and appears to be engulfed in endless shadows, mysterious men chase down shadows of creatures yet their efforts always result to nothing but destruction. Destruction is inevitable. Loss is inevitable. You can try to run but no matter how far you run, everything has an end and that end will surely catch up to you. That's the message which this movie echoes. Mamoru Oshii produces a bizarre tale with undertones of Christianity and existentialism. It possesses an alluring and chilling aesthetic made up of painted backgrounds and interesting character designs. This aesthetic is what's so appealing about the movie and what it relies on in order to deliver it's message. Dialogue is left to a minimum so interpretation is key to understanding the plot, however Oshii makes the religious symbolism very clear throughout the duration of the story with the male character delivering a monologue about Noah's ark and the cross he carries. The purpose for the inclusion of religion is again left unclear however it helps to build a sense of mystery and at times, uncertainty. The two main characters are never identified, neither to watchers or to one other. Yet despite this, they remain in the presence of each other. An egg is what binds them, the egg which should supposedly give birth to a rare breed of bird also gives birth to their relationship. It's also what their discussions revolve around most of the time. When they're not talking about the egg then they're questioning each other but these questions always remain unanswered. Perhaps it's due to them wanting to maintain secrecy or it may be due to them really being unable to provide an answer. The lack of an answer doesn't stop them from repeating the question. The lack of real fish doesn't stop the men with spears from attempting to catch them. The lack of a suitable environment doesn't stop the girl from guarding the egg. All these efforts are futile and amount to nothing in the end. Nonetheless, these attempts exist, dying to be reciprocated.~~~ ~~~__Who are you?__ _Who are you?_~~~ ~~~img220(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ba/c5/3c/bac53c1d413bf7be2d4924ba35a0e71f.gif)~~~
Blue tinted gothic buildings, abandoned landscape, and animal skeletons shattered everywhere; the post apocalyptic world presented in Mamoru Oshii's beautiful poetic work is the textbook model but creepier and more enigmatic than any.The wide landscape is mainly covered in pitch black darkness and is deserted, leaving only loneliness and the eerie sounds as a companion. It is more gothic than anything else and the wide range of symbolisms are the only thing that makes up a 'story'.These symbolisms, appearing from the very beginning to the end, however are certainly vague and much difficult interpret and thus it is an indisputable fact that the movie isn't aimed at everyone.Oshii himself has said that he has no idea what the film is about and it is up to the viewers to interpret it.That said, his loss of faith in Christianity is definitely reflected in the work.The most common interpretations all discuss the Christian imageries and symbolisms in the film.As much as I'd love to write about all of them, I'm afraid that I'll be just borrowing those words from those who wrote about it before. Spiritual quest aside, the journey of the movie starts from nothing and ends at practically nothing.It tweaks the existing Biblical story to break free of faith and yet finds itself cremated within the trials created by god.If the journey of the two characters served any purpose, only they will know.Simply pointing at something and saying "that's the story" won't work with _Angel's Egg_ at all.This is probably why the movie is considered as an artform itself than a movie.It is art animated, conveying the absolute beauty and quality of vintage animation and the entire conversations in the movie constitutes upto less than five minutes in the whole movie (about which I've read that the conversations were all included in just one page of the script). _Angel's Egg_ is not the best anime I've seen, nor is it the only one that deals with vague themes or talks in symbolisms.But it's probably the first ever anime that is entirely purposeless and yet flows like a river to me, that too in the form or visuals and music, not conversation. Oshii said that the movie made it difficult for him to get jobs for years, which i can both understand and feel bad at.The surrealistic and visual narrative nature of the film might not suit everyone after all.The movie is a quest for nothing.I love that meaninglessness and the spirituality that dwells under the surface, and appreciate the chance Oshii and Amano gave us to experience such a beauty. _"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."_ ~ John 3:16.
