Bunny was introduced to me on the Ice Age 2-disc special edition. I remember seeing it and thinking like a lot of little kids, that it was the scariest cartoon I've ever seen. And mind you, my uncle made me watch Nightmare Before Christmas A LOT. But as a fan of film and cartoons, Bunny now represents The idea that telling short stories is more than entertainment. It teaches a powerful lesson without telling you but rather showing it gracefully. It's great storytelling and while you may not get the idea of what the film is about at first, you're left with some kind of impression. Good or bad. That is the power of great storytelling. And sure, I think any story with that kind of power should at least make you want to talk about it or even write something. Just like what I am doing right now. That's right this isn't just a review, it's a look back on one of the best short animated films ever made, that I feel even 20 plus years later is one that serves great importance. Bunny to me is a film that I look back on and it doesn't frighten me anymore. On the contrary it's actually quite beautiful. The setting of Bunny is simple. It's in a kitchen at night with scarcely any light. This helps establish the tone of the film: loneliness and solitude. There are two characters in the film, An elderly Bunny and a pesky moth. Now many have believed that the moth in this film represents Bunny's angel that guides her to heaven. Which is something you can argue about back and forth, thus making the storytelling that more good. The moth is bothering Bunny who is making a cake on her wedding anniversary. Unfortunately her husband has already passed away. Now what I just said sounds so depressing, right? But here is the genius folks, we are not told that. There is no dialogue whatsoever in the film. We see it and we have to put the pieces together until we make some sort of sense out of it. But again the great storytelling should make it easy on you. Bunny eventually gets rid of the moth by releasing it outside but then it gets back in the house. Bunny tries to kill it, which she does and it lands in her unfinished cake. The same cake that she decides to bake with a moth in it. Woah, that's gross. But think about this. If the moth is really an angel, or spirit, did she just kill one of those cute little creatures and then plan to eat it? Anyway, Bunny becomes tuckered out. And falls asleep in her kitchen. Why in her kitchen? Because that's the art of using one setting. And also it sets up to the biggest WTF moments of the film. Bunny's oven opens up and a light shines out of it. So Bunny sticks her head in it, ala Sylvia Plath style, and finds the moth-angel creature there. She crawls into the oven entirely and finds herself floating in some kind of spacious location. The moth leads bunny to a shining light. Like the one they were talking about in the first Poltergeist film. As they go into the light, other moths appear among them. So all this is just a cover up to say that Bunny died in her kitchen after killing a moth. But we of course don't want to be told or shown that. So the best way to do it is through a peaceful and beautiful moment. Even showing that her and her husband are now reunited in heaven. So if this doesn't leave any sort of impression on you, you must not be human or a bunny. What is memorable about Bunny is that it's one of those sad yet beautiful films that touches on a heavy subject: accepting death. Bunny's ongoing battle with the moth represents anyone's preference to being alive rather than dying. However, when she passes away she gets taken out of her tiny kitchen and into literally another world where it's better because she's there with the only person she cares about: her husband. I know it sounds like I'm trying to sound smart but I'm only a community college student who takes creative writing and has just known about this film for like 15 years. But what I'm trying to say is that the film is so simple yet so heavy. A combination that a lot of people today slowly can get the hang of. And yet Bunny was able to do it and leave a strong impression on anyone that watches it.
Review of Bunny
