Animation is often the realm of pure fiction, but there are a few exceptions which take inspiration from real life. Many of thebest animated moviesare fantasy, sci-fi or some other genre which departs from reality. Animation and reality don’t seem like a natural fit at first glance, since the boundless potential of animation naturally lends itself to the most fanciful and surreal storylines.
Many of thebest movies based on true storiesstrive for historical accuracy, but animated movies offer something different. They draw attention to the form, showing that no recreation can be perfect, so it’s up to the filmmaker to decide how they want to tell their story and what they want to say. Animated movies based on true stories usually blend fact and fiction, commenting on the unreliability of memory and historical records.
There’s been a glut of music biopics in recent years, with very few of them counting as worthwhile additions to the burgeoning genre for anyone other than the fans of the artists.Piece by Piecedoes something different to stand out from the crowd, telling the story of Pharrell Williams' life via the medium of Lego animation. Pharrell stars as himself, blurring the lines between documentary and biopic, and the cast includes other famous artists like Justin Timberlake, Gwen Stefani and Kendrick Lamar.
Piece by Piecetells the true storyof Pharrell’s life with about as much fidelity as any biopic. There are a few scenes in which the animation is used to its full potential, like the underwater scene that shows Pharrell meeting Neptune, but it’s mostly a surprisingly straightforward music biopic.Piece by Piececould represent the first step toward a major shake-up of the biopic genre, even if its animation is more of a gimmick than anything else.
Raymond Briggs is most famous for his graphic novelThe Snowman,the film adaptation of which has become a beloved British Christmas tradition.Ethel & Ernestis a more personal project, telling the story of Briggs' two parents from their first meeting in the 1920s until their deaths in the 1970s. Their relationship plays out against the backdrop of radical social change, including the Great Depression, the Second World War and the advent of new technology.
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Ethel & Ernestis a gorgeous slice of life, filled with as much humor and heartbreak as it should be. The two main characters are easy to relate to and easy to love, and the story skillfully builds their relationship brick by brick so that they feel real. Briggs' own character is an interesting footnote, as he sees himself from his parents' perspective with a renewed appreciation for who they are and what they did for him.The film ends with an original song by Paul McCartney.
8Buñuel In The Labyrinth Of The Turtles (2018)
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Luis Buñuel is one of the most influential and singular filmmakers of all time, andBuñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtlesdramatizes a pivotal moments in his life. After becoming recognized as a leading figure of the surrealist movement thanks to his work with Salvador Dalí, Buñuel decided to make his first documentary, but he fabricated several scenes and added his own surreal touch.
It’s impressive that the film remains grounded enough to feel relatable and emotional with all its trippy imagery.
Buñuel’s film,Las Hurdes: Terra Sin Pan,is a strange blend of fact and complete fiction, soit’s appropriate thatBuñuel in the Labyrinth of Turtlesadds surreal imagery to the real-life story of its production.The animation peeks into Buñuel’s troubled dreams, and it imagines some conversations between the characters. It’s impressive that the film remains grounded enough to feel relatable and emotional with all its trippy imagery.
Pocahontascame in the middle of the1990s Disney renaissance, after hits likeThe Little Mermaid, The Lion KingandAladdin.While it’s similar to the tried-and-tested Disney formula in some ways, it’s unusual for the studio to base one of their movies on a real-life story. Pocahontas was a real Powhatan woman who came into contact with British settlers in the early 18th century.
Pocahontasglosses over troubling real-life history to make a sanitized, family-friendly musical.
AlthoughPocahontassucceeds as a Disney musical, with some great songs, colorful visuals and some cuddly animal sidekicks,it’s been criticized for its poor historical accuracy.Pocahontasdoesn’t tell the true story of its subject, glossing over troubling real-life history to make a sanitized, family-friendly musical. The movie’s reputation has taken a hit over the years, and it’s one Disney classic that will never get a live-action remake.
The Wind Risesis a biopic of Japanese aeronautical engineer Jiro Horikoshi, who was famous for designing fighter planes during the Second World War, but it’s a heavily fictionalized account of his life, sprinkled with Hayao Miyazaki’s inimitable magic. The movie juxtaposes real events from his life before the war with a fictional romance, taken from an unrelated novel written by Tatsuo Hori.
