Reviews                          Klaus                 10 September 2023


   "Klaus" is an animated film by Spanish director Sergio Pablos.  What
   immediately struck me was the visual style of the animation:
   throughout the viewing, I savoured this deliberately vibrant
   and touching atmosphere with no less vibrant characters.
   Interestingly, the director of the film also contributed
   to the screenplay for "Despicable Me," yet in the styles of these two
   films, I could only identify one similarity - the way the external
   features of the characters are exaggerated in accordance with their
   personalities.

   So, this is a wonderful film that successfully combines beautiful
   visual animation style with an intriguing plot and profound themes.
   At the centre of the narrative is Jesper - an infantile young man
   whose father owns a postal company.  One day, his father decides
   to put an end to his son's spoilt behaviour and sends him to mature
   at the northernmost town of Smeerensburg to organise a post office
   and process at least six thousand letters within a year.
   An interesting fact: the town's name is derived from the Dutch
   "Smeerenburg" - a former settlement on Amsterdam Island founded
   by Danish and Dutch whalers in 1614.

   Upon arriving on the island, Jesper discovers that the town is home
   to two clans that are in a state of constant feuding.  Clearly,
   the townspeople are not interested in letters; their only concern is
   causing harm to each other.  Jesper realises that he is not destined
   to process the required six thousand letters and falls into despair.
   However, one day he accidentally discovers a remote location on
   the map, where a mysterious grey-haired old man named Klaus lives.
   Klaus is a reclusive woodsman and carpenter who has his own
   woodworking shop and a multitude of toys made by his own hands.

   Jesper arrived on an island where senseless fighting between the two
   clans never ceased for even a day.  Both clans had long forgotten
   what they were feuding for - their leaders claimed they were fighting
   each other because it was their "legacy," and all their past
   generations had also fought each other.  (Thus, it seemed logical
   to them that they should continue feuding with each other.)

   The director uses allegory to mock the social stereotype that one
   must unquestionably accept their ancestors' legacy, even if it
   contains inherent flaws.  For example, Russia comes to mind - its
   government is so obsessed with its historical past that, rather than
   advancing and aspiring towards a brighter, freer future, the country
   seems stuck in the last century, adopting all the most aggressive
   repressive practices from the times of the Soviet Union.

   In reality, the animated film doesn't have any hidden subtext:
   the entire film revolves around the phrase


              "A true selfless act always sparks another."


   Frankly, this is what captivated me about the film: it's simple,
   but for that reason, it felt incredibly authentic to me.  As the plot
   unfolds, Jesper befriends Klaus and together they create and give
   toys to the children of the town of Smeerensburg, revitalising
   and transforming the town in the process.  There is a stark contrast
   between the town as it was in the beginning and how it becomes after
   Jesper's arrival (though initially upon arriving in the city, Jesper
   had no intention of changing himself, let alone changing anything
   in the city.)

   To reinforce the phrase I mentioned in the previous paragraph, Jesper
   transforms from a childish young man into a self-sufficient, mature,
   and complete adult - all thanks to Klaus's kindness, which enabled
   Jesper to perform a good deed and witness the result.  In the end,
   Jesper even takes a bold step: when his father comes to take him
   back, he refuses to return to his luxurious life - Jesper stays
   in Smeerensburg, with Klaus and his new love, Alva.

   The film also teaches empathy and demonstrates that there are
   no truly bad people in the world: the fates of all the characters
   transform throughout the film - both Jesper and members
   of the feuding clans.  In the end, there isn't a single truly
   negative character left: each finds their place in life and shows
   their brighter side.  The same holds true in the real world - there
   are no truly evil people, only those whose darker sides temporarily
   suppress the good.  Darkness does not exist - there is only
   the absence of light.  Most often, this is coupled with some sort
   of unhappiness, as a genuinely happy person would be unlikely
   to intentionally harm others.  For the unhappy, one can only feel
   compassion; they're already suffering enough.





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