The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello (2005)
When is a short film not a short film? According to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a short film is anything 40 minutes in length or less. While most short films are no more than 15 minutes long, every now and then someone comes along and throws you for a longer-than-anticipated loop. The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello is one of those “shorts.”
The overly long title should have been my first clue that this would be a longer short. Running just over 26 minutes, Morello focuses on a young navigator (the titular Jasper Morello) who is called back to service aboard a sailing vessel only a few months after causing an accident that took a man’s life. Jasper is still haunted by this but performs his duties anyway. Jasper lives in a world stuck in a cross between Victorian England and a post-apocalyptic future. Here, people sail through the air on massive vessels constructed of wood and steel. Various animals similar to fish live in the air and provide sustenance and islands float among the clouds. It is a strange blend of the familiar and the fantastical.
Morello was created using silhouette animation. This means that, although backgrounds and scenery may be very lush and detailed, the main characters are little more than shadows that walk and talk. One major advantage of this animation technique is that it opens the door for experimentation with contrast. One major disadvantage to this technique, however, is that it is harder to hold audiences attentions and interest. Morello manages to hit both of these.
Director-animator Anthony Lucas jazzes things up with 3-D animation and CGI rendering to enhance his backgrounds and scenery. It adds a lot of pop to the contrast but it’s not enough to prevent the bleak and somber tone of the short from sapping the energy and excitement out of some viewers. The story’s setting is a little hard to get into and the plot is mildly predictable but it is still quite interesting. Morello overstayed its welcome for me but that doesn’t mean others won’t be captivated by it.
When is a short film not a short film? According to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a short film is anything 40 minutes in length or less. While most short films are no more than 15 minutes long, every now and then someone comes along and throws you for a longer-than-anticipated loop. The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello is one of those “shorts.”
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