Realism Vs. Stylisation : The Iron Giant Is Real

Realism Vs. Stylisation : The Iron Giant Is Real

The concept of realism in media on the surface may initially seem a simple binary concept, however, when analysed through different lenses becomes more complex. Bazin (2004) explores concepts of realism in media and describes media as the representation of the world through mechanical reproduction and a presentation of reality, rather than reality itself. This concept exposes the theory that no media is real. Therefore, animation is no less real than live action films and thus the two can be studied equally in terms of realism and stylisation. I will be exploring how The Iron Giant (IG) character, from Iron Giant: Signature Edition (2020), has been brought to life a believable character who evokes a myriad of real emotional responses in the audience.

Firstly, it is important to understand the context of how animation realism and stylisation can be perceived by audiences. Hooks (2009) compares the concept of theatrical reality to regular reality meaning that animators will present their character’s actions in a more exaggerated manner for maximum impact on their audience. Johnston and Thomas (1981) and Hooks (2009) both discuss the importance of studying live action reference to understand how to present actions in a believable manner. However, Johnston and Thomas (1981) theorise that creating character animation too close to reality will instead create lifeless characters. Therefore, this suggests that to achieve realism in animation it must be stylised to be effectively understood by the audience. Therefore, realism and stylisation are intrinsically linked to create believable character animation.

The IG is visually presented as a robot opposed to a human being; however, its personality and character growth leave a lasting impact on the audience that enable them to believe that the character is real. If an animation can evoke a real emotional reaction, then there must be some aspect of reality in the source of that reaction. Hooks (2009) explores that audiences understand that films are not real and will suspend their disbelief in the interest of being genuinely entertained. Therefore, an audience can accept the existence of a robot in this imagined world which mirrors the real world.

Hetherington (2015) conducts a study of the ‘uncanny valley’ through a survey of how uncanny a set of characters appear to a set of participants. The findings show that, when assessing believability, how characters are brought to life is more important than how realistic the visuals appear. Furthermore, studies have theorised that the uncanny valley may never be escaped because as technology progresses the expectations of audiences and human ability to detect uncanny elements will advance at a similar rate (Tinwell, 2015). This further reinforces the concept that stylised actions could appear be more real than reality itself. Moreover, if these actions evoke an emotional response in our audiences, in lieu of a true presentation of reality, then there must be some aspect of reality present.

Figure1. Screenshot from The Iron Giant: Signature Edition (2020) showing IG mimicking Hogarth.

There are several key scenes that establish the IG as real. Firstly, the scene where IG discovers a deer for the first time and is in awe. IG’s actions are slow and steady to be careful not to hurt the creature but to engage with it. Both Johnston and Thomas (1981) and Hooks (2009) extensively study how animated characters achieve the illusion of life through clearly motivated movements that show what the character is thinking to seem believable. When IG learns that the deer has been killed, we see distress and deep sadness in the IG. This is shown through initial erratic motions followed by slow, heavy saddened motions. Ekman and Freisen (2003) study how the face portrays different emotions and discusses how sadness is often preceded by distress, which is what we see in IG in this scene. Sadness is displayed through IG’s sloped eye shutters and in the next scene where it lies down still and processing the event. This aligns with Ekman and Freisen’s (2003) study of human facial portrayal of sadness through the inner corners of the brow and eyelid being raised and other features hanging loosely. This is exactly how the IG has been animated by showing a real representation of human sadness and loss that the audience can easily identify and empathise with. 

Figure 2. Screenshot from The Iron Giant: Signature Edition (2020) showing IG engaging with the deer.

Additionally, this human-like behaviour is revisited in the final scenes of the film where IG believes Hogarth to have been killed. We see IG reach out to Hogarth trembling in distress, which mirror’s its response to the deer’s death earlier, however, the actions are much more exaggerated. This scene is particularly real as the audience can feel the IG’s distress, which aligns with how Hooks (2009) explains that “The goal of the animator is to expose the emotion through the illusion of movement on screen.” Hooks (2009, p.9) teaches how acting for animation can be used to understand personality, motivations and emotion and how these alter the actions of the character. This is further reinforced by Aristidou et al. (2015) who explores how studying human behaviour leads to the development of believable characters with distinct personalities. This is seen through the evolution of IG’s personality, through observation and experience, and how the animators studied and stylised real actions to inform their animation. 

Figure 3. GIF capture from The Iron Giant: Signature Edition (2020) showing IG's response to perceiving Hogarth's death.

In conclusion, IG’s character evolves across the film from robotic to human-like through Hogarth’s guidance as it learns through mimicry and experience. Williams (2009, p. 317) states, “We try to make it so real, super real, that it’s compulsive viewing. We experience the emotion and magnify the result.” This highlights that to create believable, emotionally connective animation must be stylised to leave a lasting effect on the audience. This is seen in the IG’s actions, which have been exaggerated to achieve a stylisation of reality. This aligns with the exaggeration principle of animation, which highlights actions should representation reality but be presented in a more extreme manner (Johnston and Thomas, 1981). The IG’s personality develops through a myriad of scenes that magnify its character and allow the audience to develop a real emotional bond. This climaxes when IG sacrifices itself to save the town and its people. This action establishes the people it saved as real as well as the saddening loss of IG for the audience. The IG at its core is the manifestation of moral decision-making processes represented in a character. Therefore, The Iron Giant: Signature Edition (2020) has shown how a non-human character can evoke a true emotional audience reaction and seem more real bringing this character to life through stylised reality opposed to an exact mirror of reality.

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Reference List

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5. Hooks, E. (2009) Acting for animators: A Complete Guide to Performance Animation; multimedia CD-ROM included. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
6. Johnston, O. and Thomas, F. (1981) The illusion of life: Disney Animation. New York: Disney Editions.
7. The Iron Giant: Signature Edition (2020) Directed by Bard Bird. [Feature film]. Burbank, CA: Warner Home Video.
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9. Williams, R. (2009) The animator’s survival kit: Expanded edition. London: Faber and Faber.