_[This text was written by an unknown author who wrote for the symbolism section of Tenshi No Tamago article on Wikipedia. Later, the entire section was erased because of wikipedia NOR standards- no original research. I thank him for the enlightenment and for developing a truly thought-provoking thesis.]_ - - - - - - __Introduction:__ Because of the minimal dialog in Angel's Egg, much of the film's intended meaning is portrayed through visuals and symbols. Because of the surreal nature of the film (and no official explanation by its creators), it is open to multiple or even conflicting interpretations, as one can see below. Many or all of the symbols in Angel's Egg can be related to religion, specifically Christianity. Mamoru Oshii also directed Patlabor, Ghost in the Shell, and myriads of other works that contain Christian themes and references. He claimed to be a Christian himself and trained in seminary for priesthood in his youth, but is rumored to have renounced the religion before working on Angel's Egg. In Japan, Angel Egg (tenshi no tamago) refers to a typical tachiguishi dinner, a stand-and-eat practice Oshii is fond of and he has explored in his 1987 debut live-action feature Akai Megane, before developing it as the central theme of his 2006 animation movie Tachiguishi-Retsuden. However, for this film Oshii apparently adapted the idea of an egg to fit the parable of the sower and the seed, and other teachings of Yeshua-Jesus. img220(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hLY9DmXXlH4/S76Zud8LfXI/AAAAAAAABtc/n_VOl3hQ-34/s1600/vlcsnap-2010-04-09-04h05m28s57.png) __The egg__ __(1)1st interpretation:__ The egg can be seen as symbolizing the young girl's innocence. It is something which she protects and holds on to, but is ultimately stolen. __(2)2nd interpretation:__ Another interpretation states that the egg is the "spiritual seed" planted in a human soul via the Gospel of Jesus Christ - a special kind of meme which tries to take root in a person's soul. It is something she protects amidst a dark world, but it is eventually "reaped" by the Christ-like character after she had journeyed with and entrusted him. Eventually, she reaches "spiritual maturity" while passionately pursuing the path of Christ, and thus bears fruit "many times what was sown", as the parable goes. This was indicated by the production of many eggs from her mouth (her spiritual "fecundity" or "witness"). The small egg represents a "quanta", if you will, of the Gospel that was planted in her soul when she heard or saw something revelatory concerning God's Salvation. This must have happened before the portrayed story began. The egg was brought to life as a result of being "wooed" by the Christ-man, and then once it was fully released, she charged directly after the Christ on the "narrow path" (Matthew 7:13,14)to spiritual maturity. The metaphor is equivalent to a maturing plant producing heads of grain, but Oshii adapted Yeshua's parable to the production of eggs instead of seeds, possibly in order to merge it with the metaphor of the dove and the ark as expounded below. img220(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hLY9DmXXlH4/S76aGmumU7I/AAAAAAAABtk/Pl9YSk4mWT0/s1600/vlcsnap-2010-04-09-04h07m36s49.png) __The Big Eggs on Tree Stalks __ Near the end of the film, we see organic tree-like structures holding giant eggs with unborn birds inside. These likely represent the spiritual being awaiting the realization of its true form in the afterlife- where each of these saints are "glorified", attaining angelic forms(flying birds being symbolic of Angels), as supported in the very end by: (1)the appearance of the giant eggs after her own small one had been cultivated by the Christ-figure. (2)the girl's angelic appearance as part of the Godhead (the giant eye-like thing). The root-like growths holding the eggs were foreshadowed earlier by the Yeshua character as (paraphrased)"a great tree, sapping the ground to grow and reach up, as if to grasp... something.". The tree/egg combination, along with the Christ character's explanation of the tree of life, portrays it to be a symbol of true Christianity and its spiritual implications. He gives us the sense that the tree/eggs are the final stage of an evolving line of energy, matter, and eventually living things: initially emanating out from pure Spirit(Giant Eye descending), yet over the eons striving to return to the source... to finally "grasp the hand that feeds it", as it were. The eggs, we see, were located at the tops of the tree trunks, holding the unborn chicks. Each of the giant eggs probably represented a human soul which would be preserved through the Last Judgmenton the Noah's Ark of Christ (meaning Yeshua is a sort of spiritual ark for souls), and so become glorified as part of the Godhead, as we see in the end. In other words, the giant eggs represent the second to last step of the ultimate aim of life, the universe, and everything: