The Secret of Kells
Tags: psychedelic, fantasy, magical realism, atmospheric, storytelling

Plot synopsis:
Brendan, a young, curious, and idealistic boy living in the tightly knit community at the Abbey of Kells, is under the strict care of his stern uncle, Abbot Cellach. Cellach is obsessed with building a wall around the Abbey, in order to prevent Viking attacks.
Brendan is apprenticed in the scriptorium of the monastery. After listening to the other monks of the monastery talk about Brother Aidan, the creator of the Book of Iona, Brendan is curious about the mysterious illuminator and "the book that turns darkness into light" (the unfinished Book of Kells). Aidan arrives in Kells, accompanied by his white cat, Pangur Bán, after his own monastery is destroyed by a raid. After eavesdropping on a discussion between Cellach and Aidan, Brendan wanders to the scriptorium, where he finds the still-to-be-completed book. Pangur Bán guards the book, but when the cat sees that Brendan means no harm to the book, she accepts him. Aidan arrives and tells Brendan about the book.
Seeing Brendan as a suitable apprentice, Aidan sends Brendan, with Pangur Bán for company, into the woods to obtain gall nuts to make ink for the illumination of the book. However, Brendan is cornered by a hungry pack of wolves. He is saved by Aisling, the forest spirit from the beginning of the film. Although at first suspicious of Brendan's presence, Aisling slowly comes to accept him after he reveals his intentions of helping to create the book.
After a brief yet scary close encounter with Crom Cruach, a deity of death and destruction, of whom Aisling is deeply afraid, Brendan and Aisling return to the outskirts of the forest. She assures Brendan that he can come back and visit anytime he wants.
Upon his return home, Brendan is reprimanded by Cellach, who forbids him to leave the monastery again. However, Brendan continues to work with Aidan. Brendan learns that Aidan's work is endangered by the loss of the Eye of Colm Cille, a special magnifying lens captured from Crom Cruach. When Brendan tries to leave to visit Crom's cave to obtain another Eye, he is confined to his room by Cellach.
Pangur Bán and Aisling set Brendan free. After running into the heart of the woods, Brendan tells Aisling of his objective. A shocked Aisling begs him not to confront the dark deity, warning that Crom Cruach will kill him just as it killed the rest of her people. But Brendan persuades Aisling to assist him, by stating that if he does not retrieve the Eye, the book will never be completed. Convinced, Aisling helps Brendan enter Crom's cave, nearly getting killed in the process. Brendan duels with Crom and seizes the Eye, blinding Crom and causing the dark deity to consume itself, becoming an ouroboros. Upon returning to the cave entrance, Brendan finds the forest covered in white flowers.
Brendan returns to the abbey and continues to assist Aidan in secret. The brothers of the monastery excitedly watch the two create the book. In a fit of frustration, Cellach locks Brendan and Aidan in the scriptorium, but not before ripping out a page that Brendan had created for the book. Shortly thereafter, the Vikings invade Kells, and Cellach watches in horror as they breach the wooden gate. Brendan and Aidan manage to escape by using smoke from the gall berry ink, confusing the raiders when they burst into the scriptorium. Meanwhile, the wooden staircase to the central tower of the abbey becomes overloaded with panicked villagers and collapses and the village and abbey below is set ablaze.
Cellach is wounded by an arrow, and stabbed by a Viking raider; Brendan is dragged away by the frantic Aidan, who tells him that there is nothing that he can do. After they leave, Cellach, having survived the attack, sees the burning remains of the scriptorium. The central tower of the abbey is left untouched by the Vikings, leaving the few villagers and Brother Tang to survive the carnage. Thinking that his nephew has perished, Cellach falls into a deep despair.
While running through the woods, Brendan and Aidan are confronted by the raiders, and the Viking leader takes the book's bejeweled cover and scatters the pages. Before two Viking raiders can kill Brendan and Aidan, Aisling's black wolves attack the Vikings, saving the two refugees. Brendan and Aidan gather the pages and depart. Cellach and the remaining villagers take refuge in the monastery.
Brendan and Aidan travel across Ireland, and, after many years, complete the book. Aidan, after entrusting the book to Brendan, dies. The now-adult Brendan returns to Kells with Pangur Bán, guided by Aisling (in wolf form). The aged guilt-ridden Cellach is nearing death. Brendan and the abbot happily reunite, and Brendan displays the complete Book of Kells to his uncle. The film closes with an animation rendition of some of the illuminated pages of the book.

Review: Thankfully, it came to pass that I was able to watch this animated little treasure.The story is about the child Brendan who was the nephew of the imposing and overprotective Abbot of the township of Kells.
