AOS and The Bathroom by Yoji Kuri

Whereas the age of a live-action film, no matter how classic, can always be discerned by the appearance of its actors, the cinematography, and the style of acting and direction, great animation has the capacity to be timeless. Take Yoji Kuri’s short AOS. It was made 46 years ago, yet the visuals feel as raw and disturbing today as when it first appeared.

A synopsis of the film can be found in Amos Vogel’s 1974 book Film as a Subversive Art:

This extraordinary animation–already a classic–projects a universe of bizarre and frustrated lusts, in which monsters, voyeurs, and misshapen objects engage in nightmarish and often sadomasochistic outrages amongst Freudian symbols of anxiety. Max Ernst and Bosch come to mind, but the rage against repression is entirely Japanese and ideological:sexual anti-puritanism as a liberating device.

When you’re ready to take it a step further, check out Kuri’s 1970 film The Bathroom: