Please Say Something
Please Say Something is a short series of episodes combine together about a relationship between and a mouse and a cat. Each episode is 30 seconds long and has an intermission between each episode to signify the beginning and end of each show. The series itself takes place in the distant future and follows a tumultuous relationship between the cat and mouse. The episodes shed light on the struggles between the two in their abusive relationship and the penalties of the two characters staying together. The episodes express the emotional and physical effects of being in an unhealthy relationship.
The scenery depicted in the short series is a simplistic outline of 3D animation. The animation contains no textures, motion blurs, reflections or filters. The animation lacks detail in the objects throughout the series and instead focuses on colors and lines to help describe the scenery for each episode. Stripping down the animation effects made the scenery simpler it still succeeds in creating engaging scenery. As stated by Justin Cone:
“The singular forms in [Please Say Something] are simple, the entire universe of [Please Say Something] is complex”
O'Reily chooses to focus on the relationship between a cat and mouse because of the certain connotation that this relationship already holds in the mind of the viewers. Nothing is more complicated than a relationship between a cat and a mouse, or at least this is what has been fed to the viewers in society. We have always seen the dynamic between a cat and mouse to be hostile thanks to old cartoons such as, "Tom and Jerry". The cartoons displayed a consistent hostile environment created by the two animals as they bickered and tortured each other. The series alludes to this as one of the episodes in Please Say Something shows the cat and mouse watching television together and on the screen is displayed an old fashion cat and mouse cartoon.
The juxtaposition between the two characters emphasizes the hostility within the relationship and also suggests the unlikelihood of every creating a successful relationship between a cat and mouse. One of the juxtapositions is who the abusive partner is in the relationship. Naturally, most viewers would assume it's that cat due to the predator like qualities a cat has received in past cartoons. However, in Please Say Something the abuser is the mouse. The mouse stands about leg height to the cat but is displayed with a short temper that often lashes out physically or verbally to his girlfriend, the cat. We see examples of the mouse's anger get the best of him. Ultimately, his anger towards his girlfriend causes them to get into a car crash after he yells at the cat for turning on the radio. After the car crash, the cat sustains critical injuries and it is unclear whether or not she passes away or recovers and continues to live her life with the mouse. The action of the car crash and the injuries the cat receives is the symbolic action showing that a relationship between a cat and mouse is destructive and can never succeed in a loving way.
O'Reily alludes again to the complexity of relationships about the cat and mouse with an episode containing another character: the All-Seeing Eye. The All Seeing Eye is a symbol that holds religious meaning in many cultures. Within culture today the symbol is seen as a reminder of the existence of a higher being. By placing this character into the series creates the assumption that this symbol is God. The Seeing Eye character is depicted roaming around the sky in frustration and confusion. The symbol is then seen sitting at a desk with crumpled and marked sheets of paper. Finally, the symbol states, "one day I'll get it right". The episode containing the Seeing Eye shows that not even a higher being can solve the relationship between a cat and mouse and as the cat and mouse couple continue to fight on earth. The Seeing Eye being integrated into the series almost provides the sense of assurance that the relationship between a cat and mouse will never work, as God cannot figure it out himself.
The storyline helps guide viewers to understand the relationship between the cat and mouse and the struggles they face however, the environment surrounding the characters also matches the emotions behind the characters. When the couple is in the city they are continually unstable and suffer lots of abuse. The scenery around them during this time is typically minimal with colors of grey and sharp neon blues and purples to help create the essence of an unnatural and futuristic environment. When the couple decides to leave the city for a vacation in nature the relationship and the scenery begins to change. During the vacation, the couple does not have any arguments and instead enjoy the company of one another. The scenery depicted for the vacation uses more natural colors to emulate the scenery creating a more tranquil and comforting environment. The colors and scenery are telling to the relationship and the emotions of the characters. One episode is a flash-forward of the cat's life if she left the mouse and it's the scenery of a vibrant and beautiful sunset as she is in the arms of another cat. The scenery creates a warm and trusting environment while O'Reily shows that the cat had a loving life with another cat. This shows that the cat and mouse relationship could not be successful, unlike a cat and cat relationship.
Home Front by Lynn Hershman is an interactive piece that focuses on the relationship of a married couple living in a picturesque American home. Home Front displays the difficulties a couple can face when dealing with everyday tasks such as paying bills and making time for one another
A dollhouse is used to portray the stereotypical American dream home for Home Front. Within the dollhouse, you see a screen that displays a couple arguing in a kitchen. The screen fits perfectly into the windows built on the house itself creating the idea that viewers are looking into the lives of a family and that they are in the dollhouse themselves. Disconnected to the dollhouse itself rests on another screen of the same couple fighting in the "kitchen" being filmed at a future therapy session reflecting on the relationship failing.
The fighting that viewers hear consists of both parties talking about sacrifices they have made for their marriage and the unhappy pressures that fall upon them in order to maintain the "picture perfect" house they live in. Home Front shows the irony of the having an ideal home. The expectation of having an ideal home also plays into the assumption of having an ideal family. It is here viewers see the complications of having an ideal home and how the stress of this created a tear in the married couple shown.
Both Home Front and Please Say Something provides viewers with a glimpse of unhealthy relationships. Home Front displays pressures of external factors that create an unhealthy relationship while Please Say Something presents an unhealthy relationship due to the internal factors-the abusive mouse. Despite drawing their inspiration from different factors both works show the detriment these relationships can have and on each person in the relationship. In Home Front, we see the result of a failed marriage and Please Say Something ends in the injury of the cat. Each work ends in a tragic ending symbolizing the pressures and outcomes of toxic relationships.
The External World is an animated video that portrays a unique but bleak world following the lives of several characters both human and not. The world O’ Reily creates displays disturbing topics such as suicide, mental illness, murder, and abuse. The juxtaposition between the animated characters and the topics displayed create a sense of uneasiness for the viewer. Society has created an essence of animated characters being safe and happy as they have comforted everyone during their years of growing up. This creates a false sense of safety, which O'Reily soon uses to create a shocking reaction to The External World.
The characters that share the strongest similarities with Please Say Something are a relationship with a boy and his father. The scene depicts a young boy practicing the piano with his father watching intently. Each time the boy messes up the father hits him and demands the boy to try again. The relationship between the boy and father mimics the relationship between the cat and mouse. Both relationships are meant to be a trusting and loving relationship but in each one in both of O'Reily's videos, they experience abuse.
Both videos contain the element of animation and display the characters to look comforting creating a more disturbing reaction when viewers see the clash and aggression behind the characters. O'Reily pulls context from the expectation of animation and tries to manipulate this. In The External World, he pulls the viewers into a false sense of security while in Please Say Something he alters the relationship between a cat and mouse. Each creates a new dynamic that the viewers must experience for themselves when watching the videos.
The importance behind Please Say Something shows the tribulation of abusive relationships. Through his work viewers are faced with the dark truth of an abusive relationship and the challenges that can be faced. It shows the struggle of living in an abusive relationship but Please Say Something also displays the challenges of leaving one and the vicious cycle that can continue if one does not leave a harmful relationship. Despite the couple's faults neither can see the damage they are doing or facing until it is too late. The events that unfold are stark examples meant to warn the viewer. The content O'Reily delivers emphasizes the notion that abusive relationships will never work by having the main characters be a cat and mouse. The title alludes to the idea that either communication is not clear within the couple and they each need to be heard or possibly that it is the viewers' job to say something when a relationship like this appears. Please Say Something is a short animated drama series that uses a dark theme to show viewers the importance of a healthy relationship.
Awards:
Golden Bear for best short film - Berlinale (2009)
Grand Prize – Kurzfilmtage Winterthur (2009)
Best Animated Film - Ann Arbor Film Festival (2010)
Special Jury Commendation – Encounters (2009)
Special Mention – Animated Dreams Tallinn (2009)
Silver Dove – DOK Leipzig (2009)
Deutscher Kurzfilmpreis (2009)
Best Narrative Film – Ottawa (2009)
First Prize for Best Short Film – Animadrid (2009)
The Cartoon D’or (2009)
High Risk Award – Fantoche (2009)
Special Distinction – Annecy (2009)
Best German Film – Oberhausen (2009)
Best Animation – Darklight film festival
Special Mention – Prix Ars Electronica
References
https://www.designboom.com/art/david-oreilly-interview-everything-animation-08-23-2017/
https://www.cartoonbrew.com/cgi/please-say-something-5223.html
http://www.iftn.ie/crew/crewnews/?act1=record&only=1&aid=73&rid=4281908&tpl=archnews&force=1
http://www.indiewire.com/2009/02/say-something-wins-golden-bear-for-best-short-247504/
http://motionographer.com/2009/03/06/david-oreilly-interview-please-say-something/
