The Deer King Review
A Brief Review of The Deer King
Van, a warrior who was captured and forced into slavery, miraculously survives an attack by a pack of wolves in the the mine where he is being held. From the confines of his cell he manages to also save an orphaned girl named Yuna by fighting a wolf through the bars. Together they leave and set off to form new lives. But when it is discovered that they may be carrying a virus that is ravaging the country, they are hunted by various groups who want to either kill, study, or enslave them.
Going into The Deer King, I expected it to be a rip-off of Princess Mononoke. The marketing prominently promoted the fact that the creators started their career in animation at Studio Ghibli and worked on Mononoke. Several of the scenes featured in the trailer were also reminiscent of Mononoke, such as the deer, the location, and a tribe that takes in an outcast. There was definitely influence from that film, but Deer King stands on its own, and I found it to be a much better movie.
Normally, I don’t care if a film has a great animation. I’m also more interested in the characters and the plot, and too often animation is used as a crutch to make up for poor storytelling and character development. The Deer King is the rare movie that uses animation to enhance the experience. Animation is used only to give further insight into the world of The Deer King and its characters. For example, when Van first arrives at his newfound home, he is engaged in conversation with the people of the village. Yuan slowly moves from lap to lap, refusing to sit still until she is reunited with Van. It’s a small thing but it helps us to greatly understand the bond between the movie, and there are numerous other moments like this scattered throughout.
The Deer King at its heart is a movie about a father’s love for his child. Although Yuan was adopted by Van, he has come to view her as his own. He is willing to do anything to protect her, including putting his own life in danger. Van continually puts himself in danger to ensure that Yuan is safe and does not have to grow up in a world of conflict. The bond between them was pure and it was a breath of fresh air from the usual cynicism of modern cinema.
My one and only complaint is that the world of The Deer King may be too vast for the big screen. The world was full of numerous cultures and tribes that have been at conflict for a while. It was slightly confusing trying to keep up with the various relationships between the tribes, religions, and countries. As the movie continued I was able to grasp more and more of the world, but in the beginning I was very confused about what was happening. It was slightly frustrating, though not bad enough to detract from my overall experience.
I loved this movie and cannot recommend it enough. Go see The Deer King as soon as possible.
