Varmints by Crastle, M (23min ver)

A dog like varmint is out in the field looking at different plants.  

But the peaceful nature is soon taken over and destroyed by what seems to be a sort of industrialization. (Which kind of reminded me that of industrialization in England) The varmint quickly snatches off a twig of the tree before everything decaying. A few days or months later the varmint is living in the city that was built upon the nature, but is motivated to take care of what’s left of the tree. (The twig) While the varmint is sleeping, the twig spreads out nature (spores?) which spread across the entire city.

However, the city gradually experiences an outbreak of some type of plague (again, reminded me of England and its black plague) which affects the varmints that live in the city and the main varmint, along with his plant. Giant jellyfish like things emerge from the city’s walls and floors and save the people by taking them up inside of the jellyfish. The varmint almost gets left behind in the decaying city, but is quickly saved by one of the jellyfish, along with his plant. The varmint wakes up in the jellyfish, which is filled with nature reminiscent of the first scene in the field. 

Review:

I really enjoyed this film as it showed many different messages and emotions without any talking. It showed that films don’t need words to convey a vast amount of emotions. From what I saw and read from the film. Varmints is a representation of our own world and its mistakes, and what we can do right now to save the planet. Although Varmints is a very early 2000 short film, at the time, problems such as global warming were already present and very concerning. The first scene showing the decay of plants kinda of represented the industrialization age and its negative effects on the environment. How it has not only created a new world but also has destroyed the nature around us and our own lives. (health) In the final parts of the story, we can see the jellyfish come back to save the protagonist. And I think this is not because of how the jellyfish fortunately found one of the people being left behind, but as a gratitude for that varmint of taking care, loving and understanding the value of life (nature) after seeing the varmint had a plant next to him. My guess is that if it was a completely different person, it would be likely that they would have been left behind to repent for their actions of destroying the environment. While most citizens in the city were taken up and saved, I do not think the jellyfish would deliberately come back to save just one varmint. The varmint was saved because of how he was different amongst all the people who just accepted and ignored the damage they have dealt to the environment.

I also enjoyed the sound and music in this film, and how it reflected and portrayed the varmints emotions. It definitely plays an important role for the film to portray things in detail without words. (besides the facial and physical features changing)