At the beginning of the film, Michel Gondry explains why
he decided to use animation, mentioning the manipulative nature of film which
often confuses the voice of the subject with that of the filmmaker, something
the audience often forgets about. But with animation, they’d be always aware.
Gondry says: “Animation… is clearly the
interpretation of its author. If messages, or even propaganda, can be
delivered, the audience is constantly reminded that they are not watching
reality. So it’s up to them to decide if they are convinced or not.” Of
course, this sequence itself is animated. So…
Michel begins by asking Noam about his first memory. By
the way, we do see a little of Noam in his regular, unanimated state on
occasion. He relates a very early memory of not wanting to eat oatmeal. The
animation that goes with it is wonderful. Michel Gondry does the animation
himself on this film. Some of the animation made me burst out laughing, like
the caveman hitting a walking brain with a bone until it moves away.
Of course, much of the film is fascinating even apart
from the animation, such as Noam’s views on children’s early development of
language. (At one point, Noam says he wanted to be a taxidermist when he was
young, because he liked the word.) About education, Noam says, “If you’re willing to be puzzled, you can
learn.” They talk about the relationship between a word and the object, and
also about inspiration, science, and beliefs. It’s a film that gets you excited
about thought itself.
At a couple of points, Michel takes a break to talk a bit
about the project. The second break comes when there has been a communication
issue. Michel admits, “As you can see, I
felt a bit stupid here.” It’s interesting, because as the filmmaker, he is
in control of what we see and hear, and can insert his own thoughts when he
sees fit, something Noam is not given the opportunity to do.
Special Features
The DVD includes several bonus features. The first is Animated
Noam Chomsky, an interesting behind-the-scenes feature which shows us
Michel Gondry at work. He talks about his animation while working on it. He
drew everything on paper, plus shows his use of photos. There is also a bit of
an interview with him, where he talks about his impressions of Noam. There is
some footage of Noam speaking at a Q&A at a New York screening. This is
approximately nine minutes.
The second is Democracy
Now! Interview, and is an interview with Michel Gondry about the film. Michel
Gondry talks about how he became interested in Noam Chomsky. He talks about his
method of animation, using a 16mm camera. And he talks about the interviews,
which totaled approximately three hours (so Gondry used half of what he had for
the film). He also talks about how he got his start, and a bit about
advertising. Unfortunately, this feature includes a few long clips from the
film, so the interview isn’t as long as it could have been. And there is also
footage of Noam Chomsky talking at the Q&A. This feature is approximately
forty-one minutes.
The DVD also includes the Q&A from the DOC NYC
Festival, from November 21, 2013. (It actually begins with Michel Gondry’s
introduction for the film.) The Q&A is with Michel Gondry and Noam Chomsky.
Noam talks about some of the ideas explored in the film, such as language.
There are a couple of questions from the audience at the end. This feature is
approximately thirty-two minutes.
There is also an interview with Michel Gondry from Huffington Post Live. He talks about
what attracted him to Noam Chomsky, and about those moments when it seems Noam
is dismissing Michel’s input. He also talks about the freedom he had on this
project. This interview is approximately twenty minutes.
The DVD also includes the film’s trailer.
Is The Man Who Is
Tall Happy? was released on DVD on May 13, 2014.
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