Angel's Egg (1985)

Waste of time

Simply Perfect

Great Film overall

Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

Tenshi no Tamago - Angel's Egg - is a very rare type of movie. It is a movie that does not spell the plot out in big bold type. Instead the meaning of the story is told in symbolic imagery and left to the viewer to interpret and understand. Some believe it tells of the director's own loss of faith in religion, and society's blind devotion to belief in mythical and imaginary things.The film's visuals are utterly beautiful, with designs from Yoshitaka Amano, and with Mamoru Oshii's breath-taking direction in full force. The soundtrack too is sublime, composed by Yoshihiro Kanno and one of only a few he ever composed for movies.Films as meaningful, thoughtful, and beautiful as this should never be missed. If you value the art form of cinema, then watch Angel's Egg and be amazed. If you prefer wall to wall explosions then look elsewhere.

This is an original work of Mamoru Oshii and Yoshitaka Amano who are two very known people.There is nearly no story in this anime, a little girl is guarding a mysterious egg and meet a man who seems to be interested about this egg. Not much script in this film, 5mn of talking for a 75 min movie.So, why this film is so excellent ? First of all, the drawings are exceptional as they are made by Amano, we are moved by the colors and the atmosphere of this dark world even if we know nearly nothing about it. Some would not like this film as there is "no message" within it. Sometimes, you need to think by yourself, as no message is given, it is your duty to create one, to seek what this film means to you. One more time this is clearly a visual work which drives us to unknown arts territories, I personally see a link with David Lynch's films.

So..The animation's not that bad.Now that's out of the way.. I consider this film the "Manos, The Hands of Fate" of Anime. What's the point behind this movie? None.. I couldn't bring myself to care about the characters, the scenery.. the non-existant plot. Nothing in this anime made sense to me. I saw this at an anime club showing, and after trying to get an explanation out of other anime fans seeing this movie, I gave up and walked out. Turns out I wasn't alone. This is a very punishing anime. I didn't do anything wrong!! AAAHH!! THE FLYING FISH!! MAKE IT STOP!!*whew*This is the type of anime that you'll either love.. or absolutely hate. I don't see much of a middle ground at all. If you're a first time anime watcher.. you'll get a very bad taste in your mouth after watching this drivel. I just can't see anything redeeming in this film.

This film is not live-action, nor is it a short. What it is is the quintessential Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell) film, a haunting, ethereal drama more concerned with imagery and mood than with plot or characterization. A young girl (lavishly designed by animator-turned-fine artist Yoshitaka Amano) wanders the desolate streets of a dark, nightmarish world; her fragile faith rests in the form of a gigantic egg, which she hopes to protect. Eventually, she meets an enigmatic stranger bearing a crucifix and a decidedly pragmatic worldview ("You have to break an egg if you are to know what's inside," he tells her). This is Oshii at his most obtuse, and even he claims to not know the true meaning of this film. The film is a pure work of art, however, free from all commercial baggage. For this reason, it should be viewed by everyone with a genuine interest in the art of animation. Note: Beware the Roger Corman film "In the Aftermath," which takes some footage from this film and places it in a different context.