Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet
Directed by: Roger Allers
Written by: Roger Allers - Based on the novel by Kahlil Gibran
Voiced by: Liam Neeson, Salma Hayek, John Krasinski, Quvenzhané Wallis, Alfred Molina, Frank Langella
Animation - 84 min Reviewed by Charlie Juhl on 17 Aug 2015
Written by: Roger Allers - Based on the novel by Kahlil Gibran
Voiced by: Liam Neeson, Salma Hayek, John Krasinski, Quvenzhané Wallis, Alfred Molina, Frank Langella
Animation - 84 min Reviewed by Charlie Juhl on 17 Aug 2015
The animated film Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet is not for kids. It’s not the subject matter; there is nothing along of the lines of South Park to scare parents into keeping their kids away. The Prophet skews toward adults because of the poetry. As our protagonist, Mustafa, slowly walks from his house imprisonment toward the docks and a ship which will take him back to his homeland, he interacts with the locals and recites his poems concerning life and the human condition. Each poetic segment is animated by a different artist, providing an enormous array of contrasting styles. I would love it if my child would watch a film as engrossing and philosophically challenging as Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet; yet I am wise enough to know the required attention span is most likely not attained until high school.
In real life, Kahlil Gibran was a Lebanese-American poet. His most famous work, The Prophet, published in 1923, has now sold over nine million copies. The Prophet is a fictional account of a poet, Mustafa (Liam Neeson, 2015's Run All Night), recently freed from a seven year housebound sentence, and his walk toward freedom. Listening to Neeson recite Gibran’s poems is a pleasure. There is very little trace of his native Irish tongue as Neeson chose his American dialect to carry Gibran’s words.
In real life, Kahlil Gibran was a Lebanese-American poet. His most famous work, The Prophet, published in 1923, has now sold over nine million copies. The Prophet is a fictional account of a poet, Mustafa (Liam Neeson, 2015's Run All Night), recently freed from a seven year housebound sentence, and his walk toward freedom. Listening to Neeson recite Gibran’s poems is a pleasure. There is very little trace of his native Irish tongue as Neeson chose his American dialect to carry Gibran’s words.
Produced by Salma Hayek, who also voices an important character, Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet is not so much plot driven as its purpose is more toward the poetry. Yes, there is a bare bones story about a wild child, a distraught mother, and a menacing military junta, but these are just waypoints and catalysts for Neeson’s Mustafa to launch into a Gibran poem about love, marriage, or death. The film’s pacing is similar to a musical where we get some brief exposition and narration to carry us along until the next big number.
My favorite segment is “On Marriage”. A newlywed couple dance around a rooftop restaurant as Neeson’s voice encourages them to unite, but reminds them the importance of maintaining their own identities. “On Death” is also quite moving as Mustafa attempts to explain to the little girl how death is a part of life and its own adventure. There are plenty of musicals I wish would lower the song quantity because I word rather listen to dialogue, but in this case, the more poetic interludes, the better.
Director and animation supervisor, Roger Allers, directed The Lion King, one of Disney’s most popular animated films in its history. He also had a hand in writing Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Emperor’s New Groove. Adapting Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet is an interesting choice after so many blockbuster hits as this film will not approach a fraction of a percentage of what his earlier efforts earned at the box office. However, I have no doubt Kahlil Gibran would pen a witty response to the hazards of chasing monetary acclaim at the expense of true artistry.
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