Why The Iron Giant is More Than Just a Cartoon | Video Essay
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- Опубликовано: 5 сен 2024
- In this video essay we discuss and analyse the impact of cartoons and animated movies on our mental and moral development. And how Brad Bird's animated classic The Iron Giant uses character arcs to embed its moral message.
#TheIronGiant #BradBird #VideoEssay #AnimatedFilms
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It'll never be "just a cartoon", it'll always be a piece of art that will forever stand the test of time and will draw tears with every viewing
Absolutely 🙌
Wow You must really love this movie
It’s hard to see him say “Superman” without me tearing up
"What you currently have, IN YOUR MOOOOUTH.......IS ART"
Giant:..........art??
*attempts to fix it
"Forget it, FORGET IT"
*🌷
".......that's not bad 😦"
@@Abstrakt_YT You and Me Both 😭
This is one movie that I'll Always Love ❤️
Alright. No joke. This is that one movie for me. That one movie from my childhood I can quote backwards and forwards. I've probably watched it at least twice a year since I was four years old. Every time I see that giant and his big glowing eyes my brain is hit with a tidal wave of nostalgia and serotonin. In my mind this movie is absolutely perfect, along with the memories I have associated with it
Same
Its my fav movie and im 16 it has been my fav movie since i was 8 or 7, i can tell what happens in every scene in the movie cus ive watched it so many times
@@mrinzo991 literally the same I’m almost 15 and i love this movie
Well said friend
For some reason I vividly remember the scene where he shows Mansley how to make a “landslide”. The scene where adds chocolate crumbs to the milkshakes lol
This is the almost perfect movie. Not a piece of single dialogue that doesn't add to character. Not a scene that doesn't add to story.
My son some many years ago insisted on watching this movie every night for at least a week, and we NEVER got tired of watching it, but in fact learned to appreciate the elegance of the pacing, script, art style, and the genuine love that went into this movie.
The way it turned out ot be one of the greatest animated movies of all time considering how much of a troubled production it had is truly a miracle, just like with Prince of Egypt.
"You stay, I go...no following" about there is when the crying happens. Even if I know how this movie ends, I just can't stop bawling after that. Truly a beautiful and underrated piece of art and unlike some animated movies can be fully enjoyed by anyone. Brad Bird is a fantastic director with not only Iron Giant but Incredibles 1-2 and Ratatouille under his belt, however his other works have nothing on Iron Giant.
I sometimes still break when the giant thinks Hogarth is dead, goes on a rampage and Hogarth calms him down.
We all have that point, no matter how chill we are, where we snap and go off. But if you have someone who cares, who you trust, and who brings out the best in you, then they can pull you back from the brink.
For me it’s just a bit earlier, when the Giant looks quizzically at Hogarth as he says “it’s a missile, when it comes down, everybody will die…”
The moment that hits me, is the Giant looking down at Hogarth and the townsfolk, then up at the missile’s launch arc, you can see him thinking, and he quietly says (nearly inaudibly) “I Fix!”
His decision, no, CHOICE, has been made, and thats when my home gets invaded by invisible Ninjas cutting onions….
That’s also why I despise the Hollywood ‘happy’ ending, it should have ended at “I’ll miss him” and fade out in the memorial statue, cut everything else.
Idk why this movie hits different to me. Gives me a feeling of home, nostalgia, comfort, and happiness. Honestly one of the most under rated movies of all time.
Same
@@angel79nunn yeah like have you seen free birds? The part where they go to the woods from the helicopter hit me the same way for some reason
@@JackHandelman ye I've seen free birds good movie. Have you see brother bear? Now that's a movie that gives me nastolgia lol
@@angel79nunn no I haven’t actually
@@JackHandelman wait what?!!!!! Omg you should definitely see it if you love iron jiant you will love brother bear. Its a Disney film very underated so I guess I shouldn't be surprised you haven't watched but ye you should watch it.
