Fantastic Planet (1973)

''"It's a sort of hymn to education. Above all it's an epic - a surrealist western." - René Laloux''

Fantastic Planet (French: La Planète sauvage, lit. The Savage Planet) is a animated allegorical science fiction film that was directed by René Laloux. The story of the movie is based on the novel "Oms en série", written by the French science-fiction writer Stephan Wul. The movie received the Special Jury award at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival.

Plot
In the distant future a highly advanced species of blue giants known as the Draag, inhabit a world called Ygam. These giants keep pets called Om's, while at the same time they treat their non-domesticated brothers and sisters with great cruelty.

From this chaos, a baby Om finds it's way into the hands of a Draag girl called Tiwa. Tiwa happens to be the daughter of a important figure in Draag political life. During her schooling lessons a small glitch occurs, and her pet Terr is enabled to gain the same knowledge as her. During the process Terr decides to ran from the household, taking with him the same piece of equipment that allowed him to gain knowledge.

In the wilderness, Terr encounters other Om's who are divided in small tribes. Upon arrival he is ridiculed but soon gains respect by winning in a battle and showing his superior knowledge to the others. Educating the others via the informational headphones he starts to expand the minds of the scattered and divided Om's. After the great de-omization done to extermonate the wild Om's, they choose to band together and form an alliance. The center of their new strength is the Rocket City where they use the obtained Draag knowledge to create an organized and thriving society.

The Draag, unaware of the growing threat, continue their de-omization program while two space ships launch from the hidden city of the Om's. The place were they would try to flee is the Savage Planet. It is only then that the Om's discover the secret of the meditation used by the Draags.

As the situation culminates by the Om's inflicting serious damage to the Draag civilization, they are force to create an alliance (see Om-Draag Alliance). At the very end, the Om's are granted to create their own artificial world, which orbits around Ygam. To commemorate the heroic deeds of their leader, the name it Terr.

Themes
There are numerous topics discussed in the movie. Some of these topics include:


 * Speciesism - a form of discrimination based on the belief that one life is more valuable than the other


 * Fanaticism - seen in the direct denial of knowledge by the religious authorities of the primitive Om's


 * Nationalism - not having any grasp on the greater need for unity which can be seen in the warring tribes of the Om 's


 * Scientific dogma - denying the intelligence of the Om 's by the Draag people in despite the overwhelming evidence

Music
The soundtrack for the movie was made by Alain Goraguer, a French jazz pianist.