Coming into this film, I had not read anything in particular about the real life cipher which this animation uses as it basis, but I had read that the short film itself contains a series of clues to its own internal cipher to be solved. This aspect of the film I will come back to, because to the majority of viewers what we have here is a semi- noir spy film which is centered around a tension moment on a train. In this train is one Professor White – once a feted academic and key member of a code-breaking organization, is now suspected of being a German spy and is on the run. We learn however that his obsession with solving the Thomas Beale mystery may be somehow connected to all this, although the detail of his fall from grace and his current situation is not really fleshed out.
Instead what we get is a few scenes which are quite contained but very engaging in their style. As a scene played straight, it is actually pretty good; a Poirot-style train carriage, a bit of backstory, a time-pressure as agents work their way towards White, and so on. The device employed to distract the agents is perhaps far-fetched and does rely on a calculation that even Guy Ritche's Sherlock might figure wasn't worth trying, but it nicely fits with the tension of the scene as it plays out over 30 or so seconds. As a narrative it is simple perhaps, but it is effective and does leave you wanting more of the same.
The main reason for this is the design of the short – not just the animation, but the whole package. Normally I watch the end credits of short films to see if I recognize any names, however in this case the credits were as much part of the film as the main body because the design and movement doesn't stop there. The whole piece is animated over live-action, an effect I quite like, but in this case has the additional appeal of having the look of fabrics, changing images, and outlines. The score for the piece also greatly helps the sense of drama, and it builds well. Likewise the voice-work from White gives the material a gravitas and urgency that I liked. So, although it is a case of the design and style being more important than the narrative, I will not pretend to mind since it does it so well.
Ironically although the narrative is relatively simple, the film reportedly contains a lot more detail that will be lost to most viewers (myself included). Even if you do not know that there are internal clues here, you will see at least some of the numbers that float through the film, appearing in one view, or maybe just for a few frames. I spotted a few of them but after a couple I found that I was focusing on looking for more, and not actually letting the film play out. I guess the intention was that it would be something picked up on to draw repeat viewings, although reading the solution (involving using a children's book by Graeme Base) makes me wonder who would really be bothered. To be fair, not knowing it is there, probably you only notice a few odd numbers as you watch it the first time, and only later get drawn in – I guess for me it was something I had to make sure I did not focus on since I already knew of it before seeing the film.
So, for me, I did find the narrative to be a bit truncated, even if it had the benefit of then wanting more; and I didn't get much from the internal cipher, however I did enjoy the energy, the style, the design and the overall construct of the short.
