Reincarnation and heaven are the same thing
The cycles of the laundromat (rinse cycle) is a simile. It refers to the samsara or the wheel of rebirth like you get in Buddism, Tibetan religions and Hinduism. A soul is put through lives to learn, to cleanse itself. The more it is cleaned, the better the next life will be. The goal in these religions is to finally escape the wheel by entering nirvana mind-state.
Now in common language Nirvana is something like Heaven, a place you can go.
In the rennaissance Christianity established heaven to be in the sky, which is where the exit to the second cycle is in this movie.
The cycles of the laundromat (rinse cycle) is a simile. It refers to the samsara or the wheel of rebirth like you get in Buddism, Tibetan religions and Hinduism. A soul is put through lives to learn, to cleanse itself. The more it is cleaned, the better the next life will be. The goal in these religions is to finally escape the wheel by entering nirvana mind-state.
Now in common language Nirvana is something like Heaven, a place you can go.
In the rennaissance Christianity established heaven to be in the sky, which is where the exit to the second cycle is in this movie.
The enlightened person
Frank, (short for Francis or which I feel stands for Francis of Assisi, a well-known Saint, patron Saint to animals, who reportedly spoke to animals, good name for a talking animal) has just started his life cycle as a sheep. And he is not happy. Presumably because he cannot stomach all the boringness and bleakness off his world. He wants to leave it. This is a common thing when you think about the state of the world. It seems impossible to escape the rotten things that happen to you and others. And the same patterns seem to emerge time and again, like conflict and suffering. There seems to be nothing to do about them even though they do not seem necessary. Germans call it "Weltschmerz" or the pain of the world. This made many saints, holy men and saviours weep and boeddha have a little timeout under a tree.
This all suggest that being a sheep (or us, because of sheppard/sheep) is the first step and it is quite hard.
Especially when you happen to be a lone wolf or a Saint and see further then the herd. If you are intelligent enough the world hurts.
Do you choose to be enlightened?
Frank, (short for Francis or which I feel stands for Francis of Assisi, a well-known Saint, patron Saint to animals, who reportedly spoke to animals, good name for a talking animal) has just started his life cycle as a sheep. And he is not happy. Presumably because he cannot stomach all the boringness and bleakness off his world. He wants to leave it. This is a common thing when you think about the state of the world. It seems impossible to escape the rotten things that happen to you and others. And the same patterns seem to emerge time and again, like conflict and suffering. There seems to be nothing to do about them even though they do not seem necessary. Germans call it "Weltschmerz" or the pain of the world. This made many saints, holy men and saviours weep and boeddha have a little timeout under a tree.
This all suggest that being a sheep (or us, because of sheppard/sheep) is the first step and it is quite hard.
Especially when you happen to be a lone wolf or a Saint and see further then the herd. If you are intelligent enough the world hurts.
Do you choose to be enlightened?
The question is raised if you choose to be a lone wolf (or a Saint or holy men, enlightened one or are born to be one). This is an interesting question. There is no hurting without caring. We do not choose to hurt, we choose to care and endure the hurting that comes with it. The way out according to Buddhists is not care anymore, not have any desires or ambitions and embrace the reality of what is. But if you do choose to keep on caring and desiring, you HAVE to be a Saint and that's suffering. It's too hard..
LEVELING UP!
LEVELING UP!
This is where Frank is and he sees no way out. He has decided to take his own life, which is hard for a sheep. So he's been quite determined about it for quite a long time. Even when he breaks the only tree on the island, he doesn't give up.
Victor saves him at the last moment by giving him vague hope (the device and the promises) and telling him to stay put. (Endure). I love it that the device is just another (more fancy) noose. Which suggests to me that getting lost in hope is just as bad as giving up.
Victor saves him at the last moment by giving him vague hope (the device and the promises) and telling him to stay put. (Endure). I love it that the device is just another (more fancy) noose. Which suggests to me that getting lost in hope is just as bad as giving up.
It is also suggested in conversation, that Frank's saved because he's special. Because he feels the suffering that the other sheep obviously don't care about. He's more than just a sheep. (which led him to want to kill himself in the first place)
THE HOLI RAPTURE
Then a classic miracle happens and sweeps him up, referencing the rapture in Christianity, but also the vortex formed in a laundromat. Also the colors in the vortex remind me of the Hindu Holi celebration (you know, the color-run.. spring=new beginning) seems to fit, but I don't see many other references specific to Hinduism so it might just be me..
Then a classic miracle happens and sweeps him up, referencing the rapture in Christianity, but also the vortex formed in a laundromat. Also the colors in the vortex remind me of the Hindu Holi celebration (you know, the color-run.. spring=new beginning) seems to fit, but I don't see many other references specific to Hinduism so it might just be me..
The cycle
Only Frank isn't entering heaven, but is reborn into a new life with a new body.
