Aardman and Sony Pictures collaborated in 2011 to create a computer-animated Christmas film about Santa Claus’s bumbling but well-meaning son. “Arthur Christmas” stars James McAvoy as Arthur, as well as a cast of well-known British actors such as Jim Broadbent, Hugh Laurie, Bill Nighy, and Imelda Staunton.
Arthur Christmas is a fun-filled family entertainment that has just begun to find its way into more and more homes as a new Christmas favourite. However, much as children will enjoy the film’s wit and creativity, adults will appreciate some of its more sophisticated parts.
Mom watching Christmas special
In the first major sequence of “Arthur Christmas,” we see Santa and his elves delivering gifts to children all throughout the world in the twenty-first century. Instead of flying reindeer, a magical sleigh, and a giant bag of presents, the North Pole’s inhabitants employ high-tech engineering and military accuracy to sneak into people’s houses and leave their gifts.
One of the final visits is in Aarhus, Denmark, when the arrival of the gigantic S-1 ship and an army of elves disrupts a tranquil Christmas Eve night. They make their way to the city below, where they begin their objective with incredible stealth and agility by entering the houses. In one house, a woman in her bathrobe sits in her bed, watching a TV special as her husband snores next to her.
Reference to an iconic kiss
As the last of the Christmas deliveries are completed, the North Pole headquarters declares Mission Accomplished. The S-1 returns home to a loud ovation, heralding the team’s return as heroes. The elves are reunited with family and friends, and they are congratulated and patted on the back for their efforts.
We see two elves rejoicing as one of them pulls the other into an embrace, bending back and kissing them as the camera pans across the throng. This amorous gesture may be simply another amusing moment for the children in the audience, but most adults will recognise the classic image right away. It’s from the 1945 shot V-J Day in Times Square by photojournalist Alfred Eisenstaedt.
The original photograph depicts a Navy sailor kissing a woman in white in Times Square in celebration of America’s victory over Japan during World War II. To this day, the picture has been imitated in a slew of films and television series, including The Simpsons.
Read More: Lost in Space Season 3
