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Song of the Sea (2014 film)

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Song of the Sea
Theatrical release poster
Directed byTomm Moore
Screenplay byWill Collins
Story byTomm Moore
Produced by
  • Tomm Moore
  • Ross Murray
  • Paul Young
  • Stephan Roelants
  • Serge Ume
  • Marc Ume
  • Isabelle Truc
  • Clement Calvet
  • Jeremie Fajner
  • Frederik Villumsen
  • Claus Toksvig Kjaer
Starring
Edited by
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • 6 September 2014 (2014-09-06) (TIFF)
  • 10 December 2014 (2014-12-10) (France/Belgium/Luxembourg)
  • 19 December 2014 (2014-12-19) (United States)
  • 19 February 2015 (2015-02-19) (Denmark)
  • 10 July 2015 (2015-07-10) (Ireland)
Running time
94 minutes[3]
Countries
  • Ireland
  • Belgium
  • Denmark
  • France
  • Luxembourg[1]
LanguagesEnglish
Irish
French
BudgetUS$7.5 million
Box officeUS$9.3 million[4]

Song of the Sea (Irish: Amhrán na Mara) is a 2014 animated fantasy film directed and co-produced by Tomm Moore, co-produced by Ross Murray, Paul Young, Stephen Roelants, Serge and Marc Ume, Isabelle Truc, Clement Calvet, Jeremie Fajner, Frederik Villumsen, and Claus Toksvig Kjaer, and written by Will Collins based on Moore's original story.[5]

It is the second feature film by Cartoon Saloon in an international co-production with The Big Farm of Belgium, Nørlum of Denmark, Superprod of France, and Melusine Productions of Luxembourg,[1][6] The film is the second instalment of Moore's "Irish Folklore Trilogy", following his previous film The Secret of Kells (2009) and preceding the film Wolfwalkers (2020).[7] It is also the only one to be set in relatively contemporary times, specifically the 1980s, as the other aforementioned films take place during the early Middle Ages and the 17th century respectively.

Song of the Sea follows the story of a 10-year-old Irish boy named Ben (David Rawle) who discovers that his mute sister Saoirse - whom he blames for the apparent death of his mother - is a selkie, who has to free faerie creatures from the Celtic goddess Macha.

Like other Cartoon Saloon films, the animation is a combination of traditional hand-drawn and computer-generated types, with a domination of the stylistically naïf form of the first being dominant. This follows the style set in The Secret of Kells, with it mainly appearing with a flat or 2-dimensional aspect, but also incorporating some 3-dimensional image modelling. Aptly, the imagery of the animation is composed in the form of water-colours, especially in the backgrounds and in the narrative flash-back scenes.

The film began production soon after the release of The Secret of Kells, premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival on 6 September in the "TIFF Kids" programme.[8] The film had a limited release in certain countries, but won the Satellite Award for Best Animated or Mixed Media Feature and European Film Award for Best Animated Feature Film, as well as the nominations for Best Animated Feature at the 87th Academy Awards and 42nd Annie Awards.[9][10][11]

The Irish-language version has been produced by Macalla with funding from TG4 and the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, with selected cinemas in Ireland screening it from 10 July 2015.[12][13] Brendan Gleeson and Fionnula Flanagan reprised their respective roles in this version. The DVD with the Irish audio can be bought in Cartoon Saloon's online store.[14]

Plot

[edit]

In 1981, Conor, a lighthouse keeper, lives on an island off the north-west coast of Ireland with his wife, Bronagh. After bearing a human son named Ben, the couple expect a second child, but Bronagh disappears after giving birth to their daughter Saoirse, apparently dying in childbirth.

