World Cinema: Ethel and Ernest

Fig One: Title sequence

Ethel and Ernest 2016, directed by Roger Mainwood tells a true love story told from a book written in the eyes of their son, The film takes us through their lives together and historically life altering events and shows us how it affected them. Although at the start he claims his parents would say "that didn't happen" I believe he captured their live as well as he could and as accurately as he was told.

Watching this film you can see the beauty in this story and the amazing hand drawn scenes, it is a truly lovable film as it follows real life and real life tragedies. The film is put together and drawn in a way to show the time well, its overall appearance fits the world of Ethel and Ernest nicely. Although the end of the film proved to be predictable as the characters got older, across the 40 years in which this love story is told it shows us real life troubles which people faed, from war to mental health to life and general age related issues. The story in a way is also a coming of age for their son, it explores his life enough to show what it was like growing up and how people in teen years become rebellious and distant from their families, I feel as though he tells this in the story in a way that he regrets doing it.

Fig Two: Raymond waves goodbye to his parents after visiting

The animation itself has a beautiful image and captures Ethel and Ernest nicely, from how they met in a traditional way right through to the end, the animation constantly showing their struggles and love as a couple nicely. The animation captures the British culture and its life and how it developed over time. How people began to think differently and act is shown strongly in this film and it gives the film its character and interest.

Overall it is a beautifully put together piece of animation which Mainwood is surely proud of, as any director would be. It captures British culture and the normal life of the family in Britain and gives justice to the United Kingdom with its beautiful story, history and design.

Illustration List:

Figure One - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXDlEw5u8u8

Figure Two - http://www.dogandwolf.com/2016/10/ethel-and-ernest-2016-film-review/