Review of Kitten Party (2010) by Cameron N — 05 Jun 2016

Kitten Party is truly one of the greatest artistic achievements of our time. The kittens themselves offer at once a reflection of and a deconstruction of the human condition. At one point, a kitten is stated as being willing to search for anything, whether she has any idea where it is or not, just as we collectively stumble blindly through the darkness and behind the bookshelves, searching for the feather toy that is happiness and meaning in life.

Later, Kitten Party takes a hard look at blind patriotism, as a red, white, and blue toy is mysteriously dangled from the sky. The kittens try, to no avail, to pull it down, attempting to reconcile the ideas of a lofty government overseeing its people with the fact that it is made up of the very people it purports to oversee, with them rationalizing their ultimate failure by claiming that it is more fun when they can't bring it down.

.. isn't it? Later, the kittens take a more topical stance, examining the topic of racism as a lion appears to explain to them their history, explaining that while they may seem different today, they all came from the same places, and even with those superficial differences, they are all alike in their tails, sense of hearing, and use of scent for identification.

They then go into the differences between themselves and other animals, examining what truly makes them different, and really how small these differences are, and that even with them, you can find many similarities.

The use of imagery throughout the film is both subtle and topical, one repeated theme being the idea of knowledge and certifications as a jumping-off point, as one kitten is repeatedly shown knocking over a diploma as they jump from a shelf, demonstrating that while a diploma may be useful in giving one a platform from which to launch oneself, it is truly just a piece of paper, and it only really has the value one gives to it.

All this is packed within the first half hour of the film, and while I would not spoil the whole thing for you, I will tell you that I laughed, I cried, and I took a long, hard look at myself and the state of society.

Kitten Party is truly the film we as a society collectively needed to see.