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An animated short by Bruno Bozzetto which condenses the whole of human civilization into 9 minutes, focusing primarily on the human race's predilection for warfare and the vanity of war. It was an Oscar Nominee for Best Animated Short in 1991. Each piece of history is presented as a simple vignette, usually depicting a few simply-drawn characters arguing and making war, over and over again. Generally, a single figure is meant to stand in for an entire group (i.e., a single Caesar-like caricature for the entire line of Roman Emperors). There is very little spoken dialogue; instead, most of the cartoon is accompanied by a bouncy piano-driven score, which frequently changes style to suit the particular historical era. However, the score is all based around a single simple theme, to which it frequently returns in between vignettes.
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CinemaSerf
January 22, 2025
7 / 10
From time immemorial mankind has thrived on it's ability to make war. From the cavemen armed with their stone axes throughout history the Egyptians, Romans, Vandals, you name it! To accompany our desire to slaughter each other on an ever grander scale we have built bigger castles, discovered new ways ways to torture each other. Religion - well maybe the Devil more, has played it's role too. The advent of the gun is a game changer allowing us to kill more people, more often and more quickly too! Will it ever end? Supported by a diverse range of semi-classical musical themes, this animation fills it's boots with as many characterful aspects of man's inhumanity to man across the centuries it can, sequencing a series of historical vignettes entertainingly and tightly stitched together. It was only 8 minutes or so in 1990 but I'm sure we've invented new ways to extend it by now! Good fun.
