I wonder what Dave is thinking now....,If his goal was to seek immortality,...he chose the right method, and the right spouse to dump. For Nina Paley has made a masterpiece of animation that has it all: clear, beautiful, vibrant, witty,ironic tragic that equates Dave with Rama and herself with Sita. Its bound to be played and remembered for years after Dave is pushing up the daisies. Two parallel stories: Ninas and Sitas interwoven provide us with fabulous entertainment and a cautionary tale , Nina with her revenge, and Dave with a wish he'd been nicer.. WE know the story now..of Sitas abduction, her devotion and Ramas obsession with purity. But its told by a modern woman, so has that feminist edge. Sita is too sweet to rebuke Rama his injustice, so Nina steps in, and when Sitas children sing the praises of Ram, Nina has them tell it like it is.... Such a variety of animation, as if one kind alone couldn't tell her story. Unlike much American animation which has lots of money behind it but little inspiration, this one is refreshingly mature,worthy of its subject, and yet can appeal to children: nothing false, cloying, ..just real feeling...Interestingly, Paley uses simple line drawings making her own story the more cartoonish, as if it was too painful to treat dramatically, and seems to sublimate it into Sitas story.When she learns dave has dumped her, her cry is cartoonish,...cockroaches replace the cat as her companions, as her life crumbles,,,.her life has gone dark, and so its fitting that at Ninas lowest point a dark figure dances amidst the flames.
Throughout the beautiful voice of Annette Hanshaw, speaks for Sita, Nina and others dumped and unwanted: whose spouses have been mean to them.
Throughout the beautiful voice of Annette Hanshaw, speaks for Sita, Nina and others dumped and unwanted: whose spouses have been mean to them.