Six years later, Conor dotes on the mute Saoirse, while Ben is resentful of her, as he blames her for his mother's disappearance; his sole companion is the family's Old English Sheepdog, Cú. On Saoirse's birthday, the children are visited by their Granny, who regards the lighthouse as an unfit place to raise the children. That night, Saoirse plays a seashell given to Ben by their mother, and is led to a white sealskin coat inside Conor's closet. Donning the coat, Saoirse goes to the sea and transforms into a selkie. After swimming, she is found by Granny on the seashore, and the frightened Conor locks the coat in a chest and throws it into the sea. Granny takes the children to her mainland home in Dublin, with Cú staying at the lighthouse. Along the way, Ben draws up a map of the route, and on the eve of Samhain he and Saoirse run away from Granny's home to return for Cú.

Saoirse again plays Ben's seashell and is abducted by a trio of daoine sí, taking her to their lair underneath a bushy roundabout. The daoine sí rejoice at Saoirse's appearance, hoping that she can return them to their homeworld if she sings her song while wearing her coat. However, their jubilation draws the attention of owls belonging to a witch named Macha, who had turned the other daoine sí to stone by sucking their feelings out of them. The owls attack the shelter and turn the daoine sí to stone, but Ben and Saoirse escape. The children make their way toward the lighthouse to retrieve Saoirse's coat, and are reunited with Cú, who swam across the strait in pursuit of them.

During a rainfall, Ben and an ailing Saoirse take shelter in a hut, in which Saoirse falls into a holy well. Cú and Ben pursue Saoirse, but Ben gets lost and emerges in a cave inhabited by the Great Seanachaí. Through strands of the sage's beard hair, Ben sees the story of the giant Mac Lir, who cried out in a terrible fit of grief and threatened to flood the world. Macha, Mac Lir's mother, was unable to endure her son's anguish and thus deprived him of his feelings, turning him to stone. Finding Saoirse's whereabouts through another strand, the Great Seanachaí tells Ben that Macha has kidnapped Saoirse and that if Saoirse does not wear her coat and sing her song by dawn, she and all other magical beings will die. Following one of the Great Seanachaí's hairs to Macha's lair, Ben sees a flashback of the night Saoirse was born and learns the truth: Bronagh was a selkie, and she had to return to the sea so Saoirse could be born safely, leaving her husband and children behind.

Ben, in his encounter with Macha, learns that the grief-stricken witch seeks to save others from suffering and sadness by turning them to stone just as she had to Mac Lir. Macha herself has partially been turned to stone as she encloses her own strong feelings within enchanted glass jars. Ben finds Saoirse, who has nearly been turned to stone, in the attic. Apologizing for being a bad brother, Ben encourages Saoirse to play the seashell, which breaks the jars and returns Macha's feelings to her, restoring her kindness. Macha helps Ben, Saoirse and Cú return to the lighthouse, riding the wind, with the aid of two spectral hounds of the air.

As Saoirse is exhausted and near death, Conor attempts to take her to a hospital on the mainland, unwilling to heed Ben's explanation. Ben resolutely dives into the sea alone to retrieve the coat, and unlocks the chest with the aid of a group of seals. Saoirse puts on the suit and begins to sing, which frees all magical beings from their petrified state. As the beings depart for their homeworld, Bronagh appears before the family to take Saoirse with her. When Ben and Connor plead her not to take Saoirse, Bronagh gives her daughter the choice to stay, as she is half-human. Choosing to stay, Saoirse removes her seal coat, thus untangling the two worlds forever. Bronagh shares one last goodbye with her family and departs.

Some time later, the no-longer broken family celebrates Ben's birthday, and he and Saoirse go swimming with the seals.

