Tenshi no tamago

Plot synopsis:
Angel's Egg follows the life of an unnamed young girl living alone in an undefined building near an abandoned city. She cares for a large egg which she hides under her dress, protecting it while scavenging the decrepit Neo-Gothic/Art Nouveau cityscape for food, water and bottles. In a prologue, an unnamed soldier-looking boy watches as an orb-shaped vessel, covered with thousands of goddess-like sculptures, descends from the sky. Awakened by the orb's whistles, the girl begins her day of scavenging, but soon crosses paths with the boy on a wide street traveled only by obscure roving tanks. Frightened by the boy, who carries a threatening cross-shaped device over his shoulder, the girl runs off down an alley. When she returns to investigate, the boy has left. She resumes searching for food and glass bottles, avoiding the ominous figures of men clutching harpoons which scatter the cobbled streets.
After a moment of respite to eat her findings, the girl spots the boy and approaches him. He turns and surprisingly produces her egg from underneath his cape; she had abandoned it on the plaza where she was eating. He instructs the girl to "Keep precious things inside you or you will lose them," and returns the egg. When asked what she believes is inside the egg, the girl asserts that she can't tell him. The boy then suggests breaking the egg to find out, which incenses the girl and drives her storming away, only to be diligently pursued by the boy.
Eventually the chase gives way to the pair bonding, as the stoic fishermen figures spring to life and frighten the girl. The fishermen race after enormous shadows of coelacanth-like fish that swim across the surfaces of streets and buildings, lobbing their harpoons at the brick and stone. As the shadows swim away, the girl explains that while the fish are gone, the men persist in hunting. The pair wait out the commotion within a vast, church-like Opera decorated with stained windows of fish.
Leaving the city and heading towards the girl's settlement, the pair stop within a massive structure which appears to be the carcass of a beached leviathan. Noticing an engraving of a tree on a pillar, the boy describes his memory of a similar tree which grew to hold a giant egg containing a sleeping bird - an image shown at the start of the film. When the girl inquires as to what the bird dreams of, the boy flatly asks if the girl still won't tell him what's inside her egg. The pair ascend a staircase arrayed with bottles of water, like those the girl collects, on each step. Adding her newest tribute to the line of bottles, the girl and boy reflect on their amnesia, caused by their long lives, as to their identity and purpose. The boy begins to recount the biblical tale of Noah's Ark, describing the flood, its survivors, and their search for land by awaiting the return of a dove. The tale deviates down a fatalistic turn when the boy claims that the dove never returned to the ark, and thus its passengers forgot why they were sailing, forgot about the civilization drowned below, forgot about the animals that turned into stone and lost all connection with who they were alike the girl and the boy.
The boy pensively asks the girl if they themselves or any of the strange world they live in really exists, or if it is merely a memory like his image of the sleeping bird. The girl suddenly insists that the bird does exist, and leads the boy down corridors of ancient fossils to arrive at a chapel-like alcove. The boy looks on aghast; against the far wall is the fossilized skeleton of an angel. The girl explains her intent to hatch the egg and return it to the "bird" she'd found. The boy solemnly explains this was what he had suspected all along.
Later, the pair warm themselves within the girl's settlement. As the girl drifts off to sleep, she speaks to the creature inside her egg of their future together. Outside, the heavy rain consumes the city and floods the streets. While the girl is turned away from the egg in her sleep, the boy takes it and raises his cross-shaped device high to smash it. After smashing the egg the boy leaves. Awaking the next day, the girl discovers the broken shell of her egg and shrieks out, utterly heartbroken. She starts to run away from her settlement into the woods,past a giant tree holding a huge egg, suddenly throwing herself into a deep ravine. She kisses her reflection on the water before diving into it. Beneath the water, the girl transforms into an adult woman before releasing a final breath, which rises to the surface as a multitude of bobbing eggs.
As the rain suddenly abates, trees holding eggs like those described by the boy are shown to be scattered throughout the landscape. The boy stands on a vast shore, littered with white feathers, as the orb-like vessel rises from underneath the ocean. Among the thousands of statues adorning the orb is a new feature: a figure of the girl, sitting serenely on a throne and caressing the egg in her lap. The screen slowly pans out to reveal that the land of the beach, the forest, and the city is part of a small and lonely island within a vast sea, appearing not unlike the hull of an overturned ship.

Tags: psychedelic, avant garde, gothic

Review:
Director Mamoru Oshii's 1985 film Angel's Egg was a fine example of the themes that would define his movies to come.
