By: Luke Ramirez
Created solely by Max Hendrickson, The Oubliette is extremely impressive for a single-person production. The combination of 2D animation and 3D animation give this short film a unique style. The sound design is also fantastic and helps immerse the viewer into the world, despite the lack of any dialogue. These aspects work together to convey a lonely and oppressive mood, which allows viewers to understand that the city the protagonist finds himself in is no paradise.
Yet, with all that being said in regards to The Oubliette’s amazing mise-en-scene, I struggle to derive concrete meaning from the film. The audience is not given any direct information for why anything that happens, happens. In short, it is extremely vague. For me personally, there is very little I can analyze when it comes to the film’s meaning or message. I have watched it multiple times and I have been unable to come up with any more specific interpretations than I did the first time I watched it.
Perhaps this short film means more to others who have been in a similar situation as the protagonist. Perhaps there is some cultural significance to the film. Perhaps I haven’t dug deep enough to find the film’s most elusive secrets. Or perhaps the film was made just for the sake of the animator practicing a different style of animation or showing off his incredible skills. If so, fair enough. But, a lack of meaning in a film’s story can severely mitigate the impact it leaves on general audiences. Unfortunately, I don’t think The Oubliette will leave much of an impression on people like me.
I give The Oubliette a 3 out of 5.
Luke Ramirez is a transfer student at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, who just started his fourth year of college. He is working towards a BFA in Film Production. His main interests lie in video editing, photography, and (most recently) creative writing.
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