Cinematic Mythology in the Narrative and Design of Tomm Moore’s The Secret of Kells

Creative Commons License

KILINÇARSLAN Y.

CINEJ Cinema Journal, vol.11, no.2, pp.225-249, 2023 (ESCI) identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 11 Issue: 2
  • Publication Date: 2023
  • Doi Number: 10.5195/cinej.2023.560
  • Journal Name: CINEJ Cinema Journal
  • Journal Indexes: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus, Film & Television Literature Index, International Index to Film Periodicals, MLA - Modern Language Association Database, Directory of Open Access Journals
  • Page Numbers: pp.225-249
  • Keywords: animation, celtic art, christianity, cinema, design, fractals, tale, visual design
  • Uşak University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

This paper examines the Irish animated film The Secret of Kells. The conflict of the pagan world with the monotheistic world has been going on for millennia, and the reflections of these conflicts are clearly manifested both in the religious and artistic fields. In different geographies of the world, the call of mother nature still resonates in the depths of the subconscious of most people, images of pagan faith are transmitted from generation to generation and become visible in the works of artists. The life story of Brendon, the hero of the film, which is the subject of this article, makes viewers feel the sensitivity of cinematic aesthetics and folkloric narratives and mythologies through a characteristic Irish animation. The ethnic expressive style of Irish animation has been studied in detail in this article both in the sense of animated cinema and cultural studies.