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The Wind Risesis one ofHayao Miyazaki’s best movies, even though it doesn’t enjoy the same reputation as other classics likeSpirited AwayandPrincess Mononoke,for example. Even in a real-world setting,Miyazaki manages to create a gorgeous and immersive visionthat sets the scene for a compelling story. While Studio Ghibli are known for fantasy movies,The Wind Risesis more evidence that it can master any genre.
Fleeuses animation to conceal the identity of its subject, an Afghani refugee living in Denmark using an alias for the movie. Naturally, there aren’t many animated documentaries, butFleeshows the advantages of the medium, splicing in archival footage to keep the story grounded. It’s enough to ensure thatFleefeels more urgent and relatable than most animated movies, although the extraordinary details of the story also help.
Fleewas nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Animated Feature.
Fleeshines a light on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, finding a new way to tell a story that has rumbled on for years. By focusing on the plight of one man, it adds a renewed desperation to the conditions that have affected many others like him.Fleehas a tender view of its subject without ever being overly sentimental, laying out the facts in such a clear way that it illustrates the experiences of refugees and asylum seekers perfectly.
Animation is the perfect art form forWaltz With Bashir,since it allows the autobiographical film enough freedom to explore the conflicting possibilities of lost memory. Ari Folman’s search to rediscover what happened during the Sabra and Shatila massacre of 1982 takes him into the darkest corners of his memory that he kept closed for over 20 years, and the horrors play out in animated form.
Animation, like dreams and memories, merely takes the form of real-life.
Animation, like dreams and memories, merely takes the form of real-life, but there’s a clear layer of artifice separating the viewer from the events depicted.Waltz With Bashirends by dissolving into archival footage of the massacre, delivering a hammer blow that shows how the guilt and trauma come racing back to Folman. Ultimately, it raises questions about whether it’s best to simply forget.
Persepolisis an adaptation of the Marjane Satrapi’s best-selling graphic novel, and she directed the movie herself along with Vincent Paronnaud. APersepolismovie adaptation could have taken the form of a live-action film, but this would have robbed it of the graphic novel’s identity. Satrapi’s work has an immediately recognizable style, and the animation translates this to the big-screen perfectly.
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Persepolisis an autobiographical story, recounting Satrapi’s experiences growing up during a tumultuous period in Iranian history. Although the Iranian Revolution, the rise of fundamentalism and the Iran-Iraq war all feature, the story is primarily a coming-of-age tale.Persepolissucceeds with both its deeply personal drama and its broader political commentary, often drawing intelligent parallels between the two.
The circumstances surrounding Vincent van Gogh’s death hint at a compelling conspiracy, but this story isn’t as famous as other chapters from the artist’s life.Loving Vincentlooks at his death in detail, questioning the official narrative that he committed suicide by gunshot. There has long been a competing theory that van Gogh was shot by a local boy, accidentally or otherwise, and that he lied about it in his final moments to protect the child.
As a way of honoring his legacy, each frame ofLoving Vincentis an oil painting created in the style of the master.
WhileLoving Vincenttells a compelling story about deception and the obsessive search for the truth, it’s also a loving tribute to the artist and his work. As a way of honoring his legacy, each frame ofLoving Vincentis an oil painting created in the style of the master. This createsone of the most singular animated movies ever, showing that there’s still plenty of room for innovation as the major studios all trend towards a homogenized style.
Grave of the Firefliesisn’t strictly a true story, butit draws heavily from the experiences of Akiyuki Nosaka, who wrote a semi-autobiographical short story detailing his struggle to survive during the Second World War. It’s often hard to tell which elements of the story are real and which of them are fictional, since the real history of Japan’s living conditions during the war are presented in accurate and often harrowing detail.
Grave of the Firefliesis one of the most emotionally devastating animated movies ever made, and its historical context makes it more powerful than most of Disney’s tearjerkers, for example. Even though theending ofGrave of the Firefliesis spoiled from the very beginning, it’s no less effective. The cruel dramatic irony that hangs over the story adds another layer of emotion to the story, asGrave of the Firefliessets itself apart as a unique animated offering from Studio Ghibli.