I loved this movie so much as a kid , even till now. I remember crying the first time I saw the giant give his life to save the town. Being 25 years old now and having sons of my own , it is a beautiful sight to watch my 2 and 1yr old watch this movie and enjoy every bit of it.. The other day while watching the movie my 2 yr old said "daddy the giant is gone" with tears in his eyes.. that brought me right to tears because I'll never forget how I felt as a kid but at the time I was around 5 when I saw this movie. The Iron Giant will always hold a special place in my heart
kids are often underestimated but they pick up so much
This movie's structure is another thing to marvel at. You can't watch 5 minutes of it without encountering a setup that later pays off greatly.
Subtle foreshadowing, great themes and the only good fake out death ever, which has been set up masterfully.
I'm not a cinema connoisseur, but the only movie whose structure surpasses that of the Iron Giant that comes to my mind is the Dark Knight.
Duuuuude Underrated movie and channel
Thanks a lot!
Duuuuude Underrated comment
"I am *NOT* a gun," -The Iron Giant
Then what shot the nuclear warhead? The reality of the movie is that nothing on the planet could have ever hoped to destroy the insane war machine that was the Iron Giant. The nuke wouldn't have done anything but kill every living thing, and possibly set off global nuclear war had it actually set down on American soil. The Soviets might even have gone as far to seize the opportunity to launch a pre-emptive strike on an excuse that the US just fucking bombed its own population and couldn't be trusted with nukes. The Giant was a sophisticated AI with an immense arsenal that could have killed the entire human race. It IS a gun. The point was, through whatever malfunction it experienced, by interacting with Hogarth, even after it fully recovered its memories and functions, it learned that it had a choice to not fire. And eventually we see that not even a point blank nuclear explosion did anything to him that falling to earth didn't do. The bold-faced reality is everything would have gone exactly like it did in the movie, only there is no Hogarth. His character was just a substitute for an emotional plea against guns. But in the end, without the Iron Giant choosing to be the biggest, bad-ass gun it could possibly be, most likely everyone would be dead.
There's no escaping the fact that choice or not, he is what he is. A war machine programmed for destruction that showed on multiple occasions that if provoked, even he didn't feel confident that he wouldn't shoot back. The ending left him making the choice to pick his own target based on his own newly acquired values. But it left the future to remain uncertain. By him slowly reassembling, it was showing that guns will always exist, and there's nothing you can do about it. The only power you have in the face of that impending future is the choice of "What are YOU going to do?"
Such a beautiful film. One of those rare adaptations that manages to outshine its source material. The "Superman" bit never fails to make me tear up.
I had the chance to watch this movie on a cinema here in Argentina like a year ago. The thing is that here (and i think latinamerica in general), the movie never actually premiered on cinema, so it was very special. I have always enjoyed it on TV, on cartoon network, but watch it on the big screen was awesome.
in 1999 most of the theaters were empty. I remember seeing it and it the theater was half-packed.
The Iron Giant is the greatest animated film ever made outside of Disney. This was a masterpiece. Spirited Away and The Land Before Time are great too but this film was just an amazing film that finally got an audience by word of mouth on DVD and Blu Ray.
Warner brothers*
The best animated warner brothers movie
@@Sucas_Lounge my friend, OP didn't say that it wasn't made by WB
I think it has every argument for the best animated story of all time. However, 3 come to mind that can nearly rival, Land Before Time, Prince of Egypt, and Spirited Away. Prince of Egypt doesn’t get as much appreciation because of the biblical narrative, but outside of that, if you look at it as a fantasy historical epic, it’s essentially perfect. To me, these are the 4 best and it’s not even close, with Iron Giant and Spirited Away having a slight edge over the other 2 due to their clear and defined ageless themes.
@@joshuastriffolino9721 Spirited Away I actually should put as 1 and 1A with Iron Giant. Both were terrific films.
Yeah I definitely don't cry when he flies into the missile.
