In addition to the rich illustrations and lovely music, I enjoyed The Secret of Kells because of its 1) depiction of the manuscript making process and 2) portrayal of what manuscripts meant to people at the time. For one, the film’s representation of the writing quill was really impressive to me. Before this course, I thought the shape of the quill tip was basically like that of a pen’s. However, the Getty Museum video demonstrated the intentionality of the tip shape, how it was carved and trimmed down depending on the type of writing needed. As I’m Googling “cartoon quill,” I see that many images leave out the unique quill tip shape. Thus, in retrospect, it was nice to have an accurate portrayal of the quill, and to see how it worked (i.e. how it held ink) when Brendan spilled some on the parchment. The representation of parchment also referenced facts in the Clemens Graham “Writing Supports” reading. The animated parchment carried a certain texture that was similar to that of real parchment, which varied based on the type of animal or animal part used. The film’s parchment was pulled taut on a wooden frame as well.
Several parts of the film reminded me of the labor that went into creating a manuscript, and thus how much people valued them and their potential. Brendan’s long and strenuous quest for gallnuts demonstrated the difficulty of finding materials to produce ink. More specifically, his journey helped me better grasp what scarcity meant when it came to bookmaking in the medieval ages, and thus better appreciate the significance of the use of rare colors. Perhaps my favorite mechanism used in the film was when the screen was divided into three sections with characters crossing over each one to show the laborious passage of time and across space. Also, just as we had discussed in class, Brendan and Aidan worked with dedication by candlelight. Given the Book of Kells’ ornateness, it is no surprise that it seemed to take more than the couple of years (i.e. Brendan went from child to adult) that we suggested would be needed to complete an illuminated manuscript. I also liked the scenes when Brendan leafed through the manuscript, experiencing its images and texts glow and leap off the page, and when Brendan and Aidan read the book huddled together in a hut with others. These were affecting visual representations of the two’s trust in the book to “light the way in [those] dark days.”
I agree that the movie did well at showing the lengthy and arduous process of making a manuscript. In discussing the manuscript they were making, they talked about how Aidan had been working on it so long that he could no longer complete it because of his age. They also showed the importance of the book through the training and practice Brendan had to do before he felt comfortable and prepared to write in the book. It also showed his hesitance at helping Aidan because Brendan believed the book to be much greater than himself, like the work of angels. At first, he was even afraid to look in the book because of its power, showing just how important this book was to the people.
Awesome details! They help shift even more focus onto the manuscript as a central part of the film — as a plot-driver and agent of influence for the characters.
(Also side note: if I comment on your comment on my post, am I being meta…?)