The Secret of Kells review

Animation is a particular medium that is a favorite of mine when it comes to storytelling; whether the story is a more realistic and down-to-earth one where drawings can heighten the emotions or a more fantastical just has too much spectacle to be depicted in live-action.

Then, there are films like The Secret of Kells that simply could not be told in live-action because of the message they are trying to convey; in the case of Kells, it’s the power of art to preserve culture and help mankind live through dark times. That’s the brilliance of the Secret of Kells. Its animation is not just necessary for the story, it’s essential to its most fundamental theme.

In 9th Century Ireland, Abbott Cellach of the Monastery of Kells, is in the middle of constructing a massive wall around the abbey, anticipating a devasting attack from the vikings, and expects his nephew, Brendan, to follow in his footsteps. The problem is, the lad is much more enamored by the creation of holy texts by the monks in their scriptorium. One day, an illuminator from a newly ravaged island, Iona, named Brother Aiden brings with him the legendary book of Iona, said to be so beautiful, it can only be the work of angels. There is, however, one page that has not been completed, The Chi'ro page, the one that will turn darkness into light. That is where Brendan comes in to help with the assistance of Aiden's cat, Pangur Ban, and a mysterious fairy girl named Aisling. Can he overcome his deep, subconscious fears and complete the page before the vikings come and destroy all hope for the people of Kells?

The reason Tomm Moore is my favorite animation director is that he takes elements of mythology and history that are distinctly Irish and makes them universal, giving his films (Kells and Song of the Sea) a sense of reality and truth that would not have been there had the film been completely fictional. This is all in keeping of the film’s theme of culture and its importance. Had Moore been born in any other country he would use elements of that country’s history and art and make a story around them.

It is quite clear from the cover of the book that it has to do with Christianity, add in the fact that it's written by obviously Christian monks and that the film is bursting with Christian imagery such as crosses, praying, churches, and Gregorian choirs. However, in the context of the story, the book is important to the characters because it is the word of God yet to Tomm Moore, it is important because it represents all art in general.

Rather than outright stating the Christian messages in the Book of Kells, Moore makes it universal for people of all faiths. If one takes away the visual majesty of the Book of Kells, it is nothing more than just an ordinary gospel book. To the monks, gazing at the book is so much like looking at heaven itself that it can actually blind any sinner who gazes upon it. When they see the circle that Brendan draws with the eye of Crom they proclaim that it is “like heaven on Earth”. This is what art can do for all people, provide them a religious experience, as if you're looking at something beyond this world yet of this world at the same time.

Another reason Moore is my favorite animation director is that he takes story templates that are very familiar and traditional. but puts a new spin on it. In the case of Kells, it's the hero's quest story, told in a fresh new way.

In any other story, Aidan would train Brendan to be a great warrior or a wizard but in this story, he trains him to be someone far more powerful, an artist, to preserve knowledge and culture. He does not teach him to confront evil but help others escape from it which in my opinion is a far more personal and emotional message.

An Aisling happens to be a genre of poetry in which Ireland reveals itself to an artist in the form of a beautiful woman. In fact, Aisling was originally going to be the same age as Brendan yet Tomm Moore decided to make her younger so there would be no implied romance between the two. In today’s western animation world it seems that male and female main characters have to end up as lovers by default but Brendan and Aisling’s relationship is more similar to that of a brother and sister. Aisling is essentially a pagan, female version of Brendan, alone with no real family, afraid of a world that there are not a part, and having a curiosity of that world deep inside.

There is also no true villain in this film. The abbot is simply a misguided man who puts his faith in the material (the stone his wall is built out of) instead of knowledge to save civilization. The conflict between him and Brendan is not simply the overbearing parental figure depriving the hero of what they want, but it's also a battle between pragmatism and idealism; the material versus the immaterial.

Speaking of which, Brendan does not start off as your typical Disney princess, complaining about how boring his normal life is. at the beginning, he's genuinely happy with remaining in the abbey due to all the fears that the abbot has been feeding him over the years. It's only when he has the chance to truly shine does he defy his master's rules and overcome his personal anxieties.

The Vikings are a force of nature that is never defeated in the end. Crom Cruach is a manifestation of Brendan’s fears of ruining the book due to his inexperience.

Audiences have complained about the black and white portrayal of the Vikings, painting them as pure faceless evil when that wasn’t the case at the time this film depicts. However, one must remember that this must be almost exactly how the people of Ireland viewed them at the time. The Vikings are a representation of greed and ignorance, those that kill and spread terror in the pursuit of the material, in this case gold and show no value of knowledge.

The animation helps to beautifully convey the message the power of art even further, with the rounder and more appealing designs of the monks contrasting with the more gothic and angular design of the abbot, the cartoonier style that depicts Brendan's dreams, and the spirals and circles in the forest surrounding Kells that serve as inspiration for the book's designs.

The Secret of Kells is the perfect celebration of culture, art, and ideas. It reminds us that walls may crumble and people may die but these things will always live on. That is why The Secret of Kells is one of my all time favorite movies. A true work of cinematic art.

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