dead(sleeping) saints awaiting their ultimate glorification. The very last step being the actual glorification or realization of the saints and assumption to the Godhead, as we saw in the end where the Godhead(giant floating eye) was populated by the permanent(eternal) presence of the saints, with our little girl among them. img220(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hLY9DmXXlH4/S76hP9apQkI/AAAAAAAABuM/kMA_LtMCHYU/s1600/vlcsnap-2010-04-09-04h32m21s3.png) __The man__ The man in Angel's Egg physically portrays a Christ-like figure. In the beginning he is seen standing on a chess board, facing the giant Eye (presumably representing the Godhead, especially God the Father capacity, since it was sending him out). He arrives in the girls life on a bizarre procession of mechanistic/organic(and phallic?!) machines, which most probably represent ancient Judaism, in reference to Matthew 11:12, where the "Kingdom of God" is forcefully advanced by the Law and the prophets. This explains the war-like (battle tanks) and distinctly male appearance of the machines. He carries a cross on his back and wears bandages on his hands, both of which are strongly reminiscent of Christian mythos. __(1)1st interpretation:__ In this particular movie this figure is shown in a clearly negative light, first telling the girl that he would protect her and eventually stealing away from her the egg which she cherishes so lovingly. Following this line of interpretation, some have taken The Angel's Egg to represent Oshi's own fallout with Christianity. __(2)2nd interpretation:__ A different interpretation sees the figure in a very positive light: as being her companion and protector in a violent, illusory world, and bringing to fruition what she couldn't have done on her own. He uses the crucifix to do this, in reference to Matthew 16:24 He actually explains his motives for breaking the egg: Without opening it, one may never realize the potential of whats inside. He overcame her selfish tendency to keep the egg(gospel seed) hidden, by wooing her companionship and trust. This is probably an allusion to "walking in Christ" or "living by the Spirit of Christ". img220(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hLY9DmXXlH4/S76cBYOO5SI/AAAAAAAABt0/oaNnO6FBaTI/s1600/vlcsnap-2010-04-09-04h15m53s155.png) __The Fishermen and Fish __ __(1)1st interpretation:__ Fishermen and fish are popular, reoccurring symbols in Christian mythology. __(2)2nd interpretation:__ Another interpretation notes that in this particular case, the shifty fish shadows are those of the lobe-finned or Sarcopterygii genera, which are almost entirely extinct as a group. Thus, the shadows can be interpreted as shades of once-living things, but now dissipating from nature- becoming extinct. To apply the spiritual metaphor, the shadows most likely represent ephemeral and even demonic forms. It fits well with the concept of demonic illusions, because it is believed that demons are "fallen" angels. ("fallen", as in cut off from and thus dissipating from God's creation, yet finding some sustenance and rest in the propagation of idolatry in humanity). see Mathew 12:43-45) Supporting this idea, these mirages are zealously pursued by the spearmen, yet never tangibly grasped or attained, and thus no ultimate fulfillment is found, and no innate hunger is sated. The spears are sharp projections attached to ropes. This most likely symbolizes the human spirit(will and conscience) projecting itself onto its environment, trying to form soul-attachments and identities in ephemeral things- passions, pleasures, fears, vices, addictions, fetishes, idolatry, etc. In contrast, the fish enshrined in the Gothic church was colorful and vibrant, and the girl radiated white in its presence. Where the lobed-finned shadows probably represent the adoption of shifty goals and ephemeral pursuits which are all moving towards extinction, the colorful fish probably represents the Body of Christ- living; thriving; growing; adapting; and steadily surviving. img220(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hLY9DmXXlH4/S76dsqUHXDI/AAAAAAAABt8/ajU8opsdA5c/s1600/vlcsnap-2010-04-09-04h21m43s88.png) __The Water__ The water is a subtle yet strong underlying Typology (theology) present throughout the film. In the beginning, God descends into an "ocean" and the waters emanate out from the impact in waves, signifying the beginning of creation, where Jesus Christ the Logos (the white-haired man) is sent out to perfect the creation, "glorifying God" by gathering in human souls(in reference to Isaiah 55:11), as we see in the film. The water most likely symbolizes Spirit, specifically the Holy Spirit. Initially the girl collects small amounts of it and stores it away (the best she can do on her own), but in a foreshadowing moment early in the film, while starring into a pond she