KIRIKOU AND THE SORCERESS
France, 1998, 74 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Michel Ocelot.
Kirikou and the Sorceress has won numerous awards at children’s festivals and animation festivals. Produced in France, Belgium and Luxembourg, it is set in Africa amongst tribal people. Kirikou is a little boy whose mission it is to save the village from the sorceress. The sorceress, however, was a young woman who was attacked by men who pushed a thorn into her back. She was in agony but became evil, living with the pain, cursing everybody. There is also a kindly grandfather – all of which are ingredients for a children’s fable but one which has appeal to adults. The answer to saving the village is for the sorceress to be healed rather than destroyed. (In America, because of the women’s lack of dress above the waist, the film was classified as for mature audiences only.)
However, Kirikou is a film that can be recommended widely both for its delightful animation and story, its music as well as its moral and its mythical tale.
1. A stylised animated film with African traditions? African images, colours, sounds? Mythologies?
2. The appeal for children, the story of Kirikou, wonderful baby, growing up, the clash with the sorceress, everything coming right for Kirikou, the sorceress and the village? Adult response? Children's response? African response?
3. The title and the focus, the little boy, wonderful powers, growing up? The role of the sorceress, in the village, with the men, with Kirikou, the happy ending?
4. The visual style, the drawings, movement? Expressions, costumes? The visual impact of the colour? The musical score?
5. Kirikou and the voice-over, the pregnant mother, giving birth, the little child, his immediately going into action, the encounter with his uncle, the story of the sorceress, hiding in the hat, confronting the sorceress, her being deceived by the hat, her wanting it? The return, the confrontation? His growing up, the old wise man, the story of the sorceress, his confrontation, her being charmed, the marriage? The returning to the village, suspicions, the uncle, the women? His standing his ground, the wise man coming, explanations and his becoming a hero?
6. The men of the village, the uncle, wanting to fight, the disappearance of the other men? The mother, her concern about Kirikou? The return of Kirikou, the liberation of the men, the happy reunion?
7. The sorceress, her angers, the story of her eating the men? Her appearance, manner, her court? Wanting the hat, finding Kirikou? Her transformation, her coming at the end, the happy marriage?
8. The people in the village, Kirikou growing up, his return, their fear of the sorceress, trying to attack her? The violence of the women? The wise man and peace?
9. The old wise man, his relationship to Kirikou, looking at the situation, giving advice, coming to make all things well?
10. An African fairy tale? African mythologies? The universal story, its impact?