What is wrong with you
I know and assume that you're being sarcastic. No matter how many times I have seen this movie. Which is more than a hundred. It always hits me
I'm not crying, you're crying
I got allergies
My eyes are just sweating
This movie will always have an extremely special place in my heart. As a kid, I regularly watched and rewatched the movie so often, my mother would actively try to hide the case from me because I would search for it so I could specifically watch it and not something else. It was such a foundational experience for me with how the movie so perfectly taught my younger self the importance of staying true to yourself in spite of everything else in the world saying others. Especially so considering I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 3 years old, a genetic condition that fate largely controlled my diagnoses of, while also growing up in a household with a dangerously obsessed Christian parent who, without realizing what she was implying, would always remind me "Bad things happen to bad people". To me, that lesson meant I was intrinsically "bad" because I was punished with diabetes, but this movie was the light that kept shining to remind me "No, you are who you want to be."
While I am no perfect saint, I always try my damndest to do what I think is the "good" choice whenever I can.
This movie is my childhood. I watched this so much as a kid and still do as an adult. These movies show that you choose your destiny and future and dare I say it, your are who you choose to be. I plan on getting a tattoo of the iron giant on me in the future after I get my current piece done.
My Uncle grew up in the 50s and he remembered seeing Sputnik at the age of 6 playing in his Queen home.
Yah, I haven't seen this movie since I was a little-little, and you really got me here almost in tears at these little clips. Gotta watch it again and make sure my younger siblings remember it, too
Huh.
Never thought a RUclips video essay would make me cry.
This is a good video
I never got to watch this movies til now at 22, and it blew my mind how incredible it is! I missed out on this movie as a kid. Thank you so much for giving us a behind the scene on it. I love cinema and how it can be used to distill values and bring joy to the world.
I was baffled that when talking friends, then and now, that only a handful of them have watched or remember this movie. It had such an impact on my childhood and I wished it was a bigger hit with others, cause it had layers or important messaging. Kudos to you, Sir, amazing video!
I’ve watched this movie hundreds of times, and it always brings tears to face. I would always watch it at my grandmas house, I loved this movie as a kid and I still do
This was such a beautiful watch. Really poignant essay both culturally and also from a more academic point of view. I wish more people would enjoy videos just like this. I think the arcs for the characters are subconsciously apparent to the general viewer, but understanding them at a deeper level really makes them shine more, which I think would help reinforce the positive change these movies instigate within us when we watch them.
But this was a great video, such underrated content for sure, keep it up 👏🏻
Thanks for the comment! I’m glad you liked it!
Okay okay okay I'm a minute in and that five second clip of the Iron Giant saying "Superman" as he closes his eyes almost had me bawling.
I was in 3rd grade when this came out. My whole world was changing. My parents had just split up, I was 2 states away from home. "You are who you choose to be". The Iron Giant has always been and always will be there for me.
it was the first movie i ever saw in theater when i was two years old ( later my parrents bought me the VHS) and i still think it's one of the best animated movie i have ever see
Nice analysis.
Although it does fall into the over simplistic take that it's an 'anti gun' movie.
It's not.
Yes...it is in a sense about weapons. But in the sense that we...ALL of us. Are in essense 'weapons'.
And we all have the choice to make in whether we are to use our abilities for great harm..or great good.
Destruction or for creation.
All of us must make that ultimate individual choice. You are...who YOU choose to be.
Thanks for the vid. :)
(an animator on Iron Giant.)
It's a film about human nature and its destructive capabilities. Anything can be a weapon, the source of its destructive power is the person wielding it.
@@mcribisback7105 Correct! Also in that we all have choices to make.
And that destructive power we have is emphasized by the focus on the cold war and the possibility of nuclear war.
Iron Giant is such an underrated animated masterpiece. I was so happy to see the big robot fellow in the Cinematic trailer for Multiverses. 🤖
Great essay. Some parts gave me goosebumps. The first was the thought that a gun might not want to do what it was designed for. I thought it was an interesting and intelligent analogy of humans. It really made me think about the way I'm living my life and the goals I have set for myself. Another was when the Iron Giant destroyed the nuke by hitting it head-on. This is because I have come to perceive my life's purpose to be a protector/defender, and to me, it would be an honor to be able to sacrifice myself for those around me. I just felt like I could relate to that cartoon robot when he came to peace with the idea of making the ultimate sacrifice. Anyway, your essay was awesome. The intelligence of people who's entire channels are based on video essays baffles me. It always seems like you people can see from so many different perspectives. Great job, and thanks for the awesome enlightenment!
