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Parents' Guide to

The Painting

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Stunning animated drama tackles prejudice, forbidden love.

Movie NR 2013 76 minutes
The Painting Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 10+

Based on 1 parent review

iuiu
iuiu Adult
May 26, 2014
age 10+

Beautifull animation for tweens and up

It is a wonderful story, beautifully animated and full of imagination. I recommend it for tweens and up. I watched this film with my child and two other kids in a theatre and I thought it was wonderful. There are some sad scenes that may scare some children. My kid was 7 years old when we saw it and didn't like those scenes, but the older children (of 9 and 10) were ok with them. I liked the strong lessons about tolerance. Watch it with your younger kids and explain what they may not understand.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
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What's the Story?

THE PAINTING follows characters who exist in an artist's unfinished canvas. There are three classes of people: the completely done "Allduns" consider themselves superior to everyone else and live in a vibrantly colored castle; the partially finished "Halfies" were almost done before the artist abandoned the work, but even a missing brushstroke renders them perceived as inferior; and the poor "Sketchies" are barely more than charcoal line drawings. Ramo, an Alldun, is in love with Claire, a Halfie. Led by their ruthless leader, the Allduns plan to enslave the Sketchies and push the Halfies out, so that they -- the artist's only fully realized creations -- can rule over more space. Unwilling to accept the status quo, Ramo, along with Claire's Halfie friend Lola and a brave Sketchie named Quill, go on a quest to search for the missing artist.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

With The Painting, French director Jean-François Laguionie has created a simple but beautiful allegory that older kids will appreciate for its substance and style. Very young kids may not understand the movie's more mature themes and subject matter, but the entire family can use The Painting as a way to discuss how easy it is for people to discriminate -- and how sometimes all it takes is one or two brave people to stand up to prejudice.

Ramo and Claire's Romeo and Juliet-esque love story seems doomed at the beginning, but it's actually full of hope and possibility. When Ramo sweetly tells Claire how colorful her (unfinished) face looks to him, it's one of the most romantic moments in any movie in recent memory. His love for Claire propels Ramo to look for the painting's artist -- the only person who can end the Allduns' circle of oppression. Along the way, Ramo, Quill, and Lola meet characters from the artist's other paintings and discover that they'll have to make life better for themselves. The action isn't as fast-paced as most American animated movies, so this is a film best watched with older kids who will appreciate it. An English-dubbed version is available, but if your kids are old enough to read, you might want to check out the original (Le Tableau) with English subtitles.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about The Painting's messages about discrimination. Parents may want to discuss historical (and contemporary) examples of oppression.

  • Claire and Ramo are typical examples of star-crossed lovers. Why is forbidden love such an enduring theme in movies? Can you name other star-crossed lovers from movies and books?

  • Why do you think Lola wasn't as satisfied as the other characters with being able to finish yourself? What are the parallels to being able to reinvent yourself?

  • How does this film compare to more mainstream American animated movies you've seen?

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