The trailer for the 2015 film, The Little Prince, caught my attention immediately. I believe it was the stars that drew my eye the most. They had a whimsical, dream-like quality to them that reminded me of storytelling and imagination, I was hooked. Although this movie has some-what recently came out, the inspiration behind it has been around for a while and is quite famous. The film is based on Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s 1943 French novella, Le Petit Prince. According to the Little Prince website, the novella has been officially translated into three hundred different languages and has sold two hundred books worldwide! Needless to say, the story resonated with its audience, so it is no surprise it inspired a film.
The film has similar characters and elements to the novella, however, the film does take many artistic liberties. The main one is the interwoven plot involving a young girl, her mother and her old man neighbor, interwoven into the original storyline with the Little Prince and the Aviator. I have yet to read the novella but I plan on doing so, and I encourage you to do so too. I have a feeling it will be well worth the read.
Now, I am not going to give you a summary because I actually want you to watch this movie and read the novella. But, I will tell you why I keep coming back to this film and as of late, its soundtrack. If I had to sum up The Little Prince film and soundtrack in one word, it would be magic. There is just something about the story, animation, and music that evokes memories of youth and imagination and the desire for adventure. Overall, this combination just makes me happy. The mix of illustration, computer animation, and stop motion animation is effective in creating a positive mood throughout the film. The illustration at the beginning sets the playful, creative tone for the rest of the movie. The computer animation has a pleasing style and the dominant grey tones contrast the brighter colors in the stop-animation. And my absolute favorite, the stop motion animation is breathtaking. The art style is reminiscent of hand-drawn illustrations, the colors are soothing and the gradual movement of the animation allows the story to blossom rather than burst before the audience’s eyes. And to be honest, I wish the movie included more stop-motion animation, but that may just be my preference.
As for the soundtrack, I believe it is ideal for concentration and inspiration. The feeling one gets when listening to this soundtrack is akin to the feeling one receives when she is on the path to discovery while creating art, or wrapped up in one’s own imagination, just on the brink of a brilliant idea. One of my favorite parts of the soundtrack is the fact that there are different senses of movement throughout. In one song, you can be listening to the French lyrics, as if you were strolling along Parisian walkways. And in the next song, the pace picks up and it is as if one is frantically at work, scratching on paper, splashing paint, hopping from one project to the next. This combination of energetic songs and relaxing songs, makes this such a versatile and interesting soundtrack, that I keep coming back to it. In the end, I hope you discover the story and music behind The Little Prince and experience the magic of this masterpiece.
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