[rating=5.00]
Whatever else you might be tempted to say about Bilal, you can’t say it lacks vision. Especially for a first effort from an upstart animation studio in the UAE, there are moments of cinematic grandeur peppered throughout the film that offer hints and glimpses of what the folks at Barajoun Entertainment might be capable. The breadth of their imagination is stunning, even if it stretches wildly beyond their ability to pull it off.
To see the limits, one need look no further than the lifeless faces of their animated heroes and villains. While their backgrounds might be almost as awe-inspiring as anything produced by any other animation studio, the faces of their characters are near locked into rubber masked stares that betray the intent of the narrative, deadening both the film and its message.
That’s not the only problem you can find with Bilal, though certainly it’s the most readily apparent. As epic and sweeping as it tried to be—and, honestly, very often is—in the end it suffers from the same shortcomings by which most faith based films find themselves held. Its attempts at inspiration come off as contrived and sappy, lessening the intended impact to the point of pointlessness.
Admittedly, in this case, that might be due to the medium. Bilal, which tells the story of Bilal Ibn Rabah, one of the first converts to Islam, feels unnecessarily hindered by the fact that it’s animated. The historical story of Bilal himself is certainly beautiful and inspiring. Growing up as a slave, he fought for his freedom and eventually became one of the most trusted companions of the prophet Muhammed. His is a story of seeking freedom and finding it even when shackled by the (literal and metaphorical) chains of oppression.
While certainly the film conveys that, its scope is unfairly limited by its animation. It’s not just the technical aspects of the animation either (though there’s certainly that). It’s the fact that with animation it’s hard to bring the necessary life to the characters and the stories. Even with a superb voice cast that includes Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Lost) and Ian McShane (American Gods), it’s hard not to notice how stiff the action and story actually is.
Co-directors Khurram H. Alavi and Ayman Jamal do manage to create some impressive moments in their film. The Arabian deserts are rendered stunningly, and many of the shots they use are nothing short of inspired. (One moment of particular greatness finds us viewing the vastness of the desert from the perspective of a snake, making the unfathomable expanse seem even greater, before sweeping upward as the snake is caught by an eagle.) The film’s several battle sequences are among the most splendid seen in an animated work.
But as impressive as the wide shots are, the film loses its feeling of grandeur as it zeroes in on its characters, which also happens to work as a metaphor for the film as a whole. Impressive as Bilal might seem when viewed with a wide angle, close inspection unravels much of its good works. Its story is impressive, but its telling is bogged down; its characters are inspirational, but their portrayal is lackluster.
While Bilal itself feels ultimately like a misfire, there is enough good within it to suggest the potential for great things to come from Barajoun Entertainment in the future. The movie itself is never awful (always a plus) and many of the techniques they use are truly impressive. With any luck, they’ll be able to continue to grow as a studio and will, in the future, produce works as brilliant as their vision. They might not be there yet but if they ever are it will truly be something special to behold.
Bilal: A New Breed of Hero is now playing in select theaters.
