'The Book of Life' Simple Yet Vibrant

Of all the bizarre music choices in Jorge Gutierrez’s animated Day of the Dead-themed feature “The Book of Life,” Radiohead’s “Creep” was probably the most surprising. Our hero, Manolo Sanchez (Diego Luna), faces a tough dilemma. Manolo wants to be a musician, but he comes from a long line of bullfighters, and naturally he’s expected to carry on the family tradition. To further complicate things, Manolo has fallen for the beautiful Maria (Zoe Saldana), who disapproves of killing bulls. In the ring, when Manolo looks into the bull’s eyes and at the sword in his hand, he decides to disregard his father’s wishes and spare its life. Immediately Manolo becomes an outcast from not only his family but the entire town. So naturally, musician that he is, Manolo lets out his feelings in the only way he knows—he goes to the bullfighting arena and plays a heartfelt Spanish guitar rendition of a British alternative rock band’s debut hit from the 1990s.

“The Book of Life” bravely attempts to blend Mexican folk culture with pop culture references that American audiences will recognize, but instead of striking harmony, the juxtaposition often feels awkward. In addition to Radiohead, the film features throwback tracks from Rod Stewart, Biz Markie, and the King himself, Elvis Presley. The unlikely musical interludes often provide a laugh but ultimately distract from the mood of the film and the story being told.

The story is conveyed from the angle of a white museum curator telling a tale to three white school children. Periodically throughout the film, the curator and children are revisited for helpful, occasionally somewhat offensive commentary such as, “What’s with Mexicans and the dead?” At the end of the film, when the dust has settled and the lesson has been learned, the museum curator reiterates the moral to the children and sends them off to their suburban homes. It seems very clear that the intended audience of this film is white suburban children and their white suburban parents.

There are moments in the film when Gutierrez does find his stride with the subject matter, and the result is beautiful. In a series of scenes where the protagonist travels to the Land of the Remembered, we get a beautiful portrait of the folk Mexican view of the afterlife. These scenes also show off Gutierrez’s talent as an animator and director, and fully harness the power of 3D technology. Here, the spirit of the Day of the Dead is captured—vibrant colors dance across the screen, and themes of family, community, and tradition predominate.

The characters in the film are also multi-dimensional. Piggybacking off the trend made popular by Disney films “Brave” and “Frozen,” the film’s leading female is an empowered young woman. The daughter of a decorated general, Maria was educated abroad in literature, the arts, fencing, and kung fu. While the male characters often get into silly quarrels, Maria stands back and acts with both poise and reason.

Manolo, too, provides a good role model for children. Despite being raised in a culture where the violent sport of bullfighting is all that matters, Manolo wishes to play the guitar and make music. While he initially obeys his father’s wishes, Manolo eventually does find himself. He often makes mistakes, but he learns from his mistakes and keeps working toward his goals.

Nonetheless, “The Book of Life” also has flaws. Certain stylistic choices by the filmmakers often detract from the story and leave the viewer confused, and the story itself can be simplistic and reductive. But the film is also very entertaining. Its jokes are funny and the animation is top notch. And ultimately, the film leaves young viewers with a message that never goes out of style: just be yourself.

—Contributing writer Andrew J. Wilcox can be reached at andrewwilcox@college.harvard.edu.