Like his later films, Ghost in the Shell, Beautiful Dreamer, Patlabor and Avalon, Angel's Egg is a lush visual landscape filled with beautiful, mystifying (and often stupefying) imagery.
The story involves a young girl who is highly possessive of an oversized egg from which, she believes, will hatch a beautiful bird.
She wanders a dark and empty world clinging to the egg waiting endlessly for the moment to arrive.
The girl is initially afraid of the man but eventually they join forces and wander the bizarre landscape together, pontificating about the world around them until his purpose is made clear.
Filled with an oppressively moody and pensive atmosphere, it is all visual and very little story.
Oshii was wise to end the film early.
(It clocks in at only a little over an hour.) Weather this was for financial reasons or for reasons of plot, it keeps you from becoming bored with the story no matter how thin it may be.
Most viewers will certainly be befuddled by the lack of a definite linear plot, but if you thrive on the philosophical or purely visual experience this film is a must..
Tenshi no Tamago - Angel's Egg - is a very rare type of movie.
Instead the meaning of the story is told in symbolic imagery and left to the viewer to interpret and understand.
Some believe it tells of the director's own loss of faith in religion, and society's blind devotion to belief in mythical and imaginary things.The film's visuals are utterly beautiful, with designs from Yoshitaka Amano, and with Mamoru Oshii's breath-taking direction in full force.
The soundtrack too is sublime, composed by Yoshihiro Kanno and one of only a few he ever composed for movies.Films as meaningful, thoughtful, and beautiful as this should never be missed.
If you value the art form of cinema, then watch Angel's Egg and be amazed.
This masterpiece by Mamoru Oshii (Character designs by the great Yoshitaka Amano) is really one of a kind, thought provoking, artistic almost in a style of Dali and other great artists.
Many (including myself) consider it to be Mamoru Oshii's best film (despite it being his least successful), and it certainly presents some of the images and ideas that would be echoed in many of his later works.That some people suggest to watch it with your own choice in music may seem to suggest that the film's own soundtrack is lacking, but this is not the case.
The haunting soundtrack is perfect for the film, and one of the many things I love about it.
The highly visual nature of the film does lend itself to trying out different music combinations, though (I watched it along side Radiohead's "Kid A", with fascinating results).
While the characters and plot are certainly ambiguous, you will probably (if you're interested in the film) find yourself theorising about what the film is getting at, particularly after multiple viewings.
The fact that Oshii lost his faith in Christianity before making the film certainly offers an interesting perspective from which it can be viewed.How much you enjoy the film will be determined by your personal taste (it's probably a "love it or hate it" film in a similar way to '2001: A Space Odyssey') but few can watch it without at least conceding that it is a unique work of art.
Track this down if think a surreal, moody, atmospheric, thought provoking film will be to your taste (and look for an official widescreen DVD, not a bootleg 4x3 copy, the visuals are worth the extra cost)..
This movie requires more work than most people are willing to put in, and ultimately is a useful tool to gauge one's own film expectations.Where some complain of pace, I was content to listen to the glorious music (as even the characters on screen did) and allow it to tell me the story.Only after I was forced to view a still image for an interminable amount of time, and feel the anger rise up in me as I imagined the creators of the film laughing at me, did I notice that it created the necessary tension for what was the climax of the film.I enjoyed having to pay attention to the details of the film, such as how loud the running water was, and what happened when that volume changed; such as whose perspective was I looking from at a particular moment and why; such as why the image persisted but the sound did not, or vice versa; such as why the floor in the beginning looks like a chess board, and who seemed to win at the end.The less you enjoy thinking about these things, the less you will enjoy this film about shattered innocence, life, death, birth, dreams, causality, and memory..
What it is is the quintessential Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell) film, a haunting, ethereal drama more concerned with imagery and mood than with plot or characterization.
A young girl (lavishly designed by animator-turned-fine artist Yoshitaka Amano) wanders the desolate streets of a dark, nightmarish world; her fragile faith rests in the form of a gigantic egg, which she hopes to protect.
This is Oshii at his most obtuse, and even he claims to not know the true meaning of this film.
The film is a pure work of art, however, free from all commercial baggage.
Surreal, sumptuous and stunning anime work..
THE ANGEL'S EGG (1985) is a lovely collaboration by Japanese cinema and anime pioneer Mamoru Oshii (later to direct PATLABOR and GHOST IN THE SHELL) and truly gifted illustrator Yoshitaka Amano (VAMPIRE HUNTER D and FINAL FANTASY).
Oshii's work is reminiscent of David Lynch's in many ways, it's always slow, offbeat and either works (most of his anime films) or doesn't (his cold and artificial live action film AVALON).
