Yes, Pixar’s most recent feature film, Inside Out, is specifically devoted to human emotions. But the animation studio has been in the “feelings” game for a long time, as handily proven by “Emotions Of Pixar,” a supercut by editor Lindsay McCutcheon. Thanks to such pop culture touchstones as Dire Straits’ “Money For Nothing” video, computer animation had a reputation as being stiff and blocky. Sure, the form was fine for spaceships, robots, and MTV-razzing appliance store employees, but how could it ever be used to tell a satisfying, fully-dimensional story with a complete range of emotions? Pixar has been answering that question repeatedly for decades, skillfully bringing out the emotional side of its characters, not only humans and humanoid monsters, but also fish, rats, automobiles, insects, toys, and, yes, even robots. As the video proves, the animators at Pixar managed to wring a considerable amount of pathos out of the star of Wall-E, despite the character’s general lack of facial mobility.
McCutcheon’s six-and-a-half-minute montage is divided into two halves: one glum, one gleeful. The former is underscored by Sia’s mopey, piano-driven ballad “Breathe Me,” while the latter belongs to Noel Gallagher’s upbeat “You Know We Can’t Go Back.” Viewers who tend to go to pieces during the sad parts of Pixar movies may find the first few minutes to be tough sledding, as they contain pretty much wall-to-wall loneliness, disappointment, and despair, all artfully conveyed through ones and zeroes. Things predictably pick up at halftime, though, which is given over to passionate kisses, inspirational speeches, and characters jumping up in the air in triumph. As with any good montage, “Emotions Of Pixar” teaches a few unexpected lessons along the way. One is that the Pixar people clearly studied the films of Steven Spielberg, since they have a real fondness for zooming in on characters whose eyes are wide with wonder. Another, probably unintentional lesson is that Mr. Incredible can be truly fucking terrifying when he gets angry.
Emotions Of Pixar from Lindsay McCutcheon on Vimeo.
[via Laughing Squid]