The tiny human-like Oms are treated as pets and totally at the mercy of intellectual blue giants the Draags. However, domesticated Om Terr manages to escape from his Draag master Tiwa and joins up with a tribe of wild Oms who Terr encourages to learn all about the Oms and their culture with the help of a special learning device.
Director/co-writer Rene Laloux and co-writer Roland Topor use the quirky and compelling premise as a means to state a powerful message not only on the intrinsic evil and cruelty of one race totally subjugating another race (the de-Om sequence with numerous Oms being slaughtered in mass volume is genuinely nightmarish and disturbing), but also on how enlightenment and liberation go hand in hand. The Draags register well as a convincingly odd extraterrestrial race. Moreover, the vivid and fascinating depiction of a hostile planet populated by all kinds of dangerous and predatory creatures rates as this film's key triumph. The nifty stylized animation offers a wealth of striking and surreal images. Alain Goraguer's funky-digging score hits the right-on groovy spot. Although slightly marred by an annoying abrupt conclusion, this film still overall deserves its cult status.
Director/co-writer Rene Laloux and co-writer Roland Topor use the quirky and compelling premise as a means to state a powerful message not only on the intrinsic evil and cruelty of one race totally subjugating another race (the de-Om sequence with numerous Oms being slaughtered in mass volume is genuinely nightmarish and disturbing), but also on how enlightenment and liberation go hand in hand. The Draags register well as a convincingly odd extraterrestrial race. Moreover, the vivid and fascinating depiction of a hostile planet populated by all kinds of dangerous and predatory creatures rates as this film's key triumph. The nifty stylized animation offers a wealth of striking and surreal images. Alain Goraguer's funky-digging score hits the right-on groovy spot. Although slightly marred by an annoying abrupt conclusion, this film still overall deserves its cult status.