Marking Hayao Miyazaki’s first film in a decade, The Boy and the Heron was my most anticipated film of 2023. The film follows Mahito Maki, a young boy who must deal with the loss of his mother, Hisako, in a hospital fire during World War II. As his father finds love with Hisako’s sister Natsuko, Mahito journeys through a literal and figurative path of grief and acceptance with the assistance of the mysterious Grey Heron.
Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, The Boy and the Heron is a stunning piece of cinema. It feels big and grand, harking back to previous surreal epics such as Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle. While the film may be maximalist in its approach, the tone draws more parallels to The Wind Rises due to its more serious themes and wartime context. The film feels like Miyazaki taking a final bow after changing the world of animation, and cinema itself, forever.
The film is distinctly Miyazaki, filled with expressive characters, colourful scenery and adorable creatures. What makes The Boy and the Heron standout in particular is how unflinching the character design is. The Grey Heron becomes truly grotesque during his transformation and each of these sequences is filled with intricate details. There are also plenty of Easter eggs throughout the film relating to Miyazaki’s previous films, especially Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle.
The characters are brilliantly written. Mahito serves as the audience’s way into the other worlds and his confusion and curiosity is portrayed beautifully. His dynamic with the Grey Heron changes and shifts as often as yhr landscapes, keeping the film in flight and showing that internal and external struggle Mahito has. The Grey Heron is a tortured character and acts as an anti-hero. He acts as an antagonist initially as he lures Mahito into a forbidden tower by saying they will find his mother.
The main theme that is prominent throughout the film is loss and grief. These discussions are examined through the eyes of Mahito, meaning that the film delves into complex and alien emotions. From the opening scene in which Mahito’s mother perishes in the fire to the climactic scene where Natsuko is in a delivery room, we see all of Mahito’s trauma rising to the surface. There is an elemental quality to the film as Mahito’s journey sees a mesh of fire, water, earth, and air. Each holds significance as they guide him through each world until he is able to find peace.
One of the highlights as expected is Joe Hisaishi’s stellar score. How he did not receive an Academy Award nomination is truly criminal. While the music for The Boy and the Heron may not reach the heights of his previous scores, it boasts some of his best film work yet. The track “A Feather in the Dusk” is among the high points, serving as accompaniment to the conflict between Mahito and the Grey Heron while “Memories” is a melancholy piece that calls back to Mahito’s trauma of losing his mother. It feels as though Hisaishi composed the music with the mindset of Mahito’s emotions with excellent results.
The Boy and the Heron is clearly a passion project that is executed fantastically. Miyazaki’s attention to detail is second-to-none and it marks a phenomenal installment in a career that has changed the animation game forever. What makes it such an effective film is how engaged with the time and setting The Boy and the Heron is but its themes and discussions are universal and relatable. Hopefully we will see Miyazaki take to the stage victorious at the Oscars next month.
What did you think of The Boy and the Heron? Let me know in the comments below!
Cardiff Animation Festival offers an extensive showcase of some of the best animation films from around the world. I attended the physical festival at Chapter and discovers a rich eclecticism of the films on offer.
Checkpoint
Day 1
The first thing that you notice upon walking into Chapter Arts Centre is just how busy it is. 2022 marks Cardiff Animation Festival’s fifth year and its second in-person event (the first physical festival took place in 2018, and was followed by three years online).
This year, CAF was able to make good use of the physical space available while also boasting an array of virtual events which continue after the in-person offering until 24th April. The festival was spawned from a love of the animation medium – specifically short films and the licence they give for emerging filmmakers to be experimental with their storytelling and animation style. Hence, it’s no surprise that this is a festival which makes space for both local and international voices. That eclecticism is certainly felt in its many offerings, with no shortage of themes, styles, and perspectives, culminating in a festival that is culturally rich and rewarding.
Hand
There are seven showcases of short films numbered from 1 to 7, each containing a multitude of shorts within the category that share a common theme. I attended ‘Shorts 3: Sound/Vision’, which boasted the most amount of shorts with 17 films included in total.
As the title of the showcase suggests, these films are linked by their innovative use of sound and how this compliments (and sometimes contrasts) with the animation styles. Themes spanned numerous areas, with the pandemic and climate change being among the most recurring topics. The use of hands in various shorts such as WYH and Hand was particularly striking, used to explore the pandemic and gesture to the natural human instinct to communicate and connect with others.