imagines herself to be fully immersed (after which the man shows up). In the end, the water floods everything, and she herself is drowned in it while pursuing the man- symbolizing Baptism with the Holy Spirit while chasing the path of Yeshua. img220(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hLY9DmXXlH4/S76hux_cJ4I/AAAAAAAABuU/VDywK5icPJ8/s1600/vlcsnap-2010-04-09-04h35m14s28.png) __The Ark__ Near the beginning of the film we see the shadow of an ark, which presumably the girl frequented. As the very last twist, we see the ark again at the end- this time slowly panning out. This is yet another example of Typology (theology), in which the story of the Ark, regardless of its historical details, is taken as a narrative allegory. Oshii probably borrowed the idea from the epistle of 1 Peter 3:20-22 regarding the moment of salvation, where the ark represents the preservation of the human spirit(will and conscience) amidst a spiritual "flood" or baptism of the rest of the mind, while demonic influences are purged.img220(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hLY9DmXXlH4/S76ixHtlZRI/AAAAAAAABus/aGbsc1KCE9Y/s1600/vlcsnap-2010-04-09-04h44m39s42.png) As the angle pans out in the last scene, we see a meta-ark, which also probably represents the salvation work of Christ on a larger scale. The entirety of the "remnant" of human souls is preserved through the Last Judgment by devoting itself to God through Christ, but not just a remnant of humanity, but also, a reconciliation of the entire universe is implied here. An idea likely inspired by Paul's epistle to the Romans in which he describes the ultimate goal of existence. Chapter 8:18-27. img220(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hLY9DmXXlH4/S76iGQWCgRI/AAAAAAAABuc/RfD1kFtDvec/s1600/vlcsnap-2010-04-09-04h36m18s156.png) __The Dove__ Drawing from the theme of all the 2nd interpretations above- while the ark represents Christ as a preservation of the remnant of human souls (and the universe reconciled through them in a mysterious fashion- (Romans 8:18-27)), the dove must represent all the souls of humanity, sent out by God into human bodies, but in the process of free will and sinful nature, alienate themselves from "Him" by sin. According to what is implied in this film, this severs a person's connection from Eternal Life in God-(the birds forgetting their origins, dying, and becoming fossilized). In the largest dialog section, the Yeshua character presents a variation of Genesis 8, in which the bird forgot where it came from, and probably died in the waters somewhere. He then makes an equivalence between the forgetful bird and humanity(including himself, as "the son of man"). Shortly afterwards, they find the bird dead amongst the fossils, which symbolizes concepts found in Ephesians 2:1-3 i.e. "spiritual death" because of relational estrangement from God. This idea is supported further when the girl declares to have the bird alive and growing in the egg, which the Yeshua character treats with some skepticism because, as we see later, it was only a half-truth that she had the bird, since the egg was only the seed of the knowledge of salvation planted in her, and it only became a real bird after it was brought to fruition by Christ. Thus, the bird represents the human spirit initially created by God (dove sent out from ark), fallen in sin (bird forgets God and fossilizes),but then reconciled again to God through the Son (he uses the crucifix to cultivate what was sown, and later the giant tree/eggs emerge). img220(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hLY9DmXXlH4/S76g1hMsQ1I/AAAAAAAABuE/5ZYRQDhY2iI/s1600/vlcsnap-2010-04-09-04h22m44s189.png) __The Girl__ The girl, of course, represents a spiritually immature person- but possibly also an actual child, since in the end she appears as part of the Godhead in a child-like form rather than in an adult form as are many of the other statues. She holds the egg in a way which looks like she's pregnant, which follows with the analogies above in which the gospel seed grows inside of a person, taking root in their soul, eventually "birthing" fruit, several times what was sown.(Mathew 13:23) - - - - - - - img220(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hLY9DmXXlH4/S76jM3kO-oI/AAAAAAAABu0/m5xHtFS-NKg/s1600/vlcsnap-2010-04-09-04h46m33s119.png) __In conclusion__ While there may be a few more allegories to draw from the film, we have provided tentative interpretations of the main themes above. It is interesting to note that the deeper nature of the film has eluded the usual anime fan-base since its release. Due to the exceedingly esoteric nature of the spiritual allegories presented, having them explained by someone familiar with Christian theology still puts the viewer in a difficult position.