Voice cast

[edit]
Character English Irish Scottish Gaelic French
Ben David Rawle James Ó Floinn Caitlin NicAonghais Jean-Stan DuPac
Conor Brendan Gleeson Dàibhidh Walker Patrick Béthune
Mac Lir
Rock Shee Niall McDonagh
Mossy Colm Ó Snodaigh Iain MacFhionghain Marc Perez
Ferry Dan Jon Kenny Ailig Dòmhnallach
Great Seanachaí Maurice O'Donoghue Iain MacRath
Spud Liam Hourican Tomás Ó Súilleabháin Pascal Sellem
Bus Driver Iain MacFhionghain
Granny Fionnula Flanagan Anna Mhoireach Nathalie Homs
Macha Donna Nic 'Ille Mhoire
Bronagh[15] Lisa Hannigan Gráinne Bleasdale Màiri Nic 'Ille Mhoire Nolwen Leroy
Saoirse Lucy O'Connell Fionán Farley Nolan Catherine Tinney
Young Ben Kevin Swierszcz Ríona Farley Nolan Thisbée Vidal-Lefebvre
Lug Pat Shortt Donncha Crowley Ailig Dòmhnallach Cyrille Artaux

Will Collins and Paul Young provide additional voices in the English version.

Music

[edit]
Song of the Sea
Soundtrack album by
Bruno Coulais & Kíla
Released1 January 2014 (2014-01-01)
GenreFilm score
Length54:02
LabelUniversal Music Group

The original music for the film was composed by Bruno Coulais, in collaboration with the Irish group Kíla. "The Derry Tune" originally featured on Kíla's 2010 album Soisín. The film also features the voice of Lisa Hannigan and songs by Nolwenn Leroy. A soundtrack album, consisting of 25 songs from the film, was released digitally on 9 December 2014 by Decca Records.[16]

Track listing
Song of the Sea (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
No.TitleLength
1."Song of the Sea" (performed by Lisa Hannigan)2:42
2."The Mother's Portrait"2:26
3."The Sea Scene"2:42
4."The Song" (performed by Lisa Hannigan and Lucy O' Connell)5:16
5."The Key in the Sea"0:59
6."The Derry Tune"1:58
7."In the Streets"1:05
8."Dance with the Fish"2:05
9."The Seals"0:45
10."Something Is Wrong" (performed by Lisa Hannigan)2:04
11."Run"2:31
12."Head Credits" (performed by Lisa Hannigan)1:44
13."Get Away"1:18
14."Help"2:33
15."Sadness"1:06
16."Molly"1:05
17."I Hate You"1:33
18."Who Are You"1:19
19."The Storm"1:55
20."Katy's Tune"3:30
21."In the Bus" (performed by Lisa Hannigan)0:44
22."The Thread" (performed by Lisa Hannigan)2:24
23."Amhrán Na Farraige" (performed by Lisa Hannigan)2:45
24."Song of the Sea (Lullaby) (From "Song of the Sea")" (performed by Nolwenn Leroy)3:46
25."La chanson de la mer (berceuse) (Extrait du film "Le chant de la mer")" (performed by Nolwenn Leroy)3:47
Total length:54:02

Release

[edit]

The world premiere of Song of the Sea took place as the TIFF Kids children’s event of the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival celebration on 6 September 2014.[8] Theatrically, it was released in France, Belgium and Luxembourg on 10 December 2014.[17] It received a limited release in North America on 19 December 2014, which qualified it for an Academy Award nomination.[18] It was released in Ireland on 10 July 2015.[19]

Reception

[edit]

Box office

[edit]

The film has grossed CN¥15 million in China[20] and US$857,522 in the United States and Canada.[21]

Critical response

[edit]

Reviews for Song of the Sea were positive. Todd Brown, founder and editor of Twitch Film, gave a highly positive review of the film, saying that "a tale that weds absolutely gorgeous artwork with beautifully nuanced characters and a deep but natural rooting in ancient folk tales and magic, Song of the Sea has an assured and timeless quality to it. It is the sort of story that feels as though it always existed somewhere, just waiting until now to be told". "Song of the Sea is not about selling units, it's about story and heart and emotion and wonder and craftsmanship and because of that it becomes timeless, a beautiful piece of art that will delight audiences old and young and confirms what many suspected of Moore after Kells: The man's a master storyteller, and we can only hope he has many, many more stories to tell."[22]

On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 99% based on 97 reviews, with an average rating of 8.40/10. The site's critics' consensus reads: "Song of the Sea boasts narrative depth commensurate with its visual beauty, adding up to an animated saga overflowing with family-friendly riches."[23] On Metacritic the film has a score of 85 out of 100, from 24 reviews.[24]

