Traditionally the Sandman is a character in many children’s stories, invoked to help (or lull) children to sleep. He is said to sprinkle sand or dust on or into the eyes of the child at night to bring on dreams and sleep. The grit or ’sleep’ (rheum) in one’s eyes upon waking is supposed to be the result of the Sandman’s work the previous evening.
The Sandman abounds with psychoanalytical theories (sleep equals denial of life, so unconsciousness is an invitation to death), it is its rich film language that gives the rather simple storyline depth and a truly nightmarish edge. Using the hallmarks of Expressionist cinema, director Paul Berry creates a darkly atmospheric film that evokes and preys on our childhood fears and nightmares.
The film’s design draws on Expressionist classics like The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari, Germany, 1919) and Nosferatu (Nosferatu: Eine Symphonie des Grauens, Germany, 1922), while the use of music, sound and camera is clearly inspired by Hitchcock’s Psycho (US, 1960) and Vertigo (US, 1958). Reflecting such influences, the film’s look is dark and menacing: gothic architecture and minimal sets decorate a landscape of blacks, greys and browns. The music and eerie sound effects add to the sinister atmosphere. The sandman himself is a mass of blues and yellows, with a twisted face and fierce, beaklike nose.
Even though the look of The Sandman is often compared to that of A Nightmare Before Christmas (US, 1993), it appeared a year earlier, and was made before Berry met that film’s director, Henry Selick. The film was originally conceived by Ian MacKinnon (producer) and Colin Batty (puppets and sets). Berry joined the project when the puppets were already in progress and began storyboarding the film. The film took three years to make, and was self-funded by the filmmakers and done cheaply with a tiny crew in their spare time. The Sandman was nominated for an Oscar in 1992, and won the Best Short Film award at Annecy in 1993.
Paul Berry died at age 40 from a tumor located in his brain. His film credits include Monkeybone, James and the Giant Peach and The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Tell me about the last dream that you can remember, please oh please and don’t forget to wipe the “sleep” from your eyes.
2 responses so far ↓
1 alexg // Feb 15, 2007 at 12:58 am
Amazing video!
Coincidentally, last night i had a carrot chocolatechip muffin before going to bed and it gave me some strangely vivd dreams! I was producing an art installation for a gallery. The installation involved 2 pieces: an architectural sculpture made of folded paper; and a diagram of soundwaves rendered three-dimensionally using brightly colored fabric streched from various anchor points on the gallery ceiling—it looked like a mountainous coastline with lots of pointy flourescent islands. For some reason the whole thing ended in police chase.
Today i was surfing the web and i came across an exhibition that looks almost exactly like i envisioned in my dream. Apparently the show opens tomorrow night.
2 Dee // Feb 15, 2007 at 1:20 am
The wonders of chocolate chip muffins!! Any chance of you posting the URL to the exhibition so we see what’s running through your head at night.
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