THE IRON GIANT

US, 1999, 86 minutes, Colour.
Voices of: Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick Jr, Vin Diesel, James Gammon, Cloris Leachman, Christopher Mc Donald, John Mahoney, Eli Marienthal, M. Emmet Walsh.
Directed by Brad Bird.

The Iron Giant is based on a story by English poet and poet laureate, Ted Hughes.

The story for the film was adapted by Brad Bird who went on to direct such films as The Incredibles and Ratatouille as well as Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol. The screenplay was written by Tim McCanlies?, the creator of Smallville and director of some films like Secondhand Lions.

The film has a very strong voice cast including Jennifer Aniston as the mother, Eli Marienthal as the little boy, Harry Connick Jr as the artist and Vin Diesel as the Iron Giant himself.

The story is set in 1957, the Eisenhower era, the fear of nuclear disaster and the atmosphere of the Cold War. The film shows an ordinary American town – and the inhabitants thinking that they saw a flying saucer or some UFO. However, it is the Iron Giant who lands, but has forgotten where he came from, despite the ability to repair himself. He also has a diet only of iron and begins to munch up some of the ironwork in factories and buildings in the town. He is encountered by Hogarth Hughes, a young adventurous boy who lives with his mother (voiced by Jennifer Aniston). He befriends the giant.

However, the locals have rung government authorities and a very officious agent (voiced by Christopher McDonald) arrives and fosters a conspiracy theory as he tries to find out what actually happened. Eventually, the army is called in, and the giant is seen as a terrifying enemy by a paranoid society. However, the giant is not destroyed – and he escapes into the air, landing in Iceland.

The animation style is different from the familiar Disney work – though Brad Bird was to move to Pixar after this.

The film is entertaining both for adults and for children, recreates the paranoia of a period, shows family difficulties in a small town, shows the fear of the unknown – but the possibility of friendship and affirmation.

1. A 1990s perspective on the 1950s? The Cold War, the atomic era, Russia and fear, paranoia, agents and the army?

2. The story by poet Ted Hughes? Adapted for the screen? Director Brad Bird and his subsequent career? The voice talent for the film?

3. The animation style, the landscapes, the town, humans, the giant? The musical score?

4. Hogarth and his energy, his pets and his mother’s forbidding them, the squirrel in the diner, in Dean’s pants? The mother, her work, concern for her son? The absent father? Home, renting the room? The difficulties?

5. Hogarth and the upset at the diner, meeting Dean? At home, watching the television, the horror film about the brain? The antenna going, on the roof, finding the bites, discovering the giant, his fear, running away, calming down, talking to the giant, the giant’s friendly gestures, the giant mimicking Hogarth, playing? Chomping up the iron?

6. The picture of the town, the workers, the UFO, reporting to the government? Dean, his artwork with the scrap iron, considered something of a hippy?

7. Hogarth and his gun, Agent Kent finding it, returning it? Dean taking away the scrap? Hogarth persuading him to become involved, Dean’s caution, getting to know the giant, sharing the artwork?

8. Kent, officious, coming to the house, sceptical, working on behalf of the authorities, suspicious of Hogarth, boarding at the house, the meals, Hogarth and his grace? Pushing the giant out of the upstairs room – and the toilet misinterpretation? Kent discovering Hogarth’s photos and the image of the giant?

9. Hogarth telling his mother about the giant? The friendship with the giant, the giant repairing himself, eating, the scrapyard, Hogarth diving into the pool, the giant diving in and causing a tsunami, Dean caught in the flood?

10. Kent calling in the army, the general, the tactics, the ideas?

11. The giant, having to cope, attacked, battle?

12. The giant escaping, the farewell, flying away, the more benign response?

13. Hogarth in his room – and the piece of the machine still there, the farewell?

14. The giant and his landing in Iceland – the land for the Frankenstein monster?

15. An entertaining allegory of attitudes in the 1950s? Relevant to the 1990s, later?