Writing in the Toronto Review, Carlos Aguilar said of the film: "Watching Song of the Sea it is easy to assert that this is one of the most blissfully beautiful animated films ever made. It is a gem beaming with awe-inspiring, heartwarming magic".[25]

Sara Stewart from the New York Post said "If you want some real cinematic magic this holiday season, don’t miss this enchanting Irish film about a pair of siblings and a piece of Celtic folklore that turns out to be true".[26]

Accolades

[edit]
Year Award Category Recipients Results
2014 Festival International des Voix du Cinéma d'Animation (Port Leucate, France)[27] Prix Spécial du Jury Song of the Sea Won
2015 42nd Annual Annie Awards[28] Best Animated Feature Tomm Moore, Paul Young Nominated
Character Design in an Animated Feature Production Tomm Moore, Marie Thorhauge, Sandra Anderson, Rosa Ballester Cabo Nominated
Directing in an Animated Feature Production Tomm Moore Nominated
Music in a Feature Production Bruno Coulais & Kíla Nominated
Production Design in an Animated Feature Production Adrien Merigeau Nominated
Writing in an Animated Feature Production Will Collins Nominated
Editorial in an Animated Feature Production Darragh Byrne Nominated
19th Satellite Awards[29] Best Animated or Mixed Media Feature Song of the Sea Won
40th César Awards[30] Best Animated Feature Film Song of the Sea Nominated
87th Academy Awards[31] Best Animated Feature Tomm Moore and Paul Young Nominated[32]
12th Irish Film & Television Awards[33] Best Film Song of the Sea Won
Best Film Script Will Collins Nominated
28th European Film Awards[34] Best Animated Feature Film Song of the Sea Won
2016 6th Magritte Awards[35] Best Foreign Film in Coproduction Song of the Sea Nominated
21st Empire Awards[36][37] Best Animated Film Song of the Sea Nominated
2017 2nd Irish Animation Awards[38] Best Irish Feature Film or Special Song of the Sea Won

Home media

[edit]

Song of the Sea was released on DVD and Blu-Ray in Region 1 by Universal Studios Home Entertainment on 17 March 2015.

