This short film is one of several made as part of a project commissioned by the Icelandic band Sigur Ros, where they invited filmmakers to listen to one of their tracks and then make a film based around it about whatever they want. With Seraph we get an animation about a young boy with a restrictive father and religious upbringing who grows up into his teens a little confused as to what he feels and instead of feeling like he can explore it, he turns it inwards into anger at himself and others.
The Sigur Ros track here is pretty delicate and distant (even by their standards) and while it floats in the rear of the story we are shown some very good animation. The heavy lines and rich color used was effective and I liked the style of delivery as, although slow, most frames were like an art print and visually it was simple but attractive. The plotting is just as simple but less effective; we see a young boy scolded by his father for getting naked in the back garden, he then is shown in a church and from there he appears to develop shame about the male body, not helped by strange feelings of attraction he has towards it. It is a short film so it is ambitious to try and cover developmental influences on sexuality in 5 minutes and this film shows why it is difficult because it simplifies everything too much and runs things to extremes to make the point. It is a shame because the style is good and I liked the music, but the story was rushed and pushed too hard too quickly.
