It is very early on in this beautiful Silent-Animation film Flow, that you witness the black cat on the run from a bound of dogs, after the former tries to prey on a fish that was originally captured by the latter. Little does the cat know that this chase of sorts will soon turn into something horrific and filled with obstacles. You can’t deny the similarities of the event with that of the floods that follow – the thematic similarities are of survival in both instances, one from the pugs of nature, and the other from nature itself, a phenomena triggered by the ‘invisible’ humans of the world. Yet it a contrasting theme, the drama is also about Individualism and Community Living, something that we see at various instances of the drama through the presence of its characters.

The beauty of the drama is that though it unfolds through the lens of the black-cat, it could so easily extend and unfold through the lens of any of the other characters. While we see a sense of individualism even in terms of survival on the part of the cat, it also offers a searing commentary on loneliness on the part of some of its other characters. For instance, you see a Labrador Retriever being seemingly disconnected from his group of stray dogs while showing a sense of affection towards the cat. In another scene, you see the silent presence of a capybara (a type of a beaver), taking refuge in an abandoned boat even while being comfortable with the presence of the cat during the deluge. The same capybara shows heart while bringing onboard a lemur during the great floods. Elsewhere, a secretarybird fights its own flock to protect the blackcat, while later being abandoned and injured, only to be a member of this bandwagon. Each of the characters are lonely in their own ways, yet brought together by the floods, while being tolerant and acceptive towards animals around them, that later transforms into a community living of sorts. The concept of universal brotherhood is very much evident, just that it takes a deluge to bring about unity!

The concept of life and death is beautifully explored through this tale. It is almost metaphoric in its representation here – the survival of all animals is filled with sorrow and obstacles just like life, while the healing of death firmly remains the inevitable truth of life. In a scene, you do witness one of the injured characters being healed and on its way to nirvana, even as another tactfully looks on with bated breath. It was a beautifully penned scene that also acts as a reminder that pain isn’t going to last forever, even counter-reminding the viewers that neither is life. The writing manoeuvres itself through its cinematic themes while also being mindful of its adventure-fantasy zone. This is particularly true in its final act that stages itself like an adventure drama while ringing in all the concepts of universal brotherhood and love together.

The character arcs that are showcased with respect to every character is also reflective of their individual journeys of maturity. So even as you witness the water-levels dropping, you still are privy to the sense of togetherness and bond that the characters share with each other, symbolic in a terrific rescue sequence that once again brings the group together. Yet, I liked how the writing tied up its themes together to the beginning of the film – while a deluge marked a sense of survival of animals on ground, the reduction of water-levels marked a sharp contrast for the survival of fish in water. Unfortunately, both are man-made in many ways even as all characters silently mourn the death of their friend under water who was their messiah in many ways, and an important cog in their survival. Sadly, the favour could not be returned thereby marking the group being ‘reflective’ of what could have been their reality if the human-induced after-effects of nature were curbed. It is almost coaxing the viewers to be reflective of their actions too – even as you see a passing shot of healing from the afterlife. The screenplay is brilliantly penned and one to ponder on, long after the film has ended.