It was later included in the Irish Folklore Trilogy Blu-Ray box set in the US and UK/Ireland along with The Secret of Kells and Wolfwalkers. GKIDS and Shout! Factory released the Region A box set in North America on 14 December 2021,[39] while StudioCanal released the Region B box set in the UK and Ireland on December 20.[40]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Song of the sea". Archived from the original on 2 February 2020. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  2. ^ "Sangen fra havet". Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  3. ^ "SONG OF THE SEA (PG)". British Board of Film Classification. 3 June 2015. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  4. ^ "Song of the Sea (2014) – Financial Information". The Numbers. Nash Information Services. Archived from the original on 20 June 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  5. ^ Debruge, Peter (21 September 2014). "Film Review: 'Song of the Sea'". Variety. Archived from the original on 19 November 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  6. ^ Monji, Jana (20 November 2014). "AFI FEST 2014: HAUNTING STORIES FROM ABROAD". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on 16 November 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  7. ^ "Wolfwalkers". tiff.net. Toronto International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  8. ^ a b Wolfe, Jennifer (19 August 2014). "Cartoon Saloon's 'Song of the Sea' to open at TIFF". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  9. ^ Murphy, Niall (15 January 2015). "Awards Season: Irish film Song of the Sea nominated for Oscar". Scannain. Archived from the original on 14 March 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  10. ^ Murphy, Niall (15 January 2015). "Irish film Song of the Sea nominated for Oscar". Scannain. Archived from the original on 14 March 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  11. ^ ""Big Hero 6" winning Best Animated Feature Film – Oscars on YouTube". YouTube. 9 March 2015. Archived from the original on 1 February 2021. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  12. ^ Murphy, Niall (4 June 2015). "Scannán as Gaelige: Amhrán na Mara/Song of the Sea to be released in Irish". Beochan. Archived from the original on 2 May 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  13. ^ "Oscars 2015: Song of the Sea / Amhrán na Mara". TG4. Archived from the original on 16 August 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  14. ^ "Song of the Sea DVD". Cartoon Saloon. Archived from the original on 16 August 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  15. ^ Her name is spelt as "Bronach" in the credits; she is known as "Bruna" in the French version.
  16. ^ "'Song of the Sea' Soundtrack Details". Film Music Reporter. 8 November 2014. Archived from the original on 2 January 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  17. ^ "European Release of Song of the Sea". Cartoon Saloon. 10 December 2014. Archived from the original on 27 December 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  18. ^ Wolfe, Jennifer (25 August 2014). "GKIDS Announces North American Release Date for 'Song of the Sea'". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on 23 May 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  19. ^ "Irish Animation 'Song of the Sea' Wins a Satellite Award in the Run Up to the Oscars". Irish Film Board. 17 February 2015. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  20. ^ "海洋之歌（2016）" [Song of the Sea]. cbooo.cn (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 10 October 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  21. ^ "Song of the Sea". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
  22. ^ Brown, Todd (7 September 2014). "Toronto 2014 Review: SONG OF THE SEA Is A Timeless Delight For All Ages". Twitch Film. Archived from the original on 7 September 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
  23. ^ "Song of the Sea (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on 27 November 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2019.
  24. ^ "Song of the Sea Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 25 October 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  25. ^ Aguilar, Carlos (7 September 2014). "Toronto Review: "Song of the Sea" is a Blissfully Beautiful Journey Into Irish Folklore". Toronto Review. Indiewire.com. Archived from the original on 10 August 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  26. ^ Stewart, Sara (17 December 2014). "'Song of the Sea' is this season's animated masterpiece". New York Post. Archived from the original on 2 January 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  27. ^ "un Prix spécial du Jury a été attribué au Chant de la mer de Tomm Moore". voixdetoiles.com. 27 October 2014. Archived from the original on 27 October 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
  28. ^ "42nd Annual Annie Award Nominees". Archived from the original on 14 December 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  29. ^ Pond, Steve (1 December 2014). "'Birdman' Leads Satellite Awards Nominations". Yahoo!. Archived from the original on 25 May 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  30. ^ "César nominations 2015". www.allocine.fr. 29 January 2015. Archived from the original on 29 January 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  31. ^ "Oscars 2015: nominations in full". 15 January 2015. Archived from the original on 15 January 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  32. ^ "2015|Oscars.org". 10 March 2015. Archived from the original on 2 July 2018. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  33. ^ Entertainment (24 May 2015). "The IFTA 2015 Winners' List". entertainment.ie. Archived from the original on 18 August 2015. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  34. ^ "European Film Awards Winners 2015: Paolo Sorrentino's 'Youth' Scoops Best Film, Director & Actor For Michael Caine". Deadline. 12 December 2015. Archived from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  35. ^ "Magritte du cinéma : pluie de nominations pour Jaco van Dormael et Savina Dellicour". Le Soir (in French). 12 January 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  36. ^ Nugent, John (18 February 2016). "Jameson Empire Awards 2016: Star Wars and Mad Max lead the nominations". Empire. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  37. ^ Metro.co.uk, Rebecca Lewis for (18 February 2016). "Mad Max: Fury Road leads the pack at the 2016 Jameson Empire Awards". Metro. Archived from the original on 27 January 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  38. ^ "2017 Winners". Irish Animation Awards. 25 March 2017. Archived from the original on 16 April 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
  39. ^ "Cartoon Saloon's "Irish Folklore Trilogy"". 4 October 2021. Archived from the original on 19 October 2021.
  40. ^ "Blu-Ray Review: Cartoon Saloon's Irish Folklore Trilogy". 20 December 2021. Archived from the original on 25 December 2021.
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