Director(s): Saschka Unseld
Date Released: 2013
Theatrically Released Alongside: Monster’s University
The Blue Umbrella is by far Pixar’s most visually gorgeous short released. Alone, its visuals are enough to tell a compellingly simple story about a blue umbrella falling for a red umbrella. The short uses beautiful photo-realistic imagery to bring its story alive, with the encompassing world appearing startlingly true to life. The rain, shadows, lighting, people, objects and traffic all look so real, to the point where I mistakenly assumed they were on my initial viewing. The Blue Umbrella uses artificial pareidolia to create expressions in its sentient object’s non-facial designs, resulting in several surprisingly adorable objects such as a drains, mailboxes, and crosswalk signals. The umbrellas are the only objects with traditionally animated faces—simple dots and lines to create eyes and mouths. The umbrellas’ quirky design choices work effectively, their child-like doodles highlighted in the visually complex setting.
There’s beauty in how simple, yet engaging The Blue Umbrella is—its wonderful soundtrack, composed of a soft, simple tune, delightfully complements the short’s rainy situation. My favorite part is when the objects use their skills to save the helpless blue umbrella from oncoming traffic: a drain spouting water to slide him, another drain blasting air to rocket the umbrella above ground, and an arrow board blinking frantically to redirect traffic. One very brave street sign even throws himself into the road to push the umbrella away from a speeding vehicle. I absolutely love the touching comradery between these city objects: the selflessness and compassion they put for one another’s safety and feelings—an aspect hardly seen from humans in a city. The Blue Umbrella is a wonderful delight to watch. I found myself transfixed by the beauty, harmony and benevolent atmosphere put into such a simple, yet satisfying story. It’s the third short to surpass its feature film in overall quality (the first two being Geri’s Game and La Luna), and the most beautifully animated short Pixar’s produced to date.