For me at least and the people I've run across my life so far, I find most people would name a Disney/Pixar film as their favorite animated film, but for me it was The Iron Giant. The film is just lightning in a bottle.
I am a dude this is one of those few movies that truly makes me feel for the characters. I only cry for this movie I do not know why.
"What if a gun had a soul, and didn't wanna be a gun"
Rest in peace, Susan Bird.
2:19 That scene will always give me chills
I love this video for so many reasons, but I'll just name a few.
1. This is literally my first period class in a nutshell
2. I love this movie and I totally agree with everything this dude says
3. The first time I watched this movie was when I was in like 5th grade, witch was a year before my dad died, witch makes me have a few memories of me and my dad watching old movies like this
Over all, I just love it all
awww that's sweet and im sorry for your loss.
I love how observant and deliberate these videos are. Insanely underrated channel.
I sometimes forget about how much I like The Iron Giant, I think it’s because the scene where the Giant sacrifices himself still makes me sad even as an adult. But I’m glad I came here
Such an amazing movie full to the brim with heart, humor and action
It amazes me that I was so touched by an animated film but I was
I havnt seen any movies recently that come close to classics like The
Iron Giant and I couldnt wait until my kids were old enough to show it to them.
This is definitely NOT a just a cartoon! My daughter grew up with this film and she’s got a tattoo that says “souls don’t die” She even got my husband a collector edition for his birthday! This is what Iron Giant means to us!!! ♥️
Ever since my mom bought me and my two sisters this movie on DVD I have regarded it as my favorite movie. Sure I love The Batman, Interstellar, and the Godzilla movies but I will always come back to this movie. Whenever I need to make a difficult choice I think about the Giant sacrificing himself and saying "you are who you choose to be"
12:45 "one animated film won't singlehandedly launch an entire generation into a spiritual, moral and cultural revolution"
The Iron Giant: *exists*
Me: Yeah..... I think I'll have to disagree with that.....
the problem is you know people have to have actually seen the film. I thought this film was more popular than it actually was growing up. Literally none of my friends have seen this movie. The only people who i know that have seen the movie are my parents that showed it to me when i was kid.
Another thing is, the moral and cultural revolution has to actually have happend which is isn't. In fact the world is going backwards and forgetting the lessons it was taught.
People think getting revenge equals equality. Certain communities wanna make everyone else suffer for stuff people hundreds of years ago did.
The world got way worse than it did when the movie came out. So actually the video creator is correct. Its not enough to launch an entire generation into that type of revolution. Because society has become to narcissistic and self centered to move in any other direction. Society is focused on making people feelings feel valid instead of actually address real issues that have been around for decades if not centuries. People are still starving, people are still killing eachother, people still think their race is better than another race.
Nothing has gotten better except for the technology.
My god, word for word of what you said, I completely agree with. The western world is truly starting to become a dystopia, and exactly as you said, we are returning redundantly to making the same mistakes we have been committing for far far far too long already. It seems to always be the same thing over and over, just opposite sides of the political spectrum becoming extremist, oscillating like a pendulum over time.. last time it was the far right, today the far left... will it ever stop? Probably not, but as long as these oscillations get dampened over time, I think one day, we might reach a stable point of equilibrium, although I don’t know if we will make it till then seeing how things are going. All the while, real problems are still out there and not getting the attention needed so that substantial effort is made to try an solve them. Extremist ideologies are tearing us apart... I think perhaps part of the core issue lies within the education system, which fails to teach kids to think for themselves and most importantly, critically.
Back on topic for this video, this movie is a masterpiece. It tells such a compelling, deep story. So so much more than a cartoon. Most super high budget movies made today don’t even come close to expressing to such detail the morals that ultimately drive our lives. It might sound cliche, but I think love (and so inner peace) for yourself primarily and the next, is the way to go about life and make our world better for everyone. It’s all about the individual in the end.
I have watched this movie during my childhood too many times to count, and it brings to me fond memories of my incredible grandfather whom I miss dearly to this day. Perhaps this and my grandfather (who used to fly his glider and other planes) was really the start to my life dream and passion for flying.
