I don’t think I would have watched Madame Tutli-Putli if I hadn’t noticed it was nominated for Best Animated Short Film last night while watching the 2008 Oscars. Besides being animated and a short, this film is also done with stop-motion and utilizes puppets or marionettes.
The story line was kind of confusing. There’s no dialog, but there is a soundtrack/score to it. We start off seeing a woman waiting at a train station with a huge pile of suitcases and stuff. Next thing we know, she’s on the train and every time she looks up, we are introduced to more people in the train car with her. Eventually it’s nighttime and some weird guys board the train and things get really strange. I figured there had to be some sort of message to this because everything seemed pretty symbolic. I found this description on IMDB.
Madame Tutli-Putli boards the Night Train, weighed down with all her earthly possessions and the ghosts of her past. She travels alone, facing both the kindness and menace of strangers. As day descends into dark, she finds herself caught up in a desperate metaphysical adventure. Adrift between real and imagined worlds, Madame Tutli-Putli confronts her demons and is drawn into an undertow of mystery and suspense. The National Film Board of Canada presents a stunning, stop-motion animated film that takes the viewer on an exhilarating existential journey. The film introduces groundbreaking visual techniques and is supported by a haunting and original score. Painstaking care and craftsmanship in form and detail bring to life a fully imagined, tactile world unlike any you have seen. Jungian thriller? Hitchcockian suspense? Artistic tour de force? The Night Train awaits you. Written by courtesy of National Film Board of Canada
Hopefully I’ll be able to see some of the other shorts. I wouldn’t say shorts are always great just because, however, they usually pack a punch if they’re done well. They don’t have 90-120+ minutes to beat around the bush while getting their point across.
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