THE FILM
TITLE: War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of Jon & Yoko
RELEASE DATE: 05 Dec 2023
WATCH DATE: 10 Mar 2024
TYPE: animated short film
ACCESS: streaming on pixeldrain.com (free file-sharing site)
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THE PEOPLE
DIRECTOR: Dave Mullins
PRODUCER: Brad Booker
WRITER: Dave Mullins, Sean Ono Lennon
ACTORS: NA
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THE STORY
RUNTIME: 11m
STORYLINE: two soldiers on opposing sides play a game of chess across the battlefield of WWI
GENRE/THEMES: drama, war, death, victory, loss, winning vs. losing
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THE CRITIQUE
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS
War Is Over! proves that 10 minutes is more than enough time to tell a compelling story. In the first few seconds, intrigue and style are established and the audience is totally engaged. The texture of animation is beautifully textured; you can almost reach out and touch it.
Inspired by the song "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, this short film spares no intensity of war. Soliders are shot and fight each other in combat. Splatters of red cover the battlefield. The presence of war in an animated film is shocking; it’s not a normal theme for animation, but it’s dynamic.
Two soldiers, from opposing sides, find themselves locked in a game of chess. A carrier pigeon brings moves back and forth through through canon fire. The soldiers end up confronting each other on the battlefield and discover their identity as each other’s chess opponent. The simple storyline leaves room for this dramatic reveal.
The short film is creative and exquisite, with a meaningful impact. The message is universal, and anyone who is human will be able to identify with it.
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THE RECEPTION
NOMINATIONS
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THE IMPRESSION
IN A SINGLE WORD: bittersweet
MOST STRIKING ELEMENT: war as a theme in animation
REWATCH: yes
RATING: 4 // 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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