Other shorts focused on the body as a whole, and brought brilliant commentary to discussions around mental health, especially prevalent in shorts such as Downfall and Summer Years. Others ventured into comical territories, including Acid Rain and Cockpera.
Noise Film
Merlin Voss’ poignant Noise Film was a personal highlight. Its narrative follows a protagonist going about her daily routine with the entire soundscape – from car to weather – rendered by humans. The way Noise Film utilises this sound exemplifies the power of subjectivity and how personal perspective may shape perception of outside events.
‘Shorts 2: Human/Nature’ was another bumper category with a whopping 16 films within its rota. These shorts were connected by their themes of identity and the self, contrasting the differences between mankind and nature in a period of increasing climate-based tension.
There were shorts that had a keen interest in the natural world such as Suburb and In Nature, while others had a sharp focus on the human experience such as the heartbreaking Deep Tissue and Silvering. I would be remiss not to mention the hilarious Magical Cat, a series of minute-long shorts that cropped up throughout these pieces following the comical activities of an animated cat.
Magical Cat
Emma Kelly’s Looking for Answers, in particular, offered profound reflection on human experience with a simple story of a man eager to plant and grow a seed who ultimately gets knocked off course by an obsession with research.
‘Shorts 6: Reel/Life’ featured 12 shorts with experimental themes and storylines. Most were made as a response to political issues, and their interests were global in reach; from Checkpoint which follows a young girl in modern-day Palestine to Les Larmes de la Seine (The Seine’s Tears) which explores France’s Algerian population in the 1960s and their rebellion against the curfews imposed by the police. Necessarily, these were not comfortable watches and they emphasised the didactic and activistic power of the animation medium, especially in addressing political taboo.
Freedom Swimmer
Olivia Martin-McGuire’s Freedom Swimmer was especially moving. Its narrative follows a man’s past flight from China to Hong Kong with his young daughter, its story running in parallel to the story of his granddaughter’s current fight for freedom in modern-day Hong Kong. The combination of live-action interviews (using actors to ensure all identities are anonymous) and minimalistic animation tells the story with an intricacy which is at once specific and universal.
‘Shorts 4: Home/Sick’ was the final set of shorts I attended on the first day. Each filmmaker in this showcase explores the themes of home and belonging, the meanings of these terms being both literal (I Call it Home) and conceptual (Depths of Night). Each short gives insight into the nuance of individual experience, and the complexities of what we claim as home.
Affairs of the Art
Joanna Quinn’s Academy Award-nominated Affairs of the Art is the stand-out piece of this set. It sees the return of her much-loved character, Beryl, in a mockumentary format as the protagonist delves into obsessive natures, documenting Beryl’s own fascination with art. Quinn perfectly conveys the shifting dynamics in the family home as she delves into desires and regrets – a perfect encapsulation of the universal longing for identity and meaning.
Day 2
Day 2 is marked by another bustling cinema foyer – the area wall to wall with aspiring animators with plenty of space for scribbling and storyboarding ideas. As well as more film showcases, a masterclass hosted by Joanna Quinn, director and animator of the Oscar-winning short film, Affairs of the Art, is on offer.
Isaiah
Things kick off with ‘Shorts 5: Silent/Cinema’. This collection of films contains the least amount of shorts with only nine in its repertoire, but this is only due to the longer running time of each piece.
‘Shorts 5’ is, in many ways, the most accessible of all the showcases – each piece linked by lack of sound and visual storytelling. Still, the plots are no less vivid for the restraint. Isaiah – one of the shortest of these films – tells the story of Mari Lywd and the tale of its Christianisation. Meanwhile, Megamall provides an insightful look into capitalism and its varying impact.
Pilar
Yngwie Boley’s Pilar captures my heart – its story following a character desperate to escape her post-apocalyptic village and reconnect with nature. Equally wonderful is Samantha Moore’s Treasure, the film following a man’s search for treasure using a metal detector in the modern-day and the connection to the past where we follow a young mother from the past who sacrifices her treasure for the good of the community. These films are completely different in themes and animation style, but both convey the power of the visual format to transcend the need for dialogue in conjuring intense emotion.
‘Shorts 1: Together/Apart’ consists of films connected by the themes of connection and communication – a deeply relevant topic following the years of global pandemic. These shorts display an acute focus on humanity.