THE ANGEL'S EGG is paced very akin to a David Lynch film.
Like ERASERHEAD, it feels like about 10 minutes of plot stretched out to over an hour and while it does share that film's sense of the bizarre, it's effect is less Lynch's dread and more akin to the cold but beautiful tranquility of Kubrick's 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY.THE ANGEL'S EGG is amazing barrage of gorgeous visuals that slowly creep up on the screen for one to admire.
It's images of egg-carrying little girls walking across a destitute landscape, strange, orb-shaped machines, ancient skeletons and villagers spearing illusionary fish which they will never catch (perhaps a metaphor for religious fanaticism) are truly lovely.
The animation is beautiful and it translates Amano's visions, of a world not of the past, present or future that looks equal parts medieval and post apocalyptic, the best of any animation rooted in his worlds.
One can choose to see the film for its metaphors, but one is more recommended to simply sit back and enjoy the lovely, painterly images that flash before your eyes.If you are expecting something furiously paced and full of action and violence like many other anime films, you will be let down and the film is not recommended.
It's the closest Japanese animated film to being a true art-house film and is recommended to be approached with that mentality.
Simply sit back for an hour or so and let this film take you to its vivid world.
Highly recommended for lovers of artistic and intelligent animation..
This is an original work of Mamoru Oshii and Yoshitaka Amano who are two very known people.There is nearly no story in this anime, a little girl is guarding a mysterious egg and meet a man who seems to be interested about this egg.
First of all, the drawings are exceptional as they are made by Amano, we are moved by the colors and the atmosphere of this dark world even if we know nearly nothing about it.
Sometimes, you need to think by yourself, as no message is given, it is your duty to create one, to seek what this film means to you.
One more time this is clearly a visual work which drives us to unknown arts territories, I personally see a link with David Lynch's films..
There is this movie, called Tenshi no Tamago which translates to Angel's Egg, and if End of Evangelion is the 2001: A Space Odessy of animé then Angel's Egg is the Eraserhead.
The story is about a little Girl who lives alone in this scary, Gothic and beautiful city.
It seems then end of the world has happened and the girl is living in the ruins of a long dead world.
A Man with a scarred hand and caring a cross-like weapon comes along and offers the Girl is protection.
This is with little doubt one of the best films ever made..
Angel's Egg has haunted me for many days since I saw it, it is a film to adore.
When you watch an animation movie, you know that a huge effort has gone into each frame.
In a live action feature a camera can simply be pointed at a dark pool for a few seconds and you have a take, in Angel's Egg it's much more deliberate, the animator at one point shows several different ways of illustrating the surface movements of the water and its reflections, and when they're doing that they are truly contemplating darkness.
Every part of an animation oozes intention, and it's clear here, it is a film where the substrate is blatantly tattooed rather than absorbent.Angel's Egg tells the story of a small white haired girl who looks to protect a large egg, and a mysterious taller male youth also with white hair who follows her around a bizarre landscape.
Oshii's feelings about heaven seem to be reflected by the gigantic spaceship in the form of an eye festooned with grey statues, an inactive God and his array of crud angels.There is a hunting of fish-like shadows with harpoons, and this seems to me to be to do with the Biblical story of Leviathan, who can't be caught or stopped by humans, a figure of evil or a representation of Satan.
It's a representation of injustice, the imposition of a malevolence against which we are impotent.In a very simple graphic way the young girl is old beyond her years, she has white hair already, and the hiding of the egg underneath her robe mimics pregnancy; she is a very poignant figure.
Like any comment on this film it is hard to know whether your interpretation has anything to do with Oshii's intent..
Version I saw: HD, subtitled Actors: 6/10 Plot/script: 5/10 Photography/visual style: 8/10 Music/score: 6/10 Overall: 6/10 This is an early work from director Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell), and it features the collaboration of Yoshitaka Amano.
The emphasis is all on maintaining the melancholic atmosphere, with little attention given to tying the plot together into something that makes sense.With only two characters, and dialogue so sparse that you have to wait 24 minutes for the first true conversation, Angel's Egg is so enigmatic that it is practically impenetrable.
I can see no middle ground on this film, either you're going to love it or you're going to despise it.
Angel's Egg is a very polarizing sort of movie in that it is one of the best examples of an "experimental film" I have ever seen.
Angel's Egg is centered around a young girl who carries a large egg through a Gothic/post- apocalyptic land as she collects water.
This is about as may details about the plot I can give away without introducing my theories on the film.
