With this apocalyptic tone, the film evokes a quote from the French critic turned filmmaker Jean Luc Godard. Writing about the work of Japanese director Kenji Mizoguchi, Godard described the filmmaker in words that also apply to Zilbalodis’s films, namely, that of “an adventure that is at the same time a cosmogony” (Godard 1986, 70). The question of existence resonates. The Shadow that follows the child seems gentle, but it takes the lives of living beings like a deer on the road. At the beginning of Far, the boy inhabits an oasis, a space where he meets his feathered companion and is shown beauty in a world devoid of people. While humans are rare, colossal entities roam the world with animals. In Far, the shadow is the precursor of the whale that appears in Flow, echoing the book of Job and the great white whale Moby Dick.
Another topic that arises in Far, It is that of being alone in the cosmos. the boy in Far and the cat in Flow They both find ways to survive in a beautiful but cruel universe through companionship. The way Zilbalodis’s protagonists get ahead is through teamwork. Despite being a solitary cat unlike the other black cats in Far, the protagonist in Flow persists in seeking cooperation through unlikely sources. Just as the different animals become the cat’s family, the child of Far He completes his journey with the help of the bird that accompanies him.
There is something aesopic about Zilbalodis’ work that is refreshing when compared to the current Hollywood animated films showing in multiplexes. As Alex Dudok from Wit The red turtle As he noted of the film, “the free staging marks a refreshing break from so much computer-generated animation, which above all emulates the cinematic language of classic Hollywood live-action cinema” (De Wit 2020). It’s easy to fall into hyperbole when praising a film. Especially one that receives global attention through ceremonies like the Academy Awards. However, in the face of ecological issues in the world around us, animated films like Far invites you to aspire to new possibilities. Something we should not take our eyes off.
**Article published: July 17, 2026**
References
Dudok De Wit, Alex. 2020.”Far review: A lonely entertainer in The open road. British Film Institute (August 28, 2020), available at:
Godard, Jean-Luc. 1986. Godard on Godardedited by Jean Narboni and Tom Milne. New York: Da Capo Press.
Biography
Born and raised in Illinois, Jeff Mugrage is a freelance writer with particular interests in film philosophy, classical Hollywood, and French New Wave cinema.