by Nomad
It's time for Film Friday.
UK based animator/artist Steve Cutts is not what anybody would call an optimist. It has been said that his works are "nuggets of bitter truth sweetened with grotesque humor."
Black humor and satire are used to convey his opinions on fundamental aspects of modern society. Where's humanity heading? Where is the happiness we all seem to be desperate to find? What is the meaning of progress? Some big ideas for cartoons.
The aim of my work is to get people thinking more about these aspects. I see a lot of insanity in the way we live, and to progress, I think, we need to become more aware and look at the options we have more clearly.The first of the four films is called "Wake-up Call" - a study of modern consumerism gone mad.
Cutts has said that using humor to make a point is interesting because "it lets you talk about uncomfortable truths while also releasing the pressure that creates, so it’s a fun- yet real- way to get a message across."
And he has a good point. Imagine a lecturer attempting to communicate the same ideas as those found in "Wake-up Call"?
The next film is Cutts' take on the rat race, (taken literally in this case) and our unquenchable quest for material happiness.
Here's another short animation entitled "In the Fall" in which an unfortunate accident victim finds a sort of enlightenment.
This final film is perhaps his darkest. There is, Cutts implies, something insanely destructive in humankind's nature. This 2012 video has become his most popular and has over 22 million views on YouTube.
So what did you think of these films? Which was your favorite?