Far Out Isn't Far Enough: The Tomi Ungerer Story

Adult-Director Brad Bernstein's homage to a groundbreaking, internationally recognized author/illustrator (Moon Man) is a tour de force, with cinematography as playful, creative, and subversive as its protagonist. Opening sequences show Ungerer painting in the air. The resulting outline of a naked woman on bended knees transforms into an animated version of one of his signature characters, the robber, whose double-headed axe breaks the glass "screen" between artist and viewer. As biographical milestones and artistic output are described by the subject-and Maurice Sendak, Jules Feiffer, Thérèse Willer (curator of his eponymous museum)-the camera reveals the events responsible for his absurdist worldview. Family photographs reveal the father who died during the artist's childhood; news footage covers the Nazi invasion and French liberation of Alsace, his birthplace. Music adds an emotional layer-Aaron Copeland to conjure 1950s America, sacred choral music to illustrate religious repression-while silence provides space to ponder the meaning of his images. Quiet panoramas of Ungerer's sheep grazing in Nova Scotia, his current homestead in Ireland, and sunset vistas offer a welcome contrast to the intellectual content. His contributions to political art, erotica, and children's publishing are showcased and interpreted, and librarians will watch ruefully when the illustrator describes his volatile relationship with their midcentury counterparts that ultimately led to his being out of favor for decades. Given center stage at last, Ungerer voices his artistic influences and impulses. His wizened face conveys impish roguishness and restless agitation, until calmed by pen or cigarette. Provocative and riveting-a must-see for children's literature enthusiasts.—Wendy Lukehart, District of Columbia Public Library