This was a remarkable film and a classic example of both ‘less is more’. I loved all aspects of it. The restrained and subtle colour palette was refreshing and yet somehow made the emotional impact of the story and the relationships even more powerful - the opposite of the colour-saturated approach of Powell & Pressburger. Both these approaches are equally wonderful of course - I am not saying one is better than the other.
The cinematography was consistently creative, particularly with the subtle but consistent use of the crane which was gradually revealed to be of central importance. But this, like everything else, was done without over-emphatic underlining and heavy-handed foreshadowing. Most refreshing!
The use of flashback was equally sophisticated. It was never used to just ‘easily explain’ something but each flashback added new nuances and information to the story - a textbook example of how to use this often maligned and over-used technique.
The effectively compact running time meant that every shot counted for something and focused on the story and characters all the time and dramatically, I loved the use of the tape recorder which became more and more important as the story unfolded - like the crane.
So, a wonderful example of what can be achieved by animation.
The ending was both completely satisfying AND intriguingly ambiguous - again, another really difficult combination to bring off and probably for many film-makers not two elements that would be combined. It would usually be either one or the other.