What makes this movie so different from others of it's caliber is that the entire plot and meaning behind the central conflict is left to your interpretation.
If you aren't prepared to watch this film multiple times then you probably won't like it.
In short, this film was breathtakingly beautiful in a conventional sense while being the best of its kind in a more abstract way.
Never have I seen a film that leaves so little for the audience that has been so meaningful.
Love it or hate it, you cannot deny that Angel's Egg is a journey that everyone should go on..
This is a snail paced film effectively set in the mind of the artist Yoshitaka Amano who did the design work for the film.
Which is a good thing since the story of a wanderer in a land and time far from here, who meets a young girl with some kind of egg, is as slow and monotonous as my description of it.
That would depend on how much you like your form over substance since, as I've said, the visuals are everything in this story.
I could go on theorizing about the meaning of the movie, what the fish symbolize and the film's religious imagery; but instead, I'm going to focus on how this movie made me feel.
It made me feel like a little girl running thorugh a desolate world, carrying a giant egg.
The desolate landscapes are beautifully drawn and the characters (particuraly the little girl) are goergously animated.
These images combined with atmospheric almost psychedelic background Music made this movie an experience you won't find again.
Over all its a very well crafted movie with beautiful pictures (especially for the time the movie was made) atmospheric music and a feeling you won't forget after watching it..
The movie is really heavy in symbolism, it's pretty surreal, and it's meaning is almost 80% up to you.
Angel's Egg is so far the best anime I have ever seen.
With it's stunning animation, heavy symbolism and long scenes the movie has a very surreal, almost religious atmosphere.
This movie is definitely not for the normal mainstream viewer, but if you like a movie that leaves you after the first viewing with a feeling of "what the hell" than you are right here.Besides it is not a "what the hell" movie in regard to it seems to be random stuff but a thought-out piece of art with meaning in every frame.The only thing that bothered me a bit when i started watching was the art-style, especially the faces of the main character are weird.So check it out if you are the type for thought provoking films that you have to watch at least twice..
The ubiquitous story telling is really what makes this movie so cherished and loved by many.
I consider this film the "Manos, The Hands of Fate" of Anime.
Using dark sequences along with mind bending puzzles or clues to this film, Oshii himself said he didn't know what this film was about while he directed it.
A quaint but subtle story about a nameless girl protecting an egg she keeps hidden under her dress while at the same time is introduced accidentally to a military looking man who is also nameless that wields a cross shaped weapon.
Normally one would just escape such an intimidating individual except the girl reluctantly begins to trust him slowly, and shows him some of the oldest, and strangest art she had come across while staying in such a desolate, and Gothic looking city gathering water.For 1985 this movie was well done since it was hand drawn.
Artistically it's a marvel, but the story was quite deep with its existential plot.
One could interpret the girl as being a caretaker of a sort while scavenging for food and water while the solider was someone destined to take her place after his death, which seemed to fit his character.
After he arrived by way of armoured tanks you never see them again.The egg itself is a symbol of life.
she did take care of it since her arrival of who knows when, but as soon as the soldier broke it open the little girl decides to exact vengeance for his actions.
From the silent stands of idols however is the little girl sitting on her own throne holding the egg in diligent manner.All he can do is watch the orb ascend to the heavens helpless, and alone.
This film was quite satisfying as far as the story went.
Maybe that's what the film was trying to say.
I highly recommend this film for two things...
It's not often such an animated film like this comes along but when it does it is so refreshing to watch.
For action lovers this is not a film for you.
For the more intellectual people I say take the time to study this film.
Yoshitaka Amano has to be one of the best animators/artists alongside Keita Amemiya.
Everything is well done in this film, from the animation, the narration by Moon Kang (I've seen only the Korean version of this, but I'll bet there is barely a diffrence between the Japanese and Korean version) and to when the young woman's egg breaks up and the fun begins.But please, if so, watch this version only.
All we know it's about a young girl bringing an egg and meeting a guy but whats more to it?
The drawing of the anime was ok but I wouldn't consider calling this a masterpiece or amazing, I just didn't find it eye-catching and it even made me yawn by just skipping to the end.
I'm pretty disappointed that I didn't enjoy this 1 hour movie enough as much as I would've liked!.
Angel's Egg. A girl, naïve and innocent, blinds herself to care for only the spiritual, a midst a crowd of statues that only hunt for fish, the physical.
A truly beautiful film.
You get sucked into this world, where the end has come, but it also never feels like it was anything before this apocalypse.
The movie is made to make you forget where you were some minutes ago, you feel like the same wandering statue, waiting for a sign of hope.