I attended a live art show in San Diego suring the Comic-Con International in July, and believe me when I saw that Scott Morse has energy and passion for his artwork. He and Jim Mahfood painted and drew non-stop for hours, at a pace one could describe as frantic. That frenetic artist isn't to be found in the pages of The Barefoot Serpent, though. The passion remains, but there's a calmer, more thoughtful tone to be found in the two stories in this book. Morse challenges his readers to explore the parallels in the radically different stories of film director Akira Kurosawa and that of a family trying to escape its grief while on a tropical vacation.
A little girl whose family is vacationing in Hawaii wanders off and meets an island boy who's fashioning a tribal mask... one that talks to him and that he hopes to sell. The girl accompanies him for the afternoon, while elsewhere, her mother and father both experience their own encounters, which shed light on the memories that haunt them. We also learn of the sad but ultimately triumphant life of Akira Kurosawa, a herald Japanese filmmaker whose artistic achievements were rarely accompanied by commercial success.
The painted artwork employed to bring Kurosawa's story to life is vibrant and alive with color. It's clearly a celebration of the man's life, and despite the tragic elements, there's an overall atmosphere of joy and energy. Morse brings out a gentle quality in the cinematic legend, and I loved the inclusion of some historical context.
My favorite part of the book, though, was the extensive, black-and-white lineart sequence set in Hawaii. Morse's dialogue is as cute and charming as the two main characters. The story is a touching look at how innocence can overcome even the greatest sadness, not just in the child herself, but those who look after her as well. Morse taps into a sense of freedom and trust in the Hawaiian community the children travel through as well. It's a lovely story that makes the reader smile while also challenging the audience with its symbolism and thematic connections to the Kurosawa segments.
Last summer, a friend and I went to see Lilo & Stitch. It was a fascinating and thoroughly entertaining movie, and particularly twisted and surprisingly melancholy for an animated Disney flick. I was reminded of Lilo as I read The Barefoot Serpent, and not just because they're both set in Hawaii. Both are stories about grief and about the soul's desperate need to find direction and a sense of belonging. Morse approaches those same themes in a different manner, but they're just as humorous and touching. Instead of science fiction, Morse uses the supernatural and cultural elements, and to great, though understated, effect.
