Trnka's Ruka vs. Maj's Punch and Judy

Ruka vs. Punch and Judy

There were two animated films we watched in class that stood out to me most: Trnka’s Ruka (The Hand) and Martin Maj’s Punch and Judy. Both seemed to include a sense of animated interaction between human and puppet forms, though they each went about it rather differently. In Trnka’s, we see the puppet interacting with a human hand, whereas in Maj’s we see a full human form interacting with the puppet. But both films seem to uphold a sort of  “Tom and Jerry” dynamic where there is a constant chase between characters. In Trnka’s film, the hand is relentless in trying to control the puppet staged as an artist. In Punch and Judy, it seems as if the puppets are seeking vengeance upon their puppeteer. Although I would classify both films as disturbing, I found Trnka’s so be far more disturbing than Maj’s.

I deeply appreciate art that contains a political agenda, as many of my own pieces contextually allude to politics. I saw Maj’s piece as disturbing in a comedic, lighthearted way, whereas Trnka’s film addressed a current issue that was devastating his homeland. As an artist working under the communist regime in Czechoslovakia, Trnka first hand experienced the pitfalls of totalitarianism. To me, this piece was far more powerful than that of Maj’s. Visually it was just as interesting as Trnka’s, but in terms of my own personal taste, it was lacking, conceptually.