Rob Munday
As a child, I was absolutely bewitched by the work of The Jim Henson Company, especially the films The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth (both of which gave me nightmares!). So when a short entered my awareness, promising to be “a thought-provoking mutant love child of Jim Henson, Terry Gilliam and Ingmar Bergman”, I was obviously intrigued. Eron Sheean’s 16-minute short The Rock of Ages delivers on its promises by presenting a surreal fable told with wit, intelligence and a huge stony puppet.
“I was inspired to create a surreal fable that explores the hubris of humankind’s fleeting existence in the face of nature”
Transporting its audience to the rugged landscapes of Iceland, as we follow a wounded warrior, expertly played by Tómas Lemarquis (who also served as co-producer on the short), on his quest for immortality, its fascinating to hear how a conversation with his lead actor originally led Sheean to develop the premise of The Rock of Ages. Initially, discussing “Icelandic ‘Trolls’ and how cultures anthropomorphise the landscape around them”, the director found himself inspired to create a story that “explores the hubris of humankind’s fleeting existence in the face of nature, and our unwillingness to play by its ancient rules”.
Those are some lofty aims for his film, but alongside them, Sheean was also focused on transporting his audience to a “strange and epic world”, while also experimenting with the lines between “humour, philosophical meandering, and all out ridiculousness”. If reading all that sparks worries that The Rock of Ages may get weighed down by over ambition and existential pondering, fear not, the director always keep things entertaining. From Lemarquis’ commanding performance and Ólafur Darri Ólafsson’s comedic turn as the titular rock to the striking scenery, atmospheric soundtrack by Feist and the inventive puppet design of KM EFFECTS, Sheean’s film is so distinct it feels almost unrivalled in the world of short film.
“My aim was to make as much of the film in camera as possible so it would feel grounded and ‘real’ despite its fantasy setting and absurd story” – director Eron Sheean
French historian Gustave Lanson once claimed that “there is no art without commitment and suffering” and after listening to Sheean’s tales from the shoot of The Rock of Ages, I’ve never been more convinced of the truth of this statement. If having to carry their giant puppet up the mountainside felt like a challenge for production, this was nothing compared to the director facing unexpected hardships after his own encounter with nature.
“A few days out from the main shoot while shooting some background plates in the middle of nowhere, I stepped into boiling mud up to my knee and suffered second and third-degree burns”. Ending up in hospital and somewhat incapacitated, Sheean credits “the miracle of modern medicine and my Viking crew, who literally carried me up the mountain to the location (this is after our initial plan of using a horse to take me spectacularly failed)” for the success of his film. Maybe directing such a surreal short through, what the director describes as, “a cloud of painkiller induced delirium” actually helped the film achieve its unique look and tone. We’ll never know for sure, but it’s a great example of what filmmakers will endure to bring their projects to fruition.
Now completing another self funded short film, and developing a trio of feature projects, with The Rock of Ages our first introduction to the work of Sheean, we’re obviously going to being keeping an eager eye on his cinematic output over the coming years.