Last week I mentioned that my two favorite Academy Award nominated short films, in the animation category, were Madame Tutli-Putli and I Am the Walrus. I then proceeded to give coverage to the former. This week it seems only fair to give coverage to the latter. I Met the Walrus runs five minutes and ten seconds and was written, directed, and animated by Josh Raskin and is based on a conversation that occurred between a 14-year-old (Jerry Levitan) and John Lennon back in 1969 – during John and Yoko’s “bed-in” phase. That Levitan could, as a teenage Toronto Beatles-fan “armed with a reel-to-reel tape recorder,” sneak into Lennon’s hotel room and get the famous musician to engage in a “40-minute chat about peace, The Beatles, John and Yoko music and teenage angst” speaks volumes about Lennon.

The animation style was given further assistance by James Braithwaite (pen illustrator) and Elex Kurina (computer illustrator). The resulting mix provides an original and heady style that gives each word visual life, occasionally (and appropriately) evoking the work of an early Terry Gilliam illustration or perhaps even something from the sketchboards for Yellow Submarine (if only in passing).

The press notes reveal writer/director/animator Josh Raskin to be the kind of person that “When he’s not making sounds or pictures, (he) spends his time sharpening his dangerous ping pong skills, taking alarmingly long baths, and avoiding getting a proper job.” Producer Jerry Levitan “is a Toronto musician, actor, writer and lawyer who has recorded two acclaimed children’s records under the guise of Sir Jerry.” Pen illustrator James Braithwaite “enjoys writing about himself in the third person. James received his degree in English literature from Concordia University, and he is still trying to figure out what to do with it. (Perhaps an origami hat or boat?)” Computer illustrator Alex Kurina “first became fascinated with graphic design through his involvement with Toronto’s electronic music scene.”

What follows is an excerpt of the interview from the beginning. It is transcribed here to illustrate why this combination of historical artifact and contemporary animation struck me as relevant. Simply put: it shows how prescient Lennon’s words ring even today – especially when thinking about Halliburton, Iraq, and the upcoming elections:

Levitan: “John could you please tell us what the situation is with you and your entry into the United States?”

Lennon: “A lot of people don’t want me in – they think I’m going to cause a violent revolution, which I’m not. And the others don’t want me in because they don’t want me to cause peace either, because… war is big business, y’know, and they like war because it keeps them fat and happy. And I’m anti-war so they’re trying to keep me out. But I’ll get in, because they’ll have to own up in public that they’re against peace.”

Levitan: “What can we as the youth of Toronto, what can we do to try to help you?”

Lennon: “Uh, help me by helping yourselves. The militant revolutionaries; ask ‘em to show you one revolution that turned out to be what it promised, militantly… Let’s take Russia, France, anywhere they’re at it. All they do is smash the place down and then they build it up again and the people who build it up hang onto it and then they become the establishment. And you guys are going to be the establishment in a few years. It’s not worth knocking it down because it’s convenient to have the rooms and the machinery. The thing is to protest, but protest non-violently – ‘cuz violence begets violence, y’know, and if you run around wild you get smacked. And that’s it, y’know? That’s the law of the universe. And they’ve got all the weapons, they’ve got all the money, and they know how to fight violence because they’ve been doing it throughout the years, suppressing us. And the only thing they don’t know about is non-violence and humor. And there’s many ways of promoting peace. Do everything for peace. Kiss for peace. Or smile for peace. Or go to school for peace. Or don’t go to school for peace. Whatever you do, just do it for peace. It’s up to the people. You can’t blame it on the government and say they’re doing this and they’re going to put us into war. We put ‘em there. And we allow it. Y’know, and we can change it. If we really want to change it, we can change it.”

Levitan: “What about Paul, Ringo, and George?”

Lennon: “We’re all four individuals and George… is doing it his own way. The way he goes about his life (he says:) it’s no good shouting on the street corner “I want peace” – and then beating up your mate. You better try to work your own head out and get non-violent. And it’s probably hard because we’re all violent inside. We’re all Hitler inside and we’re all Christ inside. And it’s just to try to work on the good bit in you.”

To see a trailer for I Met the Walrus, go to:

http://video.yahoo.com/watch/201831