A Masterpiece...

Rating: 10/10 (7 July 2017)

There's a moment in the Iron Giant where young Hogarth Hughes finally meets the "metal monster" his town has been talking about. He is terrified as we all would be by this unknown being, but then it stops in its tracks. It sits down, begins to mimic Hogarth, he teaches it words and they form a bond of trust. Its probably about 45 seconds of screen time, but it transforms the story from one of fear to one of the complex beauty of the human imagination and human connection.
The Iron Giant a precursor to Brad Bird's Pixar success with Ratatouille and The Incredibles is a haunting piece that captures history and emotion all in one. It's 1957 with Sputnik orbiting the Earth, everyone is terrified by the Red Scare, the unknown and that beings from other worlds are trying to destroy us. The Giant comes from this unknown world above us and is whispered about with concern, fear and suspicion.
But young Hogarth Hughes sees the monster before anyone else does. It's like a child that is lost, he teaches it lessons, nurtures it and gives it a sense of purpose. Both are loners to an extent, and their bond of friendship along with the Giant's transformation is one of the more beautiful bonds you'll see in any film. There is another moment where
This is not a Disney film with songs or dances. Bird is above that, and instead creates a setting in small-town America that mirrors the feelings of the world in that historical era. Hogarth himself fears how people will see his "friend", and the fearsome government agent Mansley captures this attitude of 1950's America in that the unknown is a threat to public safety and that it must be stopped, isolated and removed at all costs.
I will try not give away the ending, but all I will say is be prepared to have your heartstrings pulled at. The Giant is remarkable symbol of not judging something before you know it, it has a personality and emotion that experiences pain, joy and sadness and a willingness to do the right thing at any cost. Much like ET, King Kong and even Inside Out there is a moment where something must be given up, in order for the greater good to occur and that we choose our paths no matter what others try to shape us as or determine for us.
While the Disney Renaissance broke the mold for modern animation, the Iron Giant does something all of those films(many of which I do love could not.) It teaches us something about the unknown, and that what we fear can actually turn out to be something that isn't trying to kill us or hurt us. Instead, what we fear can be something that transforms our way of thought, and gives people a new sense of hope and resilience in the face of destruction and war.
10/10