He is a caterpillar. This means he has many hands instead of hoofs, so tying the noose around his neck will be easier next time.
Only Frank isn't entering heaven, but is reborn into a new life with a new body.
He is a caterpillar. This means he has many hands instead of hoofs, so tying the noose around his neck will be easier next time.
(This noose can now also stand for faith and hope).
But also, we know, he's destined to transform into a butterfly (which is a lovely mixed metaphor, a caterpillar stuck in the wheel of rebirth).
His new surroundings are obviously better than before, but even so, you know Frank is going to be miserable in this life as well (if only by his expression, he's not overjoyed, which you might think he would be).
He's just temporarily stunned and might enjoy his new possibilities for a while.
Different but the same
But being a caterpillar isn't much different from being a sheep. You munch all day. You can climb up walls and have hands, but that's basically it. A sheep is less vulnerable to predators (especially on that rock), a caterpillar has to hide all the time from birds. This stage promises more excitement, which will have Frank longing for the quiet of midgard before long.
This suggests the second lesson (in the second life) is about vulnerability and transforming that vulnerability into strength from a broadened perspective.
Like a butterfly has when it flies.
Victor has announced Frank will have many adventures, so this does suggest Frank is only starting out.
This suggests the second lesson (in the second life) is about vulnerability and transforming that vulnerability into strength from a broadened perspective.
Like a butterfly has when it flies.
Victor has announced Frank will have many adventures, so this does suggest Frank is only starting out.
Never Done
Then we get to see the construct. A plane of existence encompassing Franks, and many other worlds, many cycles. Victor climbs out of a machine, all dry, maybe suggesting he's been through the process himself at some point. But he now obviously belongs in this meta-world of machines. His suit fits the surroundings of the heavenly laundromat.
It says: to be continued.. I'd very much like to see what the authors of this original religious construct have to say about other stages. A VERRRY intelligent and subtle story for a short CGI movie.
Then we get to see the construct. A plane of existence encompassing Franks, and many other worlds, many cycles. Victor climbs out of a machine, all dry, maybe suggesting he's been through the process himself at some point. But he now obviously belongs in this meta-world of machines. His suit fits the surroundings of the heavenly laundromat.
It says: to be continued.. I'd very much like to see what the authors of this original religious construct have to say about other stages. A VERRRY intelligent and subtle story for a short CGI movie.
Production
The writers had the balls to take an original road, instead of a recipe for success and rocked it!
The writers had the balls to take an original road, instead of a recipe for success and rocked it!
Every aspect of the production seems to follow this originality.
Like with the design of Frank's head. The first time we see him, he definitely lacks appeal. He seems far too real. Falls into a sort of uncanny valley. This is unusual, but it's not incompetence like I originally thought. Victor is all appeal, which creates a nice contrast and reveals it as intentional. A bold choice.
Very intricate things are happening with the lush wool of Frank and the interaction with for instance the rope.
There's great detail in the narrowing of Frank's eyes when he looks towards the setting sun (another symbol for a life about to end).
It gives you the feeling everything is designed. Exactly right for it's purpose.
I applaud the writers for outdoing the effects and animation team, who have performed flawlessly and at points masterfully!
This movie is easily the best short cgi, that I've seen up to now.
I applaud the writers for outdoing the effects and animation team, who have performed flawlessly and at points masterfully!
This movie is easily the best short cgi, that I've seen up to now.
Not the most expressive, thigh-slappingly funniest or most breathtakingly beautiful, but definitely the best.
These shorts are made to show of the potential of Blender, the program with which it is made. Kind of like the Pixar Shorts, which invariably show new features.
But however appealing to the inner nerd this is, the subject matter is even more intriguing to me as a member of the temple of tolerance.
To me it clearly illustrates the similarities you can find in psychological development (or enlightenment) and symbols in various religions.To show this the movie combines different religions (mostly Buddhism with Christianity) in a nice and quite funny clash of symbols.
I love it.
Here's why.
Victor
Victor (which literally means winner!) is clearly some minor meta-being like an Angel or a Djinn.
His statement: "this is the best product WE have in store", shows he's part of some system or hierarchy.
He's like a salesman or representative in his demeanor, very polite.
The wings on his jacket are a dead give-away of his angelic nature, but also the fact that he can exist on another, higher plane (the laundromat, where he climbs out of one of the machines) and that he caries his personal soundtrack for heavenly phenomena. More subtly he looks quite Irish, classically the land of Saints and scholars, seems like a good place for a Angel to be from and maybe even suggests Frank will be an Angel at some point. (Because Frank refers to Saint, see Frank)
Sheep are humans
The sheep are a clear reference to the sheep/shepard metaphor often used in Christianity. So the sheep are us humans. Toiling away on a boringly vegetated rock with only one tree with only one branch. Oh, the emptiness of being.