Just... so much more than a cartoon, honestly. :)
@@fucksusan.fuckcensorship.874 the world can move both backwards and forwards at the same time. you are correct, there is still hate and suffering in society. but there is also love, compassion, and understanding; many people intentionally choosing to be more than the hate and violence they were taught and shown by society. this movie alongside this generation and many other factors has lead individuals to seek and strive for a spiritual, cultural, and moral revolution.
The best feel good movie ever. It stays with you forever after seeing it.
This is a nice watch. As a film student it was pretty nice to see 'save the cat' used as a reference. I read that book in my first year of college. 🙏🏽🤟🏽
I’m 21 years old and this movie still makes me cry
I never heard of the term flat arc before.
Every writing class always says your main protagonist has to have a character arc for the story to be worth any salt.
So this is interesting and I like it because there are lots of good stories that exist where the main protagonist doesn't NEED to change and doesn't need that positive character arc like you describe.
‘You are who you choose to be’ is a mantra I quote on a daily basis it fills me with strength and that’s all due to The Iron Giant. This film fills me with such amazing feelings of wonder and happiness. This is the movie for me. The music and pace is amazing and as someone who was a lonely child I felt like Hogarth. The Giant represented my father in my eyes as this kind, Benevolent who at the end despite his flaws only cared and above all thought of others.
I love this film. The ending always makes me cry.
I can not explain how much I love this movie. One of my fave animations of all time!
There’s only one way to describe this movie and in the words of the filmmaker himself
“What if a gun had a soul and didn’t want to be a gun anymore?”
Knowing Hollywood, there’s gonna be a remake sometime in the future :(
The 2015 re-release was great, but if they remake it in CGI or live action I'll flip.
@@robbiemcneish4459 *monke flip*
Honestly, I wouldn't care if Brad Bird and ONLY Brad Bird decided to make a live action version of the film.
@@streetrat48 x2
@@streetrat48 he isnt going to :( he said the movie was a flop and there wasnt gonna be a part 2
I'm so glad that despite being born in 2006, this film was apart of my childhood.
The Iron Giant is beyond phenomenal. It managed to be a rare piece of art that managed to move me to tears (When I first watched it, I was 13 I think), and it immediately became my single most favourite animated movie of all time. It combined an extremely interesting and very well-executed setting of paranoic late 1950s Cold War America and captivating sci-fi elements exceptionally well. The bonding of the main character and the titular Iron Giant is in my opinion the best character development ever written, from the moment they first meet to the very final second.
I can ALWAYS watch this movie. It makes me cry at the end
Cartoons are a medium. It's a form of art. The medium still is capable of sending meaningful messages.
Fantastic breakdown of a staggering work of animated genius. One of the best animated movies to ever come out. Well done!
I was never a big fan of the deleted "bad dream" scene. It kinda gave away the secret weapons of the giant too early, and showed that the giants were actually mass produced. I liked it better when it was just the singular Giant when I saw the film in theatres for the first time.
That bad dream scene kinda feels like it's there to set up a sequel or plant seeds of distrust for the giant in the audience
I enjoyed this video essay a lot! Great points. The Iron Giant is a favorite for me
Man, every time I’m reminded of this movie I feel better. I genuinely believe that this movie shaped my path in life. I don’t I’ll ever be able to explain how much I love this film.
My favorite Vin Deisel movie
Man, this is really cool! Such an underrated channel
This has been my favorite movie for years. The 2D animation and the artstyle is beautiful. And the story is just great
I'm so happy I grew up watching this film. It's very special.
It’s been over twenty years and this movie still rocks.
Your voice is so perfect for this! Not only dark but straight to the point. Amazing...
No matter how old I get "superman...." will always give me goosebumps
I have no idea how this movie didn’t do well at the box office.