Along the way, Brendan befriended the white forest sprite Aisling, as he sought to recover an ancient crystal invaluable to the meticulous art of book illustration."The Secret of Kells" is unlike most of the animation released these days.
The whole film is a thing of beauty and great imagination, I particularly love the animated illuminated book where the little figures come to life on the page.
It really is a beautiful movie, and I don't see how anyone could watch it and not be thoroughly impressed by the amount of creativity and work that had to go into making this.On the whole, I think this will appeal to older teens and adults more than children, as it's a quite serious story, and pretty violent in some places.
There's not much of the humor or kinetic antics that younger viewers usually like in their animated movies, but anyone old enough to appreciate The Secret of Kells will be quite pleased with this little gem..
In an age where it seems all animation is either expensive computer generated, a-list celebrity vehicles or anime, which seems like it's all drawn by one man, it's refreshing to see an throw back to a time when animation was hand drawn and more attention was paid to the use of color and intricacy of design than mimicing real life or creating 3D.The characters in this movie at times take a back seat to the scenery.
One can imagine how the scenes in the Irish forest and wilderness inspired the illustrators of the Book of Kells.The story is not simply a child's tale, and there's no potty humor as is prevalent in many Pixar and Disney movies today, but children with vivid imaginations and who love to draw will love this as will their parents..
Both the Christian world and the pagan world are fraught with danger and violence.The imagery, themes and music of this film create a work that is sublime, Yet the warmth of the characters and the spirited adventure ensures that the audience does not feel remote from the experience.
The Secret of Kells is one of the most unique, beautiful, and eye- popping animated films I have ever seen.
Before watching this film, I was convinced that nothing could give Up a run for its money and that it was a shoo-in to win in this category, but I found in Kells a serious contender.The Secret of Kells tell the story of a young orphan named Brendan, who lives with his uncle, the Abbot of Kell.
When the legendary Brother Aidan (who looks surprisingly like Willie Nelson) shows up and takes the boy under his wing, Brendan goes on a journey into the woods and meets a lovely forest nymph named Aisling who takes a liking to him (and saves his life more than once).
With Aisling's help, he attempts to save the town and help Brother Aidan complete the mystical book which—legend has it—can turn dark into light.See my full review of The Secret of Kells at: http://theoscarsblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/movie-review-secret-of- kells.html.
The Secret of Kells is an independent, animated feature that gives us one of the fabled stories surrounding the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript from the Middle Ages featuring the four Gospels of the New Testament.
This Oscar nominated animated film is about a young boy in a Celtic walled village who has to prepare for his book by wandering out into the forbidden woods."The Secret of Kells" is visually rich and artistic.
Brendan is the main character, a young boy who is adventurous like any other his age however has to face some of his fears to help finish a book.The whole movie was a magical, colorful, pictorial, unforgettable ride..
The film tells a true story about a book from an isle in Ireland with the most beautiful pictures and words written upon it's pages, describing it as "to look upon heaven itself".
The book is brought to Kells, a medieval outpost which is constructing a great wall around it's monasteries and abbey to protect it from the Northern Invaders, (presumed to be the Vikings of Scandinavia who also pillaged Scotland.) The area is known to be full of monks and holy symbols, lead by Cellach, who anxiously awaits the attack.
I also watched the Disney movie "Up" which won best animated film instead of the Secret of Kells that year.
All of these geometrical designs have a purpose - the story is about a young boy who is learning to be an artist working on illuminated manuscripts (the Book of Kells is a real illuminated Bible; the art of the film is based on the drawings in it).
The Secret of Kells is an Irish-French-Belgian-British animated feature film that revolves around the "making" of the famous "Book of Kells", an illustrated Irish illustrated Bible of the Middle Ages through the eyes of the young monk-child Brendan.The movie translates well into images and style the layout, functionality and way of life of old medieval abbeys in Ireland, and the religiosity dominating the period.The abbey in the movie, as well as its surroundings, are somewhat a reproduction of the old monastic place of Glendalough in Ireland, and even has the lighting and atmosphere you get when you visit it.
Also great is the dual coloring, so colorful and bright for the abbey and the forest, with a predominance of greens, while a mix of intense red/black mate colors are used for the scenes involving the barbarians and their attacks.The script is simple and somewhat predictable and the characters classic, but the story is so original and unconventional, the animation so artistic, the design so unique, the subject so educative, the music so beautiful, that the result is an uber-charming entertaining gorgeous movie for the whole family..
A mysterious, ageless young female voice narrates in whispers(who we learn more about) the beginning of this film, and so we follow the story of young Brendan and his quest to complete the sacred text in the mysterious book of Kells (which is the 'light' what with an impending doom of war causing darkness to overshadow the village).The main protagonist Brendan is likable though was it really necessary to have animated bald Gollywog for Brother Assoua?