Signs
Films such as Signs and Everything Is Going To Be OK explore the desire to reconnect with others after losing oneself in daily routine, while My Ex Boyfriend is a hilarious story about a woman whose life is flipped upside down when water begins to pour out of her boyfriend.
What was great about this collection of shorts was the inclusion of LGBTQA+ stories such as Sincerely and All Those Sensations in My Belly which followed the respective protagonists in their quest to find love in a world which doesn’t always accept them. Lina Kalcheva’s Other Half is a thoughtful claymation exploring a world where couples literally merge together to form one body.
Day 3
The weekend has begun and more animation is on the menu. I start off with ‘Shorts 7: After/Dark’ – with a turn to the darker side, CAF offers firm rebuttal to offhand remarks made at this year’s Oscar ceremony about animation being solely for children. Feature film Flee – which screened at this year’s CAF – was a contender for multiple Academy Awards. The 12 films within ‘Shorts 7’ explore (sometimes with graphic detail) issues of trauma and violence.
MOM
The first film, HIDE, is a beautiful and claustrophobic look into trauma as we see life through the eyes of a young boy who hides in a cupboard and sees glimpses of family life that are often kept hidden from children. MOM follows a young girl who is being hunted for entertainment as her plight is broadcast across the country and her reflection on memories with her mother allow her to come to terms with how the past has shaped her.
The Swiss film, Mr. Pete & the Iron Horse, provided a hint of fun – following a soldier and his quest to appease his leader. Paul O’Flanagan’s Memento Mori, which followed an esteemed post-mortem photographer, Mr. Huxley, and an encounter that forces him to reflect on his previous behaviours is a standout piece. Featuring Mark Gatiss as the protagonist, the film transports its audience into the Victorian era and does a brilliant job of setting the mood and tone from start to end.
Mr. Pete & the Iron Horse
Day 4
Shorts all out the way, the last day of the Cardiff Animation Festival has come around fast. Today the schedule turns East with two feature length Japanese films to watch before the concluding awards ceremony.
Japanese documentary The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness starts the day, the film following iconic Studio Ghibli founder and director, Hayao Miyazaki, as he directs his 2013 feature, The Wind Rises. It’s a beautiful and poignant look into the creative process of one of animation’s leading figures, looking into his entire career and what led him to make The Wind Rises.
The documentary not only gives a brilliant insight into one of the world’s best animation studios but also shows just how much hard work and dedication goes into making a feature-length animation. The screening was followed by a talk by the popular podcasters behind Ghibliotheque where they discussed various aspects of the studio and the filmmakers.
The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness
Next I attend the Welsh premiere of animator loundraw’s directorial debut, Summer Ghost, a 40-minute film that follows three teenagers who meet in the hopes of encountering a mysterious ghost who has been appearing to people during the summer months. A deeply resonant film that looks into the complexities of adolescence, identity, and trying to find your place in a quickly-advancing world, Summer Ghost boasts captivating visuals and a gripping story while managing to delve into each of the main characters’ lives in a way that feels natural. There was also a pre-recorded Q&A with loundraw following the film which delved into his rise in the world of animation and the various inspirations behind the film.
Awards Ceremony
The festival concluded with the awards ceremony where multiple films received the beautiful trophies that had been painted with dots by festival-goers throughout the weekend.
After each winner was announced, the audience was treated to a final viewing of the winning film which was a great bonus. A resounding success from start to finish, Cardiff Animation Festival is a powerful showcase for the emotional vitality and variety of the animation form.
