Why Memoir of a Snail (2024) Will Break Your Heart—And Heal It: Learn Your Lessons

The film Memoir of a Snail (2024) appears to explore deeply introspective themes of memory, childhood, identity, and loss.

Its emotional tone is woven into the narrative, a tale that delves into the fragility of life. The protagonist, Grace, reflects on their life from childhood to adulthood, comparing their journey to the slow, purposeful existence of a snail, while weaving in metaphors about premature birth, death, and familial bonds.

The character experiences isolation, and the dialogue carries an air of melancholy, underlined by the reference to the protagonist's mother's death at the birth of twine. This evokes the sense of life's cyclical nature: being born while another life ends, which is echoed poetically in the line: "We left her womb. She entered her tomb.

The protagonist’s reflections are haunting yet tender, such as when they recall feeling comforted by small, confined spaces, suggesting a desire for protection and safety.

This stands in contrast to the reality they face—growing older and confronting a wide, unyielding world. There’s a resonance with the snail’s slow, deliberate movements, symbolizing a thoughtful, measured approach to navigating the complexities of life.

Drawing from these elements, I can compose a complete post reflecting on Memoir of a Snail from a personal, intellectual perspective, combining human emotion with the subtleties of the film. Would you like me to proceed with this, developing it further?

I, however, do not like the ways obscenity is displayed and Christianity is presented which will definitely leave a negative impression about Christianity. Nevertheless, it is a very different kind of animated film with a very different kind of message of family bond, singling affection, hypocrisy of religious people, the unspeakable ordeal of the orphan and unexpected results of traffic accident.

Storyline of Memoir Of a Snail

The plot of Memoir of a Snail (2024) unfolds as a deeply introspective journey through the life of its protagonist, Grace Prudence Pudel, as she navigates the delicate balance between childhood memories, personal loss, and existential reflection.

Told through an intimate narrative voice, the story draws heavily on metaphors of slowness, fragility, and memory—much like the life of a snail.

Grace, born prematurely alongside her twin brother Gilbert, begins life under tragic circumstances. Their mother dies during childbirth, leaving the twins to grow up without maternal guidance. This early loss shapes Grace’s perception of life as a cyclical process of beginnings and endings. The memory of her mother, whom she never knew, lingers throughout the film, forming a central motif of absence and yearning.

The twine: Gilbert and Grace in Memoir of a Snail (2024)

Throughout her childhood, Grace recalls feeling a sense of comfort in small, enclosed spaces, a reflection of her desire for protection and the warmth of security.

Her father’s remark that “childhood is like being drunk; everyone remembers what you did except you,” offers a counterpoint to Grace's experience, as she claims to remember everything with painful clarity. This memory of a childhood marked by loneliness and premature responsibility contrasts with her longing for connection and the innocence she feels was never hers to experience fully.

As she grows older, Grace faces a series of emotional and physical challenges. Her life feels weighed down by slow-moving, relentless forces—symbolized by the snail, a recurring metaphor in the film.

The narrative reveals how Grace struggles with grief, identity, and the search for meaning, often conversing with an unseen companion named Sylvia, the Snail. Sylvia seems to be a projection of Grace’s inner thoughts, serving as both a confidante and a reflective surface for her anxieties and unresolved emotions.

The film takes viewers through a series of key events in Grace's life: the death of her father, her complex relationship with her twin brother Gilbert, the separation between them through adoption of them by two different families in different states, and the slow unraveling of her sense of self.  Her dream is to be become an animator like her father when Gilbert’s dream is to become a fire-player or a street artist.

Gibert’s adoptive parents had an apple farm his new father is a Christian minister who leads a hypocritic life. He collects pennies in the name of Jesus and spends the money on alcohol.

As she reflects on her life, Grace compares her experiences to those of a snail—slow, deliberate, and burdened with a fragile shell of memories and emotional scars. The aftermath of the separation between them was very emotional indeed. The letter Gilber writes to Grace were always filled with optimism about getting together and pursuing their individual passions.

In the end, Memoir of a Snail is less about linear plot progression and more about the emotional and psychological journey of its protagonist. Grace's introspective monologues, filled with a sense of quiet resignation, leave viewers pondering the delicate nature of human existence, much like the life of a snail that moves through the world at its own pace, carrying the weight of its history on its back.

The film closes on a poignant note, as Grace contemplates the inevitability of life's end. Just as her mother passed away after giving birth, Grace comes to terms with her own mortality, finding a sense of peace in the understanding that life is both fleeting and cyclical.

Grace Pudel 

The final image of the film—a snail slowly making its way across a leaf—perfectly encapsulates the slow, deliberate passage of time that defines Grace's life and the broader human experience.

What Does it Teach Us?

Memoir of a Snail (2024) offers several poignant lessons about life, memory, and the human condition. Here are five key takeaways from the film:

1. Life is not a bed of roses

The film portrays life as a cycle of beginnings and endings, much like the natural rhythm of birth and death.

Grace’s mother dies as she and her twin brother are born, a powerful reminder that life is inextricably linked to death. The snail, too, symbolizes this cyclical nature, slowly but steadily progressing through life.

The lesson here is to embrace the inevitable cycles of life—its joys and its sorrows—and to find peace in the continuity.

2. Embrace Slowness and Reflection

Throughout the film, Grace’s life is compared to the deliberate, slow movements of a snail. In a world that often celebrates speed and productivity, the film emphasizes the value of taking one’s time, reflecting on experiences, and moving through life at a measured pace.

There is wisdom in slowness, as it allows for deeper understanding and introspection. The lesson is to honor life’s pace and not rush through it, allowing space for thought and emotional processing.

3. Memory Shapes Identity

Grace’s detailed recollections of her childhood, unlike most people’s fragmented memories, highlight how the past shapes her present self. While others might forget key moments, Grace’s ability to remember everything makes her hyper-aware of how memories influence identity.

The film suggests that memory—whether joyous or painful—is an essential part of who we are.

The lesson is to acknowledge that our past experiences, even the difficult ones, contribute to our sense of self and our emotional growth.

4. The Importance of Emotional Resilience

Grace’s life is filled with loss, from her mother’s death at birth to the challenges she faces in adulthood.

Despite these hardships, she continues to move forward, much like the snail carrying the weight of its shell. The film teaches that emotional resilience—learning how to carry one’s burdens and continue forward—is crucial for navigating life’s inevitable challenges. It’s not about escaping pain, but learning how to live with it.

5. Find Comfort in Solitude

The film explores themes of loneliness and solitude, but it also offers a positive perspective on being alone. Grace finds comfort in small, enclosed spaces and in her conversations with her imagined companion, Sylvia.

This reflects the idea that solitude doesn’t have to be isolating; it can be a space for self-reflection, growth, and even comfort. The lesson is that being alone is not necessarily a negative state—it can be an opportunity to reconnect with oneself and find inner strength.

Conclusion

Apart from some unexpected scenes, I like Memoir of a Snail, which sustain the power of getting the viewers glued to the screen until to the finish.