There's a beautiful lullaby type song heard in the film sung by the female narrator (introduced at the beginning) that's just lovely.My main issues are: more back story for Brendan's character and why his uncle is so strict, better closure for the characters and what exactly that creature in the cave was.
The Secret of Kells,an Irish,French,Belgian co production,is a beautifully illustrated & animated film,that although is something of a fantasy treatment of how the Book of Kells came to be,it is still worth seeking out.
Its sad I have to give it the same review I did Avatar - great visuals, poor plot.We've got excellent, colorful, stylized animation, with some of the best scenes of nature you'll see outside of a Ghibli film.
The book that turns darkness into light." Aisling (Christen Mooney) Writer/director Tomm Moore's Secret of Kells is an Irish animation more like a highly stylized, richly illustrated children's book than an historical look at the Book of Kells.
Reverence for the illuminated manuscript so lovingly transcribed by Celtic monks in the post-Roman British era of Insular Art is there; characterization of the main players such as the Abbot Cellach (voice of Brendan Gleeson) is not there, as if the hand-drawn cells were the reason everyone is at the screening, not the characters.The abbot's nephew Brendan (voice of Evan McGuire) is a young apprentice scribe who eventually saves the manuscript and whose presence is continual through the film, a symbol of hope for Irish culture and a dramatic necessity given the flatness of the other characters.
Sneaking in is a bit of CG to augment the busy background of Kells town and the manuscript.The beauty of the animation is similar to that of the book itself, whose Christian gospels and motifs are lavishly ornamented, far superior to any other Insular Art in its time.
The colors of the film remind me of the richness in Sita Sings the Blues.The two-dimensional animation seems flat by contrast with the recent 3-D obsession, yet I was not interested in changing The Secret of Kells into a modern cinematic fad.
The Secret of Kells (1:19, NR) — Borderline, 3rd string, originalThis whimsically hand-drawn film so obviously has its innocent little heart in the right place that I feel kind of bad giving it only a middling rating.It purports to be the story behind the 9th Century creation of the Book of Kells, a stunningly intricate illuminated copy of the 4 Christian gospels that is considered (with some justification) to be the most precious artistic treasure of Ireland.
This book will contain information that will help "change darkness into light." Brendan lives in the village of Kells behind huge stone walls.
But what the movie does right is absolutely phenomenal!The beautiful animation and the both epic and soothing musical score really make The Secret of Kells enjoyable despite the short amount of running time.
Nonetheless, this is a beautiful movie that offers just the right amount of substance to click with audiences.The main story centers around the abbot Cellach of Kells, who is very determined to keep the small village protected by a giant wall from a possible viking attack.
The other characters like Pangur Ban and the other illuminator monks do serve a good purpose in keeping the book's magic in tact and by being good supporters for Brendan along the way.Overall, by blending fantasy and darkness with phenomenal illustration, The Secret of Kells is an all around gorgeous film with a clever story, engaging characters, interesting philosophies on Celtic culture, breathtaking animation, and sublime music.
As someone who wishes to bring light into people's eyes with his own work, I deem this movie a big influence, and I thank it for inspiring me to create cleverly imaginative stories and for giving me an interest in Irish culture itself..
Enchanting, alluring & visually spellbinding, Cartoon Saloon's first foray into feature filmmaking is a beautifully animated & exquisitely scored fantasy that draws its inspiration from Irish mythology & art and is brought to life with such care, love & dedication that every frame of it qualifies as a gorgeously textured & geometrically satisfying work of wonder.The story of The Secret of Kells follows a young kid named Brendan who embarks on an adventure of a lifetime after an esteemed illuminator arrives on their doorstep, carrying with him an ancient but unfinished book, and enlists the kid as his apprentice.
But in order to finish the magical book, he must overcome his deepest fears and must do so before their monastery is invaded by raiders.Directed by Tomm Moore & Nora Twomey, the animation style draws upon Irish art & culture and although the hand-drawn elements look deceptively simple in appearance, the attention to detail is breathtaking.
The story is pretty straightforward, the fantasy elements brim with magical touch & feel, and while the characters may be a bit underdone, a few of them manage to make us invest in their journey.The animation is as unique as it is transcending and in an age where most animation studios try to emulate a realistic background, it's heartwarming to see Cartoon Saloon embracing the imperfect, childlike & ornamental sketch which is then refined to perfection with splendid use of colours & a truly mesmerising score, thus providing its visual & aural elements a distinctive artistic flair and yet it feels oddly familiar & intimate.On an overall scale, The Secret of Kells is a heartwarming, evocative & endlessly endearing delight that begins Cartoon Saloon's filmmaking journey on a high note and is one of the most beautiful & dazzling works of animation to grace the silver screen.
