Review of Rejected (2000) by Alex A — 02 Jul 2013

Rejected is exactly what the title tells you; the whole short film is a collection of rejected advertisements or little animation strips made for a TV program that Don Hertzfeldt made. Now, I don't know if they were actually rejected or not, or if its just for the movie that Hertzfeldt says this, or if its a fictional character who gets them rejected. But no matter what Rejected is always going to be an extraordinarily unique, strangely charming, and incredibly twisted story that blazes new trails in animation as well as in storytelling.

Rejected was a fun little film. It was entertaining even if only for nine minutes. But what was the most impressive aspect to this movie, was its underlying message. Under all of the very violent and twisted material--and the funny characters, "my anus is bleeding!"--there was a deep metaphor that had to do with all the characters and their interactions. As the film progresses, the characters get more and more violent, more and more crazy, and more and more just plain weird up until the end in which the world literally begins to collapse around everyone. I believe that this story ark is set to mirror the animator himself and his path into insanity and then total emotional collapse. After all of this work your putting into something and you getting rejected every single time and this animator was already pretty whacked out to start with. It follows that ark in an honest and unbelievably believable manner that starts at the top, then works down to total and utter annihilation.

Rejected is funny, charming, and twisted (but mostly twisted), and it brings the underlying message that will be found in many of Don Hertzfeldt's later animation masterpieces. It's great and definitely worth looking for.