Angel's Egg (1985)

Talk about a triumph for less is more. This is a simply gorgeous to watch story of an enigmatic, somewhat melancholic, young woman who wanders the streets carrying an egg as if she were incubating it under her dress. She reminds me of the girl from the "Les Miserables" posters - lost looking, bereft and alone as she pads the cobbles until, unexpectedly, she encounters an older lad who steps from an enormous ironclad weapon that is patroling the streets. Initially wary of him, the two start to bond and to trust each other. Their conversations are short and sweet at the start, with most of the soundtrack coming from a stunningly powerful score, but as their relationship develops they begin to muse on matters more profound and substantial but still, she protects her egg as if it were a priceless jewel or her own child. What might it be? Might they never find out? Might we? Indeed, is there anything to actually discover or is their search for some form of truth, illumination or wisdom an end in itself? The design of this animation has something wonderfully Gothic to it. Bleak at times, most times, but occasionally peppered with dashes of colour as if to epitomise hope or optimism or maybe even enlightenment and what gradual revelations there are are riddled with an intriguing rather than frustrating degree of ambiguity that other films might use to suggest a sequel, but that this uses to suggest that maybe there just are no answers. This glides along effortlessly for an hour and is animated artistry at the top of it's game.