Topic: Brickfilm of the Week: The Gauntlet (Jan 16, 2015)
This week’s Brickfilm of the Week is The Gauntlet by Jay Silver.
The Gauntlet follows the story of an imprisoned man who attempts to escape the lair of an evil wizard. It was made in 2001 and was originally conceived to be an entry into the Classical Movie Contest on Brickfilms.com, but it was not finished in time. Jay Silver, a Canadian brickfilmer, has been a staple member of the brickfilming community since 2001, and is appearing in the Bricks in Motion documentary. The Gauntlet was Jay Silver’s first released brickfilm, and he also made Rise of the Empire, Rapunzel, and The Journey, which recently won the Bricks in Motion Celebration Contest.
Watch The Gauntlet on The Brickfilm Archive
SPOILERY DISCUSSION BELOW!
The Gauntlet is a testament to the power of storytelling through music instead of dialog. Set to “In The Hall of the Mountain King,” The Gauntlet takes us through a dramatic escape attempt, starting with the jailbreak and ending climatically with a narrow escape into the wilderness. This film made a splash in 2001, thanks to its expansive sets and memorable animation (note especially the slide at 2:23), and is still frequently brought up today. The Gauntlet does not just have music playing in the background, it weaves the story around the music. The film starts off quiet, no music, just the sounds of creaking wood and breaking chains. Then, as the prisoner explores, the first few quiet notes rise up. Then, as the golem approaches, the music swells and crescendos when the prisoner spots the golem. This makes the music an integral part to the film, (and unfortunately is the reason the film isn’t available on YouTube).
What are your thoughts on The Gauntlet? What did you like about it? Did you have a favorite moment? What do you think about the integration of music and story?
Last edited by Nathan Wells (January 16, 2015 (09:13am))