You can see all the winners of the Cardiff Animation Festival 2022 in order that they were announced below:
Best Micro Short
Winner: NOMINO SUKUNE (directed by Ryotaro Miyajima)
Highly commended: Crafty Witch (directed by Laura-Beth Cowley)
Young Jury Award
Winner: Shift (directed by Cam Swartz)
Highly commended: Heartwood (directed by Reyes Fernández), Tobi and the Turbobus (directed by Verena Fels), and Tacet (directed by Zachary Simon)
Quick Draw Award
Winner: Blending In (directed by Bethany Powell)
Highly commended: Camouflage, Sniff Test, Blend, and Guinea Pigment
Best Student Award
Winner: Other Half (directed by Lina Kalcheva)
Highly commended: Sauna (directed by Anna Lena Spring and Lara Perren)
Best Short Film
Winner: Freedom Swimmer (directed by Olivia Martin-McGuire)
Highly commended: In Nature (directed by Marcel Barelli)
Audience Award
Winner: Affairs of the Art (directed by Joanna Quinn)
It’s hard not to think about Hayao Miyazaki when choosing what anime film to watch. Known as one of the founders of the Japanese animation powerhouse Studio Ghibli, Miyazaki has established a name among critics and audiences alike as an important figure in helping Japanese cinema reach a global audience with films that are suitable for all ages. So far, Studio Ghibli has only won one film in the Best Animated Feature category which is for Miyazaki’s masterpiece Spirited Away (2001) which, in my opinion, remains the best overall winner in this category. I do think there are times when a Ghibli production should have walked away with the award but sadly, releases directly from Disney Studios tend to dominate the category almost every year.
Ghibli is reliable and consistent, bringing out films that challenge our perceptions on the society we live in by incorporating more mature issues such as loss, mankind’s treatment of nature and identity. There are other directors who have also helped to bring Ghibli the reputation it has today such as Isao Takahata who I will also be writing a separate ranking for but in the meantime, let’s delve into the films of the one and only Hayao Miyazaki.
Here is a mini write up for each in chronological order followed by my ranking at the end of the article:
The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)
Miyazaki’s debut comes in the form of this action packed adventure based on the Lupin III manga series following thief Lupin and his partner Jigen after they successfully rob the Monte Carlo Casino only to find that the money is counterfeit. They travel to Cagliostro, the rumoured source of the counterfeit enterprise in a bid to put an end to the ordeal. The film is credited with being an inspiration to the likes of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Great Mouse Detective. It’s clearly not completely controlled by Miyazaki himself as it was made before Ghibli’s inception but there are some signature Miyazaki traits that are noticable in hindsight such as the exaggerated expressions and the mix of humour and drama. It’s a faster-paced film than the usual Miyazaki action films but it doesn’t feel rushed. Lupin is a great character and the writing ensures the audience is gripped. Another highlight in this film is the score by Yuji Ohno which has Pink Panther vibes and really helps to elevate the film-watching experience. I think that this film marks a very strong start to what was evidently the beginning of one of the most exciting film careers in Japanese cinema history.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
The first film created by the founders of Studio Ghibli comes in the form of this brilliant dystopic epic set in a world where the Toxic Jungle, a forest filled with giant, poisonous insects threatens to eliminate the last of the human race. Though released before Ghibli was officially founded, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is commonly considered a Ghibli and has been re-released under the Ghibli banner. The film follows the titular character as she strives to find a way for the insects and humans to co-exist. Based on the manga series of the same name by Miyazaki, who also adapted it into a screenplay, Nausicaä isn’t afraid to delve into deep issues and question its younger audience. Focusing on the themes of mankind vs nature which would prove to be an underlying topic in subsequent Miyazaki features, the film is also unafraid to showcase loss and fractured relationships. It’s also refreshing to see a female protagonist whose strength is never questioned and is accepted for what it is, another trait that Miyazaki showcases in each of his Ghibli produced films.
Castle in the Sky (1986)
The first official feature to be released under the Studio Ghibli is the action-adventure Castle in the Sky. The film follows Pazu, a young boy who works in the mine of his local village who comes across a girl, Sheeta, who floats down from the sky. They are soon chased by pirates and government agents in a bid to track down the secret locating the mysterious floating island, Laputa, that Sheeta may hold the key to find. I have written a fuller review on this film that you can read here but it is truly a dazzling achievement. The scope and detail in the animation is remarkable and the score by Joe Hisaishi feels timeless. Although it is not as popular as Miyazaki’s later films, I think that Castle in the Sky is such a thrilling and impactful film that has a lot to say on mankind’s relationship with nature, the importance of the environment and people’s relationships with each other. Both protagonists work together to find a peaceful solution against the people who want to use Laputa and its materials for weaponary and world domination.
