The Secret of Kells
Brendan dreams of writing the greatest book of all time, but he's stifled by his uncle, Abbot Cellach, who wants Brendan to be practical and help build a wall around the village of Kells to help protect them from an impending Viking attack. When Brother Aidan turns up from another village that's already been attacked by the vikings, he captivates Brendan because he was a great writer, and he asks Brendan to help him finish the now legendary Book of Kells. Now, Brendan must defy his uncle's warnings and venture into the forest outside Kells and confront his fears of the "Dark One" to find inspiration to finish the great Book of Kells.
The Academy Awards have a tendency to nominate a lot of films that have only been released in limited release and are not very widely seen. Some people see this as a detriment, thinking that the Academy has lost touch because it typically doesn't look at the more widely seen and generally loved movies. In my opinion this is actually a strength,...
Spellbinding Beauty
"I've lived through many ages
Through the eyes of salmon, deer and wolf
I have seen the north men invading Ireland
destroying all in search of gold
I have seen suffering in the darkness
yet, I have seen beauty thrive in the most fragile of places
I have seen the book,
the book that turned darkness into light..."
These are the opening words to what is a most remarkable film - Tomm Moore's The Secret of Kells. The Secret of Kells is no mere animated film...it is an illumination. Appropriately so for it is based upon the creation of what may be arguably called the single most beautiful work of human hands to ever have been created - the book of Kells. The book of Kells is a hand-written illuminated copy of the New Testament's four Gospels completed by Celtic monks cica 800 ad and imbued with a strong Celtic sensibility literally woven throughout more tradition Christian iconography. It is widely considered to be the pinnacle of Ireland's...
I have seen the book. The book that turns darkness into light.
The Book of Kells is Ireland's greatest treasure: an ancient book filled with exquisite illuminations.
Technically, "The Secret of Kells" is about the making of that book. But it's far more than that -- it's a visual hymn to Ireland's history, a coming-of-age tale, and a parable about Christianity coming to Ireland. Modern animation is suffused with exquisite Celtic art, music and a sense of fairy magic, and wrapped around a seemingly simple story about a boy learning about the power of art.
Abbot Cellach is determined to save the Abbey of Kells from the Viking invaders, so he's having the monks (including his nephew Brendan) build a vast wall around the abbey. But when the illuminator Brother Aiden arrives, he brings with him the legendary Book of Iona. Brendan is fascinated by the Book, and ventures out into the forest -- against the abbot's orders -- to fetch ink-making supplies for Aiden.
He befriends a strange fairy girl named Aisling, and...
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