Despite working as the lead artist for "Bambi", Tyrus Wong was inducted into the Disney Legends Hall of Fame and recognized for his indispensable role in the film over 50 years later. Tyrus Wong has long been an exceptional Chinese-American artist whose name remains unknown in spite of the fame and reach of his works, and Pamela Tom's "Tyrus" finally sheds light on the life of this long under-recognized artist.
Throughout "Tyrus", Tom not only gives credit to Tyrus Wong for his most well-known works, but forges a narrative throughout the film centered around his life story. Starting from his journey to the US as a young boy, Tom fleshes out the previously-mysterious character of Tyrus Wong as a determined, charismatic, and lovable figure - simultaneously extending his legacy while humanizing the artist behind the brush.
After my first watch-through of the film, I was both shocked that Tyrus was not a household name and inspired by such a beautifully-shot narrative of a fellow Chinese American artist. Ultimately, Tom's "Tyrus" preserves and promotes the legacy of Tyrus Wong with heartfelt sensitivity and aesthetic finesse.
Throughout "Tyrus", Tom not only gives credit to Tyrus Wong for his most well-known works, but forges a narrative throughout the film centered around his life story. Starting from his journey to the US as a young boy, Tom fleshes out the previously-mysterious character of Tyrus Wong as a determined, charismatic, and lovable figure - simultaneously extending his legacy while humanizing the artist behind the brush.
After my first watch-through of the film, I was both shocked that Tyrus was not a household name and inspired by such a beautifully-shot narrative of a fellow Chinese American artist. Ultimately, Tom's "Tyrus" preserves and promotes the legacy of Tyrus Wong with heartfelt sensitivity and aesthetic finesse.