Drwal is Polish for woodcutter or lumberjack, and this is the central character in this short animation. He lives with his young son on the edge of a wood; the boy adores his father and turns to him for affection and support. The father starts to change however, based on an experience in the woods – one that is making him sullen and prone to anger. The boy still sees his father, but now starts to see more darkness within him, and elements which are to be feared.
The films opens with what appears to be a very dramatic scene on the edge of a cliff – a scene the film will work its way back to, and as such it sets a tone of foreboding that runs across the film. This is built well, with an increasing sense of darkness that is coming from within the father or maybe some external force – we are with the boy in this regard, since we only see the outward impact, not the stimulus for the reaction. Perhaps the film could have done more to flesh out what appears to be a manifestation of the black dog, but it works even with the little we get for the most part. It works because emotionally we feel for the characters – the film brings out their relationship well, and in particular we feel clearly the boy's love and trust for his father and, since we come to the film through him, we experience the hurt and fear that comes with the change. It is a depressing tale, and one that sat heavily on me for a while afterwards, but it is an engaging one.
Technically the animation is beautifully grim. Done in a sort of dark watercolour series of strokes, the browns and orange help support the dark tone to the film, while also adding a lot of character and beauty to the delivery. It feels vibrant visually, while also having a contrasting darkness – reflecting the boy's view of his father in many ways. It is not a perfect film, but it is visually engaging, and packs a surprising emotional punch considering it is delivered without dialogue, and is as dark as it is from the start.
The films opens with what appears to be a very dramatic scene on the edge of a cliff – a scene the film will work its way back to, and as such it sets a tone of foreboding that runs across the film. This is built well, with an increasing sense of darkness that is coming from within the father or maybe some external force – we are with the boy in this regard, since we only see the outward impact, not the stimulus for the reaction. Perhaps the film could have done more to flesh out what appears to be a manifestation of the black dog, but it works even with the little we get for the most part. It works because emotionally we feel for the characters – the film brings out their relationship well, and in particular we feel clearly the boy's love and trust for his father and, since we come to the film through him, we experience the hurt and fear that comes with the change. It is a depressing tale, and one that sat heavily on me for a while afterwards, but it is an engaging one.
Technically the animation is beautifully grim. Done in a sort of dark watercolour series of strokes, the browns and orange help support the dark tone to the film, while also adding a lot of character and beauty to the delivery. It feels vibrant visually, while also having a contrasting darkness – reflecting the boy's view of his father in many ways. It is not a perfect film, but it is visually engaging, and packs a surprising emotional punch considering it is delivered without dialogue, and is as dark as it is from the start.
