Letters to the Editor
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*sigh*
I rarely read your reviews, Stephanie, because from the past I've come to see that you and I don't see movies the same way, and so your essays are not helpful to me personally. (That's not a slam - everyone sees things differently, and I'm sure many people are in tune with your views.) But this time we're definitely agreed, in that Ratatouille is indeed a gorgeous, beautifully written and supremely well-executed work of art.
HOWEVER.
I must strenuously object to the way you keep characterizing this as Brad Bird's film, as though everything about it were to be laid at his feet. His colors? His design? Did you bother to sit through the credits to this film? (I hope you did, as they were animated in a completely different style, quite wonderful on its own.) Did you see how many people worked on this film? Did you happen to notice that not only is one person not responsible for those aspects, but there were whole departments creating the character designs, working on color, lighting, camera work, etc.
The auteur theory of filmmaking went out a long time ago, Stephanie, and any filmmaker worth his salt will gladly tell you that films are a collaborative effort, and that even though a director is the force that pulls it together, it is no more his film than it is the lead actor's, or the DP's, or the producer's. It's even more ridiculous to talk about an animated film as though one guy is responsible for it, let alone a CGI film, which often (as in this case) has hundreds of people working on it. You said your favorite animated film is Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Were you aware how many (uncredited) people worked on that masterpiece, or did you assume Walt did it all on his own? (Just because he had the ego to slap his name on his studio's output and refuse credit to any of his artistic talent didn't make his lie true.)
Please consider writing about filmmaking in a more truthful manner next time. As I said, there were hundreds of very talented people creating this film, and although it's certainly not possible to list them, at the very least, have the grace to acknowledge their existence. After all, if they brought you so much pleasure, don't they deserve at least that?
Or are they "nobody", like the little rat that Gusteau championed?