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Arguably the most iconic Studio Ghibli film, My Neighbor Totoro follows sisters Mei and Satsuki as they move into an old house with their father so they can be closer to their mother who is recovering in hospital from a long-term illness. The two girls eventually encounter an array of spirits, including one that lives in the nearby forest who Mei names Totoro and the enigmatic Catbus that provides transport for the spirits. It’s a wonderful film that provides the perfect introduction for younger children to Studio Ghibli. Unlike its predecessors, My Neighbor Totoro is a lot more innocent and childlike in its design and message. This doesn’t prevent it from being a brilliant film, however, as it does a great job on touching on family dynamics, childhood and loss. It has a lighter feel and very striking design, particularly the Catbus who conveys the tone of the film without even saying anything. What is brilliant about Miyazaki’s world is how he integrates traditional Japanese folklore with his own imagination and artistry and My Neighbor Totoro is a beautiful example of this.
Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
Following on his successful streak, Miyazaki brings another film geared towards younger children in this lovely tale about a younger witch, Kiki, who sets off to find out what she wants to do with her life. Accompanied by her cat Jiji, Kiki is fascinated by the normal human world and understandably finds it hard to fit in as she is not like them. The film is all about understanding accepting our differences and how we can use them to the our advantage. Kiki is a great protagonist for the younger demographic as she is a strong female who is flawed but she works on those flaws. She is a well-rounded character and it showcases Miyazaki’s strength in being able to create characters that audiences of all age can relate to on some level. It’s not the strongest installment in Miyazaki’s filmography but that doesn’t mean it is a bad film at all. Miyazaki’s work is of such high calibre that it just misses out on the top tier of films for me but it is still an absolute joy to watch.
Porco Rosso (1992)
The last film Miyazaki to be made before he took his first hiatus is a more detailed look into the filmmakers interest with aircraft. Porco Rosso follows the titular character who was a human but was cursed and is now a pig who works as a pilot bounty hunter who catches pirates in the Adriatic Sea. It’s a fun-filled adventure that has inklings of Castle in the Sky with the over the top pirates and allows Miyazaki to go deep on his own family heritage of working in aircraft. Joe Hisaishi’s score is fantastic as always and strikes the right upbeat tone that the film has. For me the film’s highlight comes in the scene in which Rosso sees his dead friends flying in the sky in his own version of heaven. It’s a fantastic scene that lifts the whole standard of the film. It is my least favourite Miyazaki film as it does have some flaws that I cannot overlook particularly the treatment of Fio, a teenage woman who aspires to engineer and make planes. A few jokes and quips made by the pirates are thrown her way that I feel are inappropriate for the younger audience. Fio herself is strongly written and is a brilliantly resilient young woman who is unfazed by working in a strongly male-dominated industry but the comments made by other characters could have been removed and still maintain the toxic masculine environment that Miyazaki was wanting to portray.
Princess Mononoke (1997)
Miyazaki returned after 5 years to make this brilliant epic based on traditional Japanese folklore and spirits. Princess Mononoke is fable on mankind’s takeover of nature and the subsequent consequences that this has. Following Eastern Prince Ashitaka who is cursed by a giant boar god who he kills, he must venture West to Irontown, a place filled with revolutionary industrial technology that threatens to takeover the forest by mining the sources underground. On arrival, he comes across San, a human girl raised by the Wolf gods who violently attacks and attempts to kill the leader of Irontown, Lady Eboshi, any chance she can. The film is by far Miyazaki’s most violent and graphic film thanks to its abundance of blood and graphic injury from the offset. Miyazaki always has a large scope in his imagination but Princess Mononoke has such a richness in detail that I think brings it to another tier. From the larger than life forest spirits to Joe Hisaishi’s spectacular score which is my favourite soundtrack from any Studio Ghibli film. I have written a longer review that you can read here. Despite its Medieval Japanese setting, there is a timelessness in the message that Miyazaki it wanting to convey and I think that that is why it resonates with so many people.
Spirited Away (2001)
The film that finally gave Miyazaki a long-awaited Oscar, Spirited Away is usaully the go-to film that beginners to Ghibli go for and with good reason. Following Chihiro, a young girl forced to move away with her parents and is sad to leave her friends, Spirited Away sees the family accidentally trespass on the land of the spirits. After her parents are turned into pigs, Chihiro must work in the Bathhouse while she figures out a way to get her parents back and return home. This film is nothing short of a masterpiece between the wide array of memorable characters as we venture in the spirit world including Haku, a young man who befriends Chihiro and No-Face, a mysterious spirit who suddenly appears and causes mayhem. Everything about it is iconic and it really is a beautiful film to watch. I have done a longer review which you can read here but words really don’t do this film justice.
Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
Probably the most accessible Miyazaki film storywise, Howl’s Moving Castle is based on the best-selling book by Diana Wynn Jones and follows SOphie, a young woman discontent with her appearance who is cursed by the Witch of the Waste and turned into an old woman. She is then picked up by the mysterious Moving Castle and agrees to work as a cleaning lady for wizard Howl. The film is gloriously magical and is filled with whimiscal design which has made it a favourite amongst fans. The Wales-inspired landscapes are beautiful and vast and some maintain a very high level of detail that remains captivating long after the first viewing. This world that Sophie lives in differs to that of Howl, who longs for beauty and perfection in a world ridden with darkness and chaos. He refuses to take part in the war that is tearing the country apart and provides a bleak backdrop to the natural beauty where the story takes place. Hisaishi’s score is wonderful as always with the main theme waltz reminiscent of a merry-go-round piece. What Miyazaki does so well that he incorporates into this film particularly is showing how blurred the lines are between good and evil.
Ponyo (2008)
After his second hiatus, Miyazaki returns with another film geared towards the younger audience that follows Brunhilde, a goldfish who lives in the sea with her father and sisters, who escapes and is captured in a glass jar by a young human boy called Sōsuke. Brunhilde develops a desire to become human and changes her name to Ponyo after she is accidentally fed blood after Sōsuke shatters the jar which cuts him. Based on The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson, Ponyo is a less traditional retelling of the fairytale but still maintains Miyazaki’s vision and charm irregardless. It is an adorable film about friendship and love and despite there being hints towards a negative shift in the balance of nature due to Ponyo’s wishes, it still remains upbeat. Despite her young age, Ponyo is a strong-willed character who knows that she is out of place at the start but doesn’t understand why and makes it her mission to discover where she belongs.
The Wind Rises (2013)
The lastest Miyazaki feature to be released is absolutely astounding and comes in the form of The Wind Rises, which follows protagonist Jiro Horikoshi, an aircraft designer who works for Mitsubishi during World War II. Based on the manga by Miyazaki, it clearly is a project that the director is passionate about and I think this is emphasised by his realistic approach and design. The film tells the story of an aspiring pilot who eventually becomes an aircraft designer due to his poor eyesight and shows him falling in love with a young woman he meets. The Wind Rises is absolutely beautiful and everything about it from its writing and character design to the score by Hisaishi is flawless. Like most of the other Studio Ghibli films released since the inception of the Best Animated feature Award at the Oscars, this was nominated and it expectedly lost to Frozen but I personally would have given my note to this film because the passion that is conveyed goes beyond Miyazaki’s previous projects.
Unlike a lot of directors, there aren’t as many films that Miyazaki has directed in his 40 year career but that is because creating his films is time-consuming due to his insistence that they stick to hand-drawing their images. In the last 3 years, only 36 minutes have been created for his next feature How Do You Live? which Miyazaki has advised is his last film before retiring for the third (or fourth?) time. The calibre of his films is so high so even the ones that rank a bit lower are so strong in quality. Miyazaki has a reputation that many film-makers and lovers dream of and I have seen these films multiple times and will undoubtedly watch them again and again.
Anywho, here is my final ranking:
1) Castle in the Sky (1986)
2) The Wind Rises (2013)
3) Princess Mononoke (1997)
4) Spirited Away (2001)
5) Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
6) Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
7) Ponyo (2010)
8)My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
9) The Castle of Cagliostro(1979)
10) Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
11) Porco Rosso (1992)
So there we have it! What do you think of my list? Which Miyazaki film is your favourite? Let me know in the comments below!
My favourite animation of the past decade hands down belongs to Isao Takahata’s swansong which is a retelling of the Japanese folktale “The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter”. It follows a man who finds a small girl in the centre of a bamboo shoot, he picks her up and she turns into a baby and then quickly grows into a young woman in the blink of an eye. Known as Takenoko (which translates as “Little Bamboo”), the family live a life filled with finery. Takenoko is given the title Princess Kaguya and soon begins the quest to find her a husband. The only problem is that Kaguya does not want a husband. She enjoys her freedom and finds the concept of regality to be horrifyingly restrictive. The film underperformed at the box office but the critical response is overwhelmingly positive with five stars across the board. It’s a shame that this film hasn’t received the mass audience that Spirited Away did because it is such an intricate look into traditional Japanese culture whilst merging in the pressures of being a woman in a man’s world and living up to societal expectations. Its portrayal of depression is one of the most realistic and resonating in film for me, particularly the scene in which Kaguya flees the party and sheds her many kimonos. The significance of this scene cannot be discussed enough. Kaguya is dismissing the life that her parents have decided for her. Her parents are not bad people but they have confused their own wishes with their daughter’s and this is what ultimately tears the family apart. The film was released just after Hayao Miyazaki’s The Wind Rises in a double bill that hasn’t been seen since the 1988 releases for My Neighbor Totoro and Grave of the Fireflies. Just as those films are completely different in subject matter and style, the same could be said of The Wind Rises and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.
