Reviews

Feb 12, 2009
Franz Kafka's stories are known for their weirdness, and so it was inevitable that at least one would be adapted to anime, where a little bit of weird is the norm. ("The Metamorphosis" is available in graphic novel format) But I'm surprised that it's this story, of which I've never heard, was the one.

The story in "A Country Doctor" was hard to follow. Perhaps I'd understand it better if I read the story on which it's based. A lot of it is probably supposed to be metaphors for stuff. Like when one character suddenly bit another character; that's probably a metaphor for humans' cruel nature or some such thing.

The art may seem really odd for an anime. Characters are depicted with body parts growing larger, and instead of walking, swinging across the screen weirdly. (It's hard to describe this in words... you'll understand it when you see it.) For this kind of "psychological" anime, it seems an appropriate style of art. It probably also represents the inconsistent ways in which reality is perceived.

The sound is outstanding! Just, no other comment than that.

Since it's only a twenty-minute film, the characters don't have much time to develop. Worth noting is that when the main character, the doctor, is thinking, two black, childlike figures appear behind him and speak the inner dialogue. It's a strange effect which probably represents the duality of something or other.

I enjoyed this a fair bit, just to watch and see what the hell happened next, and seeing if I could find any hidden meanings in it.

Overall, though, it has a pretty weak story. I recommend watching this if you're bored, if you're a Kafka fan, or if you're taking a class in philosophy, psychology, cinematography, or one of those classes where you have to find the hidden meaning in shit.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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