I want to tell you about my favourite short film. I’ve been racking my brain trying to think of the perfect piece of writing to kick off this project, and have been putting it off for weeks now, but after waking up at 3am with a big indescribable feeling in my body, I was reminded of one of the best pieces of short animation I’ve ever seen, and one that I find myself coming back to more and more.
Black Sheep Boy is a 2019 animated short, serving as the animator James Molle’s graduation piece from the prestigious Gobelins school in Paris. It was rendered entirely in TVPaint, and follows our protagonist (the unnamed Boy), as he goes on a Wizard of Oz style journey to receive wisdom and make his way back home.
BSB utilises a pixelated retro style animation, familiar to anyone who’s ever owned a GameBoy, which in lesser hands could easily have alienated the protagonist from the viewer, but in fact only serves to bring us closer. The computer-game aesthetic means it occasionally feels like we are guiding the boy on his adventure. Details like set design (is it called set design when it’s animation?) are done in the style of a game, drawing the eye and making sure we as the player/viewer know where to go, and so there’s no surprises about where’s next.
I would go if I was a sad boy like you
The story begins, as it must, with a sleepless night. The Boy can’t sleep – plagued with memories of an earlier argument (the only time in the film the overlaid dialogue is unintelligible, capturing the hazy recall after an argument). He tells his girlfriend he “needs some air” before heading outside and meeting a cat in a suit – the first of our guides. The Boy says “I’m not good at living my life”. This is all too deep for the cat, who sends The Boy in search of the Wise Lion for advice (but not before making sure he looks sharp). The Wise Lion, naturally, lives on the moon. And so we set off.
Why Are You Red?
When it all gets a bit much, the Boy’s face turns red. The first character to mention this is a tiger we meet. The Boy explains it away as “I get anxious sometimes”, but it feels like more than that. Massive generalisation here, but we’ve all had times where we’ve been filled with an enormous something that can’t be put into words, but consumes you and feels like it separates you from the world slightly. It doesn’t help that, despite them admitting similar feelings, the other characters’ faces never go to the same shade, and so it’s easy to feel like it’s just you. The theme of alienation runs heavily through the film, but the red face is such a simple and effective shorthand that cuts me to my core every time.
I don’t feel any Wiser
After this tiger leaves the Boy (with the all time great line “I used to be happy until I learned the word delusional”), he stabs the Cyclocat (of course: a cyclops cat) in the eye with a pencil. Immediately overcome with guilt he runs away, finding a computer he hopes will have the answers he seeks. Even when it doesn’t, the Boy’s first instinct is to blame himself (“What did I do Wrong?”). He apologises to the Cyclocat, who assures him no apology is necessary. The stab meant the cat could cry, finally letting out all of his feelings for the first time. In this moment I got a weird pang of jealousy on behalf of the Boy. This release the Cyclocat is feeling still feels so far away for our protagonist, who’s only choice to ease his sadness remains finding the Wise Lion.
I’m Such an Idiot
After leaving the Cyclocat with a drawing of his girlfriend, the Boy meets a dog farmer, trying to turn his sunflowers to bring back the day. He offers the Boy a place to sleep. The Boy says he doesn’t sleep well. The Dog replies “It’s not about sleeping. I close my eyes and pretend I’m somewhere I want to be”. And where does our protagonist want to be? In bed, asleep, with his girlfriend. Of course.
My Parents bought me a Boomerang
After a dream sequence with his father, the Boy finally finds the Wise Lion – who’s dying. After telling him literally the saddest story I have ever heard, the Lion dies, played out to a soft piano version of Auld Lang Syne. The boy returns to the dog farm, lies down, and shuts his eyes.
And then the film ends! We never learn if the boy ever makes it home, ever sees his girlfriend again, or even if he learned anything at all on his journey. All we are left with is Auld Lang Syne.
I was hoping to have a poignant note to end on here, but I don’t think anything I write could do justice to the way the ending of the film makes me feel. It’s empty, it’s devastating, but it’s weirdly hopeful. As someone who has spent long portions of their life hoping for a sage figure to come along and sort my life out, there’s a strange comfort in knowing that even if you meet him there’s no promise of an easy answer.
– Max
UNDERDOG 