It was not adequately promoted. At the time it was in the theaters, I saw exactly ONE commercial for it on TV. From what I understand, it was only in the theaters where I lived for two weeks. It was like Warner Bros. tried to keep it a secret or something.
the fact this film flopped at the box office is actually devastating to me, when i was a kid this was, by far, my favourite movie and even now it’s still definitely somewhere in my top 5. it really is more than just an animated kids film, not to mention the first couple times a saw this i was wallowing in grief at the end, i’ve never cried at another movie before and this one had me sobbing.
underrated gem is an understatement for this magnificent film and i wish it got the recognition it deserved. the fact i could bring this up to a friend and they haven’t seen it is a crime
It only did poorly bc Warner brothers didn't give it any marketing since their previous animated disney copycat movie had flopped. People eventually realized it was good tho and wb gave it proper marketing for its home video release
I sometimes still break when the giant thinks Hogarth is dead, goes on a rampage and Hogarth calms him down.
We all have that point, no matter how chill we are, where we snap and go off. But if you have someone who cares, who you trust, and who brings out the best in you, then they can pull you back from the brink.
This is my favorite movie ever and thank you for making this video
The part where he snaps out of becoming a literal terminator in absolute horror hits so much harder as an adult for me 😥
It’s crazy the links we make from our childhood. Every time giant would collide with the missile I would absolutely lose my shit and start crying and now when I watch it in my 20’s I still gotta try fight back some tears just remembering how it affected ne
This film was SIGNIFICANT in my childhood. Me and my siblings used to watch this and then make our dad buy us whip cream and twinkies :)
This NEEDS a sequel!
Thank you for this video, the Iron Giant is probably my favorite movie ever
My son LOVED (and I with him) to watch this movie! Good memories
This movie is just so good. I feel like everything adds up better than in anything else I’ve seen. The only thing that ever felt off or convenient to the plot to me was when Dean suddenly understood the Giant just by seeing the toy gun, but even that’s not too bad. I’m really disappointed that I never watched it until now.
Excellent breakdown, I always knew there was something spiritually important about this film
why doesn't this have more views??????????
I was really expecting to see a part 2 to The Iron Giant. I bought the movie for my oldest son when it first came out on DVD, my son was about 3 or 4 years. To this day it is one of his favorite movies and he is 26 years old lol. And I've loved the movie since first seeing it also. It is one of those movies that hits all the feels ya know?!?! So here's still holding out hope for Iron Giant 2!!
I love this movie thank you for giving me a even better understanding
i fkn loved this movie when i was a little kid and i still do. have so many great memories with this movie.
10:57
Probably the most powerful and emotional scene for me
It’s one of the most excellent and beautiful films I’ve ever seen. I love it so much and it’s a disservice to it that it isn’t seen by everyone
It recently came out on Netflix and I just finished watching it for the 5th time in 4 days
So much Nostalgia dood 😤😭💙I used to watch this over and over and cry every time🤧 dam man life really moves fast I’m 25 now 😭everyone who got to grow up on this movie I love y’all 🙏🏽❤️stay blessed
The iron giant was and will always be my favorite movie
I'm a grown ass man and The Iron Giant still makes me bawl my eyes out. It's truly one of the best movies ever.
Incredible video, one of my favorite films, thank you
I cry every time I watch this fuckin movie top 5 movies imo
*"...𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡..?"*
god that fucking line...
I hate that society automatically views the animation genre as "kids' movies," when there are so many incredible animated films that have just as much depth and impact as any other classic film. This is one of them.
Back as a kid I cried while watching this movie
Watched this movie in school. Never thought of all places, my school would play movies like iron giant. Was not expecting the feels before watching the movie.
This film still has this effect on my father and myself.
What i wish is that they showed him grown up and they accept him and yeah
I would replace `his personal truth` in the parts with simply, the truth, but besides that this is awesome.
i absolutely love this movie. my all time favorite. this was a beautifully written essay
This movie was criminally underrated. That's all I have to say.
Im going to show this movie to my kids
A deeply humanist film. What better moral compass for a machine of war with a soul, than an innocent child.
“It is bad to kill, but it is ok to die”
2:10 i just now noticed that the darker blob on the earth is in the shape of the Iron Giant as he has Hogart on his right hand.
My childhood .. i miss cartoon movies they hit diff then animations
I wish I still had my iron giant collectable. My girlfriend bought me that thing right after we saw it in the theater. We loved that movie.