Law and Disorder: Animated Justice 2003
Distributed by National Film Board of Canada, 1123 Broadway, Suite 307, New York, NY 10010;800-267-7710
Produced by National Film Board of Canada
Directed by Diane Obomsawin, John Weldon, and Chris Hinton
VHS, color, 15 min.
Jr. High - Adult
Law, Human Rights, Animation
Date Entered: 12/10/2003
Reviewed by Michelle L. Zafron, Health Sciences Library, University at Buffalo, State University of New YorkThe five animated short films contained within Law and Disorder: Animated Justice do an excellent job of illustrating complex legal concepts in a comprehensible and entertaining fashion.
Each short addresses a specific topic. “Understanding the Law: The Coat” covers truth in advertising and elements of contract law in a context that is both understandable and accessible to viewers young and old. “Point of Order” considers the nature and limits of personal freedoms. The fantastical setting serves to highlight some of the nuances at play in the question of competing civil rights and freedoms. With “Understanding the Law: The Worm,” the focus returns to civil law as we follow a consumer’s attempts to gain redress when she finds a worm in her soda can. “Yo” offers a more abstract look at the question of personal space and what can happen when it is not respected. Finally, there is the story of “Giordano,” a tale of a medieval scientist who expresses views contrary to those of authority.
The stories themselves are engaging and could be viewed for their entertainment value alone. Overall, the animation is of high quality and the music throughout is whimsical without being intrusively so. Although some of the points expressed are specific to Canada, there is enough commonality with U.S. law that the video has value on both sides of the border. An excellent set of study guides for Canadian and U.S. educators is available at http://www.onf.ca/lawanddisorder/. Law and Disorder: Animated Justice is highly recommended and would be of benefit in any school or public library collection.