Polar Express -
I'm going to do a few things here. I want to talk about my appreciation for this movie and also analyize it. Going over why I like it will be first and the analyzation will be second.
Why do I like this movie? #
I believe it is just a great Christmas movie. A lot of people hate on the motion capture style and it being creepy, but I disagree. It can look weird and the motion is a little stiff but this movie came out 20 years ago. Give it a break. I still think it looks really good. The textures are great, the snow looks amazing, the lighting still pops, I could go on. I think the entire cast did an amazing job as well. Tom Hanks did great as the conductor and as a few other characters. Turns out the FNAF movie guy, Josh Hutcherson, actually played the main boy. And speaking of the main boy, thats another thing I love..
The characters have no names! (minus Billy, we don't talk about Billy) I think it really helps with the messages. It's easier to relate to. The main character isn't Tyler or whoever, he's just the boy. That could be you, the viewer. I'll get more on the message and the themes later, so hold on tight.
Theres a few shots in the movie that I love. It's something about the camera pan into the object the charater is looking at that just works so magically. They use this twice. Once when he is reading the World Book about the North Pole and another when he is looking at the sleigh bell on the ground.
If any copyright owners want to get mad at me, well I've bought this damn movie twice now. You've made your money and a couple screenshots will not kill you. At least I'm not sharing the whole download online.
The train looks really cool too. Sorry, the "Baldwin 2-8-4 S3-class steam locomotive built in 1931 at the Baldwin Locomotive Works". I don't have the train hyperfixation autism, but I can appreciate the mechanics of trains. I am a machinist after all! But lets be real.. The architecture of some of the railroad bridges were so nice.
The shot of the train going up the mountain after the ice scene is great as well.
A couple extra screenshots because I like you guys! The North Pole with northern lights hanging above. Then "Believe".
The ticket punching is fun to watch.
The writing in this movie is really good. Obviously it's a kid's movie so it's not insane, but I still believe it's good. I just watched it again, the first time in two years. I paid more attention to the movie than I usually do. I caught up on some lines that I previously missed. I'd really need to watch it again with a notepad to write them down as they get said because when I hear another good one, the last good one gets pushed out of my brain. Here's the last good one (and possibly the best one) that I can remember:
One thing about trains:
It doesn't matter where they're going.
What matters is deciding to get on.
Mic drop indeed. No need to say anything more.
Lastly, I want to mention the music. I love the soundtrack of this movie. You got BANGERS like the hot chocolate song and the jazz theme at the end, but even the orchestral main motif is great. I love that it's used all throughout the movie. You just know something magical is happening when you hear the little glockenspiel in the background hinting at the theme. I sang almost all the lyrics to the little song the kids sing on the back of the train. Hit the harmonization too. It's just a wonderful movie.
Now for the analyzing.. #
Alright. There's a few I've got. These are all from my own brain. No outside opinions have influenced this. It is peak slop.
Couple things I want to get out of the way: I do not think the ghost is supposed to be a spy or something for Santa. I also don't think the ghost is Santa himself. I think the ghost is a couple things.
The ghost is an internal monologue #
First, I think the ghost is the embodiment of the internal monologue for the main boy. While on top of the train the ghost says, "But... But you don't wanna be bamboozled. You don't wanna be led down the primrose path. You don't wanna be conned or duped, have the wool pulled over your eyes. Hoodwinked. You don't wanna be taken for a ride, railroaded. Seeing is believing." The kid obviously has his doubts about Christmas and Santa Claus. He really wants to see in order to believe. In the beginning he almost believes. Then the magic is ruined as it is revealed to be his parents. He then proceeds to check his collection of research as to prove Santa isn't real.
Later in the movie, he runs into the ghost again. This time, the ghost says, "North Pole, Santa Claus, this train.. it's all a bunch of humbug. A bout of indigestion. Oh, yeah. I know what you are. You're a doubter. A doubter. You don't believe! You're a doubter! You don't believe!" I think is also a relevant explanation to show why the ghost is the boy's internal monologue. The main boy still doesn't really believe. He thinks it's a dream. He thinks the train isn't real. Santa isn't real. He doubts the magic of Christmas.
Just a little earlier in the movie, the ghost also confirms this. The boy says, "Are you saying that this is all just a dream?" And the ghost replies with, "You said it, kid. Not me." The ghost is the kid confirming to himself that this whole journey is real.
The ghost is a metaphor for helping others in need #
Think about it. The ghost helps the passengers time and time again. He helps the boy get to the engine room by skiing down the roof. He helps the boy pull the Conductor and the girl back on the train. He helped the Conductor the first year he was conducting. He helps the main boy find the emergency brake (like come on he definitely wouldnt have known that the brake was the wheel on the back that he needed to spin). The ghost asks for nothing in return. He simply helps to help.
I believe the ghost is supposed to be a message to help those during the holidays. A message to not expect anything in return. We are all on our own journeys and sometimes we just need a little help to get where we need to go.
The theme and message #
I think the theme and message of this movie are pretty simple. I mean you can't get more direct than the ticket punch at the end. Believe. Lead, learn. Sure, there's some deeper messages like the ghost, but the main message of the movie has got to be to believe.
You don't need to see to believe in something. Believing isn't knowing, either. Believing is a feeling.
I really just used all my available brain power on analyzing the ghost. You're welcome!!!
Anyways, I love this movie. It's 1:13 in the morning now. I need to go to sleep. I hope you enjoyed my early morning writings on a 20 year old movie!