--- # __~~~Meaning From Meaninglessness~~~__ --- Having gone through almost every lead-directed work in Mamoru Oshii’s catalog, I have developed an immense appreciation for his massive influence throughout the anime industry, as well as the unique vision he brings to every project he works on. The more I saw from him, the more impressed and captivated I was by what he had to say through his auteur mode of expression. And Angel’s Egg is most likely his most artistically dense work to date–bursting at the seams with things to say. It is also the most distilled embodiment of what I personally like most about him as a director. It is an artistic expression of uncertainty. A creative visual language used to articulate his personal grappling with various issues. The presentation of the issues he grapples with is what I often find uniquely intriguing about Oshii. He crafts a world and atmosphere that the audience is lulled into to simulate the space and emotional-landscape the characters exist in–as well as perhaps the one he himself exists in when confronted by these issues–and then provides brief moments of clarity in which exposition is delivered to better outline the messages and themes at hand. The harsh, candid delivery of this exposition is particularly effective at striking through the priorly built up atmosphere. Angel’s Egg, while not the most technically impressive of his works, is still my favorite. The main reason for this probably being my personal affinity for its style and world. It is gorgeous and entrancing in every facet of its form. I find myself craving to take another dive into its bleak and haunting, but equally beautiful and mesmerizing world constantly. With its seeming never-ending night steeped in grays and blues, its abandoned gothic-Victorian architecture, and its gargantuan fossils of sea creatures; Every detail in this film has an alluring fantastical coloring to it. ~~~img(https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.819cb2c50da5d9a7274410ae38b1117e?rik=0RAkpS1goJrd1w&riu=http%3a%2f%2fwrongeverytime.com%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2016%2f01%2fPWM-Angels-Egg-BD-1080p-10bit-FLAC97E33F83.mkv_snapshot_00.13.45_2016.01.29_10.53.34.jpg&ehk=GHnoWthrOmbPNLsvSnVMHimyX78vXjIpDq8Yi3ktsiM%3d&risl=&pid=ImgRaw&r=0)~~~ # __ ~~~Plot?~~~__ Something that inevitably has to be touched upon when talking about a story is the actual events that take place in it. Or, in Angel’s Egg’s case since it is essentially the entire focus of the film, the symbolism behind those events. There is a wide array of interpretations you can explore with the symbols in this film. This is undoubtedly another reason I find myself coming back to it so often–there is always a new perspective to consider when analyzing it. You can endlessly think about how different pieces of it connect if… maybe the man was Noah? and the girl the dove? Were the statue fishermen a representation of the unrelenting destructiveness of blind faith—and therefore maybe the man was a Christ-figure, the girl noah, and he was freeing her from her blind faith. Or perhaps the ending is not the man sacrificing himself but really he was too curious for his own good, didn't keep faith, and is now the only one not immortalized into the eye of God. These that I have mentioned are only a few possibilities–there are tons more that seemingly hold just as much weight as the next, and there are plenty of places you can go to see them all in-depth. Some of the other reviews on anilist for Angel’s Egg go into these theories in a lot of detail, so I recommend checking them out if that’s what you’re interested in. While certainly fun to explore and itself a testament to the accomplishment of this film, the endless specific interpretations of its symbolism aren’t what I personally value most about it. ~~~img(https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.2467726e7159e2a27254fc06a28f4fb5?rik=10bbSN9hvbFjRg&riu=http%3a%2f%2fcartoonresearch.com%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2016%2f01%2fangels-egg-1.jpg&ehk=vzfae1jLkRiAlnwcJgjf7bZkrzQN0gVAJ%2f1UJpE%2frLM%3d&risl=&pid=ImgRaw&r=0&sres=1&sresct=1)~~~ # ~~~__Meaninglessness__~~~ What I find the most personal value in is the more implicit emotional expression this film serves as. It is a personal grappling with various emotions that is incredibly ambiguous. In relation to what Oshii was going through at the time, a loss of a priorly fervent faith in religion, this emotion and ambiguity gains context. This film _feels_ like an expression of the confusion he had in losing his faith and reevaluating his life, and in doing so, being forced to resign himself to the unknown--the meaninglessness that is so brutally apparent to life once you let go of something like religion that gives all of the answers to you. It expresses the emotions conjured by this meaninglessness. It does this through the actual content and