A strange suited rabbit-like being of sackcloth and clay races against time to create a female counterpart of himself by following the instructions of a mysterious tome. He soon does succeed in composing a companion, with the materials around him, but she remains a mere lifeless puppet until he passionately plays the violin for her, and she rises and they gaze into each other's eyes and share a tender embrace. He then sees that the sand of a nearby ornate hourglass is about to run out and passes on the book of 'creation' to her, so that she can create another like he did with her, and then he evaporates into specs of multicoloured light and the hourglass resets itself as she stands about to begin with the book, starting the cycle off all over again... I thought it was all a bit sad and poetic, all that effort building up to just a few brief precious moments and then it's all gone like dust in your hand and you must begin again, if you're lucky.. To me it rather felt like a very intelligent poignant metaphor for the process of love! Or just plain the circle of life if you will, each is given the breath of life by those who went before and in turn give it to those who follow, with no real beginning or end, and, depending on what your outlook and philosophy about it may be, no real purpose to the endless cycle of life, death, and life again other than for life to perpetuate itself... So I thought that the creatures weren't exactly what you'd call lovable, in fact they're rather horrid, I didn't like the ugly human teeth that made them almost creepy, that and the too-long lower limbs, but it did make them stand out and regardless of character design, you get the point of the short. It's very beautifully animated and presented, it's stop-motion maybe mixed in with a little puppetry? The music is beautiful and gives it a real grand and bittersweet kind of tone. It felt like faded grandeur, like scuffed and dirty velvet, or a tattered and torn old royal red carpet! I loved that awesome mysterious room, it was like a sorcerer's workshop. I wonder if the creatures originally built it or if they were only some manner of experiment in futility. They have all the resources they need except for the one that was the most precious...time. It's only a wee little fable and a tad on the bland side somewhere in my opinion, but it is a very worthwhile and thoughtful fantasy animated short that's worth seeking out if you can make the time... Adios! X
Review of The Maker
