The Polar Express and Telling a Story Through Sound
Vložit
- čas přidán 23. 12. 2022
- I'm a very audio-tuned person, so when a film has unique sound design, my ears perk up. The Polar Express is full of creepy distorted music, mechanical sound effects, and emotional musical themes, and each element works together to accomplish a singular goal: immersing us in the mind of one character.
I know this is after Christmas, I had my first run in with the copyright police and wasn't prepared. Sorry about that.
Check out my other video:
Stranger Things 4 Analysis | Eddie v. Max - • Stranger Things 4 Anal...
And stay tuned for these future videos:
The Menu: Theatrical Analysis
Avatar: The Last Airbender Character Analyses
Want me to analyze something? Comment to let me know! I super appreciate your support!
All clips and audio used fall under fair use for commentary, education, and analysis.
Instagram: @brainless_mastermind
TikTok: @brainless_mastermind
Tags: Why Was Polar Express So Creepy?, Everything Wrong With, Polar Express Analysis, Is Everything A Dream, sick of the Polar Express, Why The Polar Express is the Best Christmas Film, Tom Hanks & Robert Zemeckis, Christmas Movies, Polar Express Theory, The Polar Express Is Really Boring, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, Arthur Christmas, Klaus, elf, It's A Wonderful Life, Home Alone, sound design, diegetic music, contrapuntal music, sound analysis
kicking my feet rn i love people whos analysis isnt “heres what i think happened” and is more “what does what happened make us feel? how does it further the point of the story?”
That's always been my perspective. Most of what I learn about storytelling comes from figuring out what other authors did to make me feel stuff lol. It's always fascinated me to look at it from OUTside the world of the story
This was an amazing review, and I cannot wait to see more of your reviews! For the first time ever, I understood many things about this film that I had not understood before. Thank you for revealing so much about how well this film was created. One thing that I think you may have missed, or at least not clearly mentioned in your analysis, is that the hero boy actually makes a choice in that moment that he wants to believe. I think you showed that the music and sounds indicate that he actually no longer believes. You showed that the North Pole is devoid of human life, which is what he feared. He truly has no reason to believe anymore. However, he decides he wants to believe. He says out loud, I believe. This brings the magic back. What's important about this, is that the magic does not come from outside of him. It is not something that he mourns has gone away and then suddenly it's back by itself. He actually has to choose to believe in something that he basically no longer believes. And then the magic comes back from within himself. He's then able to maintain his belief for the rest of his life when all others lose it, because he chooses to believe in all the magic.
An absolutely underappreciated review for an absolutely underappreciated movie! You really deserve more views!
Haha thanks so much
wow, thoughtful analysis of this film instead of just bullying it for 20 year old realistic animation that, in my opinion, holds up better than most films of similar age in any medium? color me shocked. i'm glad you made this video, really appreciated your thoughts. I kinda forgot I love this film
Yeah, I've always loved how it looks. Especially the reflections, and the pov going through things to see them from behind. I was never creeped out by the faces. Maybe it was because I understood that being unsettled was intentional? One of the best animated movies I've ever seen.
Y'all get it, lol thanks so much! This movie deserves more thoughtful analysis than it's had. I also just find it fun
@@brainless_mastermind If you want another beautifully animated movie, Guardians, The Owls of Ga'hoole is a great one. (Pretty sure I spelled Ga'hoole right. 😅)
Hoodwinked is a fun movie too, even with its tiny budget and inexperienced animators. It definitely gets made fun of. 😆
Such a good review. This movie has always felt like such an underappreciated masterpiece to me. I've watched it every Christmas since I was a little kid, and every time I watch it it feels like it resonates with me in a new way, there's just this unplaceable magic to it that never fails to reconnect me with my childhood. Thanks for showing the movie some love and I wish your channel and yourself all the best in the future.
Thank you so much! I am so glad someone else appreciates it lol. Might remake this video to try to see if it can reach more people
I remember seeing this in IMAX. You hit the nail on the head with your analysis of the sound design in this film. They captured the importance of sound used in film and how much it contributes to capturing the imagination of the audience whether young or old. The goose bumps forming on your skin with the sound of the wind and muffled train horns.
It's so gooddddd I'm really glad there are people who appreciate it lol
this movie hits the uncanny valley to me and gives me SO much stress (mainly because of the train on ice scene), but dear god the sound design and music goes so hard. awesome review!!!
Thanks!! It's so uncanny, fortunately it doesn't bother me so much, but it does tend to creep people out haha
Finally a positive review for this film I always thought it was extremely overhated
I know, right? It's one of my favorite movies ever
How curious. I always hear people list is as a yearly rewatch and fave. Meanwhile I feel the odd one out for being completely neutral.
My favorite Christmas movie of all time. It is a masterpiece in my mind. I always thought the puppet cart in the polar express was creepy as hell. Really scared me as a kid, still kinda does haha. Now I can say with full belief that that was what was intended all along.
Agreed, I'm glad me being that pretentious kid who liked the creepy movie paid off lol
I swear, this movie is so underappreciated, thanks for the great analysis!
Aw, thank you! It's CRIMINAL how underrated it is
That intro went hard as hell
Haha thanks
This is my favorite Christmas movie and your analysis here really makes me appreciate it that much more
Aw thank you so much! I'm hyped to meet someone who understands how good it is lol
AGHHHHH JUST FOUND YOUR ACCOUNT I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS!!!!! this is one of my favourite christmas movies and it'll always be so special to me. I hate people saying its bad just because the models look weird or whatever because i love the story and music so much, that magic theme makes me tear up every time i hear it
Omigosh, thank you so much!! I'm thrilled to have you lol. That is exactly why I wanted to make this video, this movie is criminally underrated because it accomplished exactly what it set out to do and no one realizes that. the definition of underrated
Wow I might have to watch this movie again. I didn’t like it as a child but this makes me want to watch it and see how it makes me feel now.
Personally I feel like the one person on Earth who just watched this movie once, wasn't creeped out, and didn't resonate with it at all. Hearing your analysis of the foley and general soundscape, though, I can kind of get why someone would maybe get something out of it. I also recognize why I might have simply felt nothing while watching except maybe a faint hint of confusion.
I never had any Christmas doubt. My parents were up front about Santa and all that stuff being the "spirit" of a season, and more of a fun representational mascot. Something that actually made it a lot more fun for me, and meant I never had any period of disillusionment. I have nothing to relate me to any of these kids, as I never struggled with my stance on holiday propaganda, nor did I have blind faith, so I wasn't on the end of the ones who believed either. I was just kind of plunk in the middle like "all of this is fine, I don't get it". I got way more out of character origins and things that told a tangible story. I didn't like how Polar Express gave me no answers, or seemingly anything for me to draw my own.
I was also never easily creeped out, and actually always looked for creepy stuff when younger, so a lot of those cues just went right over my head as intentional distortion meant to effect me. I just kind of assumed it was cuz everything seemed so...broken and not very magical.
No wonder Eddie Deezen was my favorite. lol I knew his voice and he was just a snarky brat with whom I could find fun from his personality. As such, he's also the only thing I even remember.
Cool beans.