Icarus: From what age should you watch this animated film on Greek mythology?

Recommended from 8 years – currently in the cinema

ᲔTime: Every corner of the island of Crete is a playground for Icarus, the son of the great inventor Daedalus. While searching near the palace of Knossos, a little boy makes a strange discovery: by order of King Minos, a baby with a bull’s head is locked up there. Secretly from his father, Icarus befriends a young Minotaur named Asterion. But fate changes when the latter is transported into the labyrinth. Can Icarus save his friend and change the course of history written by the gods?

• What they love: Carlo Vogel’s first feature film, having previously worked in the animation department of Pixar, Icarus immerses the viewer in complete Greek mythology.

We follow a young Icarus who lives on the island of Crete with his father’s mother-in-law, a young Minotaur, a friend of the son of King Minos’s wife, on his fateful flight. The film tells the story of this young boy, his hopes and disappointments.

If the myth of Icarus, which burns its wings after flying very close to the sun, is known to everyone, its personal history and childhood remain a mystery. The director, who has been fascinated by Greek mythology since childhood, explains: “When I was looking for a mythological hero, Icarus appeared to me like a blank sheet of paper. The myth only makes it fly and fall. When you read texts in Ovid, the extra details are very few.. “

So Carlo Voguele tried to revive the hero’s childhood and his meeting with the main figures of mythology.

From the white bull sent by Poseidon, born in love with Queen Pasiphae, from the Minotaur to the terrible revenge of King Minos, the flight through the labyrinth of Daedalus, the flight of Icarus, the son of Ariadne, and the betrayal of Theseus, the feature film conveys these myths. Reflects life and allows the viewer to better understand these legends.

These hard-to-tell stories then become clearer to the younger viewer. An incredible reconstruction work done by Carlo Voguele and his team allows you to actually project yourself into a young boy’s life.

For the purposes of the film, the filmmaker did indeed visit the ancient sites of Crete, namely Knossos, the colorful palace of King Minos. Colors and lighting play an important role throughout the film. The landscapes of Crete are perfectly represented and write history into reality.

We come out with the feeling that we have heard everything and are happy to know the real reason why King Minos demanded 14 tributes in Athens every year.

• What might bother them: As we know, mythology is full of stories that can scare young children and neither of Icarus is an exception to the rule. Although some of the scenes are not detailed and the director does not explain everything (especially the design of the Minotaur …), Icarus has not been seen for 8 years.

The film includes nudity scenes where Ariane (voiced by Camille Cotin) joins Thesis (Neils Schneider) in his room, violence (Minos regularly hits a Minotaur and demands the sacrifice of 14 young people in Athens) and the death of 2 characters.

These scenes may frighten the most sensitive spectators, but it was impossible to over-water these myths, which are also part of the school curriculum …

Especially beautiful is the final scene, during which the protagonist comes very close to the sun. Far from sad, he leads Icarus to freedom and allows him to join his friend.

• What they will keep inside: Impression of understanding part of Greek mythology and desire to continue discovering these stories.