Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: THE SPINE OF NIGHT [SxSW Film Festival 2021 - Virtual]

The texture of mythology based on sword and sorcery with a texture of old school mysticism has somewhat been lost in the new generation. Few may know of "Heavy Metal" but there is a brilliance in a certain type of primal fantasy archetype based either on ancestral stories from thousands of years ago...especially when it is captured in animation, especially an adult style, not anime, something inherent, dare it be said, almost American but with the influence of Europe. "The Spine Of Night" [Midnighters] captures this possibility in a retro way but lifts it in many ways to new levels. Wonderfully ambitious and creating worlds of its own inspired by many movies for sure, the story of a witch child of the forest (not unlike Tania in a way in "Heavy Metal") shows a quest but ultimately not one of redemption but of caution. The film, animated in the most interesting form of the word, uses apparently rotoscoping (which Richard Linklater and others messed around with about a decade ago). This is so much more inventive which is probably because of the technology but the visualization has to be there. While the ending climax has ringings of "Flash Gordon", "Tron", "Dune" and "The Lord Of The Rings" tinged with medieval, it is utterly its own creation as well. Ralph Bakshi, whom this writer discussed "Wizards" with some years ago, would undeniably appreciate the accomplishment here, especially in terms of perspective. Sure, the film is bathed in a heavy vernacular with a undue yet somehow fitting amount of gore, it does paint a visceral perspective of the force that drives the story: "The Bloom". But it also takes into account the suffering it causes in the wrong hands but the joy and rejuvenation it can bestow in those with the conscience to understand its gift. But power corrupts absolutely. One undeniable sequence that stands out simply because of its background and shadows is an origin story which speaks to the essence of "The Guardian" about 3/4s of the way through the film. It is subtle, beautiful and original, both textured and scary, strong yet dark. The film also boasts an insane voice cast which must have seen similar in the pitch. Between Lucy Lawless and Richard E. Grant, two genre favorites, to Patton Oswalt and Joe Manganiello, the credentials on its side make this destined in many ways to cult status but hopefully in some way through the streaming process, it can gain traction to celebrate it for what it is: an ode to the beauty of this animation of yesterday. Yet it exists with a sense of today's mindset without being tongue in cheek about it thereby making it authentic. A

By Tim Wassberg