A big screen review
of this stunning, 90’s cult favourite that single
handedly created a genre of animation and a style of movement
since mimiced over and over (ever wonder where the ‘unique’
look for The Matrix came from?). Uber cool, savagely stylish
and with a visual inventiveness that dares the mind to try
and take it all in, Aeon Flux’s astonishing mix of
hard edge comic style drawing, B&D/Sci Fi settings and
mind altering storylines crashed through perceptions of
what TV animation could even contemplate - let alone get
away with - screening.
Korean animator, Peter Chung,
first launched Aeon Flux onto MTV in 1991 as a series of
shorts. The following year, Aeon Flux went to half-hour
episodes. The series didn’t so much break rules –
it created new ones. There was no sense of continuity between
episodes. Aeon Flux died in every one of the shorts, some
times as a result of her own ill conceived actions. Festishism,
domination and aggressive female sexuality often unashamedly
took front stage.
The title character is a tall,
willowy assassin, secret agent and parttime model for a
foot fetish magazine. As a clandestine soldier for the nation
of 'Monica’, she must infiltrate the defences of neighbouring
‘Bregna’. This brings her into constant and
deadly conflict with Bregna’s leader, Trevor Goodchild
– her sworn enemy and lover. Graphic violence, often
crackling with the frightening sexual tension existing between
heroine and nemesis, are depicted with a startling gracefulness
and a hyper powered choreograhy that didn’t just smoulder
and burn on TV screens but also made incredible use of the
unique properties of animation.
This big screen collection
of classic Aeon Flux shorts & episodes was selected
by the creator, Peter Chung, especially for AIAF.
