They
happen in wildly different eras, but both hurt like a roundhouse kick to the
side of the head. Frankly, most guys would
rather take the beatdown than get the “it’s not you, it’s me” call. Animator Jonathan Ng juxtaposes the
soundtrack of an awkward end of a relationship with a scene of traditional
wuxia action in Requiem for Romance (trailer here), which is part of
the Academy’s shortlist of ten animated shorts still in Oscar contention.
When
Tsai finally answers Yun’s calls, she has some bad news for her fellow
artist. Their relationship had been on
the d.l., but now it is over-and-out. He
feels a lot like the warrior ambushed by his former lover on the rooftops of a
feudal Chinese village. At least, the
swordsman can fight back.
Incorporating
watercolor painting and hand-drawn animation, Requiem’s animation is unusually stylish, evoking all sorts of films,
paintings, and graphic design that came before it. Connoisseurs of Asian cinema will especially appreciate
some of its references. Yet, despite the
lovingly rendered fight sequences, Requiem
will appeal to both hardcore cineastes and fanboys, in equal measure.
