Religious Elements Present in the Short Film, Bunny

While watching the short film Bunny in class this semester, it became evident to me that there are various religious themes present throughout. Firstly, the fade to and from blue light at the beginning and end of the film symbolizes the circle of life, and its cyclical nature. At the beginning of the film, Bunny is shown trying to get rid of a moth who is flying around her kitchen and flies into a wedding picture depicting Bunny and her late husband. After struggling to keep the moth out, Bunny bats it with a wooden spoon causing it to land in the batter she is stirring, then puts into the oven to bake. While baking, the oven begins to shine bright blue light, and eventually her curiosity gets the best of her and she enters into the oven to look at it for herself. The blue light in the oven symbolizes a gateway to the afterlife, and after entering she’s sprouts moth-like wings and begins to float away. It is evident that the moth represented her late husband, and his peskiness towards her was focused on bridging the gap for them to be together again. Just as the moth is driven towards the light, Bunny used the moth as a guide towards her true intentions of being reunited with her husband once again.

The loss of a significant other also plays a large role in this film, and helps depict that sometimes death serves as a peaceful end to the suffering of life. In the case of Bunny, she seemed distraught and generally unhappy during the film until she crossed the threshold into afterlife via the oven. The oven also play a key role in the film, representing the transformations made during life. In the case of the batter, the oven heats it up and transforms it into a completely different food. Just as in life, religion can be viewed as a powerful transformation mechanism, changing and progressing the values and beliefs of people as they progress through life.