2. Because Pixar Understands The Power Of Emotion In Drama
Thanks for the adventure! Now go have another one! Sincerity is a curse word in Hollywood, it seems. Theres no scene that cant be improved by a gag or pop culture reference. Theres no bit of interaction that cant be beefed up with flailing cameras and pounding soundtracks. Everything is synthesized and color-timed and calculated to give you, the audience, a facsimile of an experience, without actually committing to the emotion of one. Cause, hey, emotion is stupid. And isnt it always safer to be the one doing the laughing, as opposed to getting laughed at. Pixars belief, which it has made billions of dollars exercising, is that that last paragraph is a load of crap. As a studio, Pixars philosophy has always been to approach their films with the utmost sincerity and warmth. The writers and directors understand that allowing the pathos of the story to play out completely is the best way to engage an audience. Because its the sense of quiet, the sense of emotion, that allows the other aspects of Pixar films to work. Its because they believe whole-heartedly in their stories that we, the audience, do so as well. Whether the moment in question is built around anger or grief or heartbreak, the Pixar team always plays fair, never sells out to make things more palatable. Up and Wall-E are masterpieces because, like no other animated film I can name, they encapsulate true darkness and pain, only to persevere onwards to something beautiful. Up is built around feelings of loss and loneliness, feelings which the film refuses to back away from. And Wall-E is, on the surface, ridiculous and childish, both as a character and as a film. But both films refuse to shy away from these darker themes, refuse to dilute those emotions with slapstick and noise, the better to shut up a theater of children. They play fair by their characters, which allows the BIG moments in both films to stand-out that much more. When the characters come to a place of first awe, then peace, it is earned in a way that is rare for ANY artform these days, let alone cartoons.