The animation style in this film is what makes it instantly stand out in the Ghibli catalogue. Taking clear inspiration from traditional paint and ink, it veers away from your typical Ghibli and Takahata aesthetic but the result is a beautiful use of technique and colour. It feels as though the film is a fairy-tale jumping from the pages of a book. The pastel colour scheme contrasts beautifully with the strong black strokes. This truly is art in animation and a testament to Takahata’s ability to push the envelope. The film in its entirety is beautiful but the now iconic cherry blossom scene is one of the most wonderful sequences in any film. Kaguya runs and plays as the cherry blossoms fall and the result is a scene of joy and freedom. The mix of deep black outlines filled in with delicate hues of pink are simplistic but resonate the lightness and happiness that the character is feeling. The use of colour is so important in this film as it evokes both material and figurative richness. Contrast the colours of nature as Takenoko ventures in the forests as a child which excites her with the scene in which she is gifted numerous kimonos that are made of unnatural colours in rich jewel tones. Takenoko is taken aback by the gift and loves playing with the material in a scene which is just as beautiful as the cherry blossom scene.
The character of Princess Kaguya herself is deeply complex and despite her origin as a being from the Moon, is one of the most human characters brought to film. Her journey from bamboo spirit to fully fledged Princess is turbulent and challenging. Content with the humble lifestyle her Earth parents lived before inflicting delusions of grandeur upon her, Takenoko refutes the lifestyle expected of a lady in high society. She is trapped within the walls of her mansion within the city and longs for the wilderness and freedom it brings. The character is not without her flaws. She purposefully manipulates five potential suitors to cross oceans and collect tokens for her affection. She does this knowing that she doesn’t care for any of them and knowing that it isn’t possible to gain these mythical gifts. When falling into her depression, we feel for her because she doesn’t want to let her parents down and appreciates everything they have done while at the same time sacrificing her own happiness. Ultimately, she has to ask herself if her parents happiness is worth exchanging for her own and asks for the Moon to reclaim her. Kaguya is a character who knows what she wants and this progressive outlook does not fit in within a society that has a place for her.
In an unusual move for Takahata, he recruited Joe Hisaishi to compose the music for this film. Hisaishi is known for his frequent collaborations with Miyazaki and had only just delivered a stellar score for The Wind Rises. It’s a credit to Hisaishi that he worked on these scores at the same time and yet both soundtracks have their own style and identity. The score for The Tale of the Princess Kaguya deeply lies in Japanese tradition, utilising traditional instruments such as the Koto which the titular character has a natural affinity for and whimsical woodwind that really brings you into the era and setting. Hisaishi has his own distinct sound as I have discussed in previous posts but this one feels totally unique in its approach. It feels softer and more ingrained in its tradition and heritage than other soundtracks. This could be because despite its fantastical elements, it is a film that is openly set in an ancient Japanese setting.
There are many scenes which stand out in this film for me and I have discussed a few of them in this post but the one that will remain the most heartbreaking is Kaguya’s return to the Moon. It’s a poignant sequence and one that will have you crying. When the procession of beings from the Moon come to collect Kaguya, the love that she has for her parents and vice versa flows through. It’s hard to believe that a children’s film can have such a sad ending but this is Ghibli and they are not afraid to delve into darker themes. Erased of her memories on Earth, Kaguya looks back at her parents and sees their love and smiles. This smile is bittersweet because she recognises the love that they have without understanding who the love is for and what it meant to them.
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is tied with Castle in the Sky for first place as my favourite Studio Ghibli film. It’s unlike any film you have ever seen and unlike any film you probably will see in the future. It’s a glorious achievement