Making a video for a concept album isn’t particularly new, but you’d be hard pressed to find a feature as whimsical as Harry Nilsson’s The Point. Framed as a fable a father tells his son, The Point takes Nilsson’s psychedelic soundtrack to score a pun-filled fairytale with a seemingly on-the-nose moral, but the combination proves to be charming, as Oblio’s journey unfolds in children’s storybook scrawling and watercolor fills, and expands past the obvious message about acceptance into interesting, if a bit rambling, forays about meaning, power, and community. The Point! is quite obvious, but the film reaches it through surprisingly simple genius.
Years ago, there was a place called The Land of Point, because everything in The Land of Point had one: the barns, the houses, the cars, everything, even the people. Everyone in The Land of Point had a point at the top of its head. Everyone, that is, except Oblio, who was born round-headed. Since he had no point, Oblio, along with his trusty dog, Arrow, was banished to the Pointless Forest. Join them to see what wonders await these two intrepid travelers as they make their way on their amazing, song-filled journey of discovery!
A father tells his son an unusual tale about the Land of Point, which everything and everyone all had pointy features, at least, until Oblio, who was born with a circular head. Singled out because of his appearance, Oblio and his trusty dog Arrow are exiled to the Pointless Forest.
The music, of course. Sure, some of the lines can seem a tad nonsensical, but there’s a real lyricism and catchiness that fits Oblio’s journey, even if the lyrics about heartbreak and loneliness don’t immediately seem to register with the cartoon visuals.
And it’s narrated by Ringo Starr by The Beatles!