Brendan needs to face his fears and help Brother Aidan finish the book.As I've mentioned before, I thoroughly enjoyed the director's animation technique because it's charming and magical.
Overall if you like Ireland and/or Irish art design you will love this movie.P.S. I have seen the Book of Kells and it really is very beautiful.
but seeing tons of animated features in the same style, it all gets a bit "boring".The Secrets of Kells are a MUST SEE film, for ALL interested in the Nordic and European history.For once its not a romantic viking story.
I like how they took the art from medieval Bibles, in particular the Book of Kells, and created an entire animation style from it.
I loved the fast pace and energy the film carried, because it kept me interested at all times, but they seemed to be running on nothing but visuals at some points and the creators seemed frustrated with their own movie, in a sense.However, The Secret of Kells does not disappoint.
Yes, I know I just said that I did not care for the Christianity and now I am saying I wanted more information, but I did say they held down the religion well and made it to where it was not over the top, so if they did exactly that with more details, it would have been even better.Anyway, the story itself is not as great as the characters it holds and the wonderful visuals because of the shortness, but in the end, whether you enjoy The Secret of Kells or not is based on sheer entertainment, and that is all the film is.
Telling the fictitious origin story for the historical Book of Kells, it is probably the animated movie with the most striking visual style I've ever seen.
In there Brendan meets many wonders and horrors, among them a female forest spirit named Aisling.This film is balm for the soul of anyone who has ever appreciated traditional hand-drawn animation.
It's gorgeous, with a lovely, lilting score.The story, on the other hand, is a bit of a mess.The protagonist, Brendan, lives in a monastery, and the film is inspired by The Book of Kells, an elaborately illustrated book of the gospels.
(Against the odds, the film was surprisingly nominated for an Oscar that year for Best Animated Feature, losing to Up.) This is must-see viewing.The animated film tells the story of Brendan, a young boy living in an abbey during the 8th century.
The film's young hero Branden is taken under the tutelage of Brother Aidan, a celebrated master illuminator to help complete the precious book before Viking raiders attack the Abbey of Kells.
The shortcomings of the film's limited budget and sometimes limited animation are more than compensated for by the visual poetry of the story of young Brendan's heroic quest to become a master illuminator during the dark ages.
The film's narrative--- which functions more as a parable--- centers around the conflict between Brendan, who seeks to create beauty in his illuminations during a time of encroaching darkness, and his stern Uncle the Abbot-- who seeks to protect the town of Kells and his nephew with a looming wall as barrier against the Norsemen.
(The United Nations' band of illuminators who appear as a rogues' club of artists in The SECRET OF KELLS aren't historically probable, but they're all well-designed, individuated characters who do much to convey the universal appeal of this quintessentially Irish story.) Animation has always seemed the best vehicle to me to better help us understand the visual art of different times and cultures.
The magnificent art direction of this movie clearly derives from its historical visual source, but has also been cleverly adapted to the demands of animated storytelling; if animation had existed in the Dark Ages, the SECRET OF KELLS is what it would look like!
The Story of "The secret of Kells" takes place in a fascinating but overlooked historical period, the time of Viking invasions through Britain and Ireland: the time of pillages, frightened communities and monks.And caught between two adults, two monks, two ways of coping with the horde which is destroying society, young Brendan will find friendship, hardships, the power of beauty and culture and a troublesome coming of age.
Often the film manipulated things to make it look like a page in the legendary Book of Kells.
There aren't too many Irish made Oscar nominated movies so I was looking forward to watching "The Secret of Kells" directed by Tomm Moore.The standard of animation was very high, breathtaking at times.
The animators seemed to have been inspired by beauty of the Book of Kells itself as they have created some of the most colourful and vibrant images I've seen in a movie in a long time.The story is about a young boy (Brendan) living in the monastery of Kells where his uncle is the Abbot.
However, when you look passed the flashy veneer you're left with a much less polished story.Brendan is a young boy living in the fortified city of Kells under the watchful eye of his uncle, the Abbot.
In this fantastic retelling of that story, a prepubescent boy named Brendan, living in a monastery ruled by his uncle, a stern abbot who is worried preparing the defenses of the abbey from the impending attack by the feared vikings, must get into the forbidding surrounding forest to find the materials that a master illuminator named Aidan needs to finish the book.
With fast, fluid animation, beautiful details and backgrounds, even the characters take on shapes of drawings found in the original Book of Kells.
Visually beautiful film, a solid story and good character development.
It has beautiful art direction, both colorful and traditional, and a fictional story of how the Book of Kells is miraculously created.