The Cave: Plato's Allegory in Clay
An excerpt from Plato's Republic, the 'Allegory of the Cave' is a classic commentary on the human condition. It is an example of the philosophical underpinnings of Lovecraft's thought and fiction. Fans of cosmic horror should have no trouble discerning in Plato's allegory the roots of Lovecraft's theme of awakening to a vast and terrible ultimate reality
The filmmakers have brought Plato's pedagogical story to life by shooting over 4,000 still photographs of John Grigsby's wonderful claymation. The unique look of the film was achieved by use of candlelight in a real fire that burned at the back of the set.
The cave animation was originally produced as the opening for a film that explores the difficult subject of spirit mediumship. It is a very loose adaptation of Plato's allegory and is meant as a plea to the audience to try to open their minds, and to consider that we all have very limited perspectives on such things as the afterlife. After the painstaking process of stop motion animation and some 4,000 still photographs lit primarily by candlelight, we have decided to share the work with as many people as possible. We hope that you enjoy this very short piece that features the artistry and considerable patience of the claymation artist, John Grigsby.