form of the film; creating a cascading landscape of somber resignment; a bleak, empty world abandoned by God. And even further, it does this through the jumble of contradicting interpretations one can make about the events of it. There is no rational interpretation that accounts for every scene of this film. There are so many disparate parts that can't fully be explained, but can be felt. You can feel the click in your head when you see the trail of bird feathers on the beach, but it's seemingly meaningless. The image of the girl staring at the camera while under water amidst the seaweed is a powerful, striking scene--but it's seemingly meaningless. You can shift all of these different things around and manipulate their meaning to validate your theory, just as humans can with their beliefs on religion and the meaning of life, but its ultimately meaningless and unknowable. This feels ultimately like only thing this film strives to concretely communicate. This expression of uncertainty is ever-present in Oshii's catalog, and it is at its most prominent here. This feels the most personal and desperate of his works--wholly committed to its artistic and emotional expression rather than dealing with any pretense of narrative or characters. ~~~img(https://images7.alphacoders.com/781/781291.jpg)~~~ At the end of the day, the only conclusion I would like to make about this film, inspired by absurdist theory, is this: When viewing the prospect of life (and this film) we are confronted with a barrier of understanding, a lack of objective meaning we can glean. Only once accepting this fact can we enter a state of pure existence (or experience of this film). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Angel’s Egg, considering how common discussions surrounding this movie are on both Youtube and places where I discuss anime, I knew very little about it going in ,hell I didn't even know that the man existed. Having finished I am constantly thinking of the movie and what each and every part of it means in relation to the whole thing The first thing the movie did was to visually engage me in its setting. The movie starts with a bird in a translucent egg. The bird is shown to be alive but not hatching just yet.The scene then changes to early day, with a crimson sky and only time in the movie that anything was even close to well lit, the rest of the movie has a blue grey colour palette. The overcast sky looms over the world, while the neo gothic architecture below stands large and apathetic against our main character as she moves through it. The atmosphere created is a lonely, apocalyptic one. The music adds to this with its strings and sometimes choir voices. It's an overall Gloomy movie where the shots are held for a long time and each and every scene of the movie goes on for long enough that I was thinking about everything that is in the scene a lot of the times, brooding over the details of what is shown and sometimes just enjoying the beautifully animated movie and its vibe. And for all its dark, melancholy tone it's a gorgeous looking movie that kept me interested in seeing what's coming next all the way from start to finish. There’s very little dialogue so there isn't too much that will take focus away from what's happening on screen either and in the end the actions of the characters and the presentation of the world and story speaks for itself. img2200(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/893506821703237714/944954447023448154/RH_Tenshi_no_Tamago_0D9610BA.mkv_20220219_150801.110.png) Angel’s Egg as a piece of media, seems to obscure its message a lot behind symbolism, I have heard that this movie is too obtuse for its own good, but as for me I find it extremely rewarding to untangle this obtuseness. While media might be able to say what it wants to in a more direct and more efficient way, the way our brains are challenged makes the art even more worthwhile. Angel’s Egg is definitely something that needs to be interpreted. It throws towards us ideas of Christianity, the Noah’s Ark, the namesake of the movie the Angels. Even then I do think that the imagery of this movie and its themes points us in a specific direction. As for what I think of it. I think it is a story about faith in God, the girl symbolising someone who believes and hopes in a better future and the man being a cynical counterpart to her. This can be seen in the scene where when the girl says she can hear the dove inside her egg breathing and flapping its wings, the man replies that it's her own breathing and what she can hear is just the sound of the wind. While they have both forgotten where they came from , the girl collects glass jars for each day she is there, while the man seems to have given up on that and questions if what he knew and if his purpose is even real. img2200(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/893506821703237714/944955381904470066/RH_Tenshi_no_Tamago_0D9610BA.mkv_20220219_154355.612.png) One of his questions is answered however, where did the Dove that was sent from Noah’s ark to scout for land go. We see it fossilised inside the Leviathan skeleton where the girl lives, presumably eaten.The Dove a symbol of hope for everyone aboard the Ark to find another land after the flood was no more. img2200(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/893506821703237714/944954923076947998/RH_Tenshi_no_Tamago_0D9610BA.mkv_20220219_153540.489.png) We see the man destroy the Egg while the Girl is sleeping and walks away, knowing the egg has nothing to offer, the girl wails seeing that egg broken and chases after the man but falls in an abyss. There she sees her adult form, transforms into her adult form a symbol for her understanding that there was nothing in that broken egg and it was all a lie she was handling. Her last breaths bubble up and she drowns but as it surfaces we see it has taken the form of dozens of little eggs. The eggs being held on tree stalks seem to be being nourished and protected till they hatch in a better world. The way this happens makes me think this is the girl figuring out the best way to protect the eggs. The world itself seems to be criticising blindly chasing ideas of faith as well like the fishermen going after fishes that only exist as a shadow, the fossilisation or the people becoming stone seems to symbolise death from when they had a purpose, and they continue even when it's meaningless. The girl’s appearance as stone in the last parts of the movie where she is holding the egg also seems to indicate that the same might be happening to her. In the end of the movie we see the Ark upside down and that's the world the characters we knew were in. That's why the eggs don't hatch cause the doves have nowhere to go, I see this movie as questioning whether what they believe in exists. I haven't found a perfect answer in this movie. img2200(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/893506821703237714/944954448617279528/RH_Tenshi_no_Tamago_0D9610BA.mkv_20220219_155740.711.png)
A bell rings out across the nocturnal city. On darkened streets of brick buildings and cobblestone pavement walks a lone girl, egg concealed in her shirt, trying to navigate its labyrinthian structure. Her striped, pink sweater and dark red coat stand out in the bleak alleyways, while her droopy countenance bears a hint of dejection and dismay. And yet, she pushes on. What could she be searching for? And why is the city so quiet? There’s something special about Angel’s Egg. Across its 90-minute runtime, dialogue is sparse and characters few: things happen seemingly without cause, and we are transported from landscape to landscape as if viewing the journey through a hazy window, able to make out only an adumbration. Discarding conventional rules of storytelling, director Mamoru Oshii doubles down on the unity of sound and visuals. Here, there is no true meaning, no correct interpretation. The movie is whatever you make of it. This makes Angel’s Egg tough to review. How do you evaluate that which doesn’t have a clear purpose? I thought long and hard about this, and eventually, I decided to focus on my personal interpretation—what the movie means to me. Of course, I could play it safe and describe only what is certain, but that wouldn’t yield much, so I’m willing to make a gamble. I have no doubt that some will read this review and think, “he got it all wrong, he missed the point!”, and that’s alright. No two people will come out of Angel’s Egg the same, and if anything, a disagreement like that would only speak volumes about the strength of the movie, its ability to proliferate within its viewers in so many ways, to be approached from so many angles and still enjoyed regardless of the one you take. The director himself has recognized this. "When it comes down to it, I think the director doesn’t know everything about the movie. Everyone always thinks if you want to know something, talk to the director. I don’t think that’s true. I think the answer lies inside every single viewer.” A story doesn’t belong only to its creator: it belongs to everyone who consumes and shares it. Oshii is bold enough to conceal his intentions and instead ask, “what do you think this means?” That, to me, is the beauty of art, that a single story can reveal new aspects in each member of its audience. Art is about the creator’s intention, yes, but it’s also about interpretation. By now, my newfound passion for Angel’s Egg should be clear. I watched it only a month ago at the time of writing, yet it has already placed itself among my favorite pieces of media. In this review, I’ll delve into why it’s so special to me, and I hope you’ll join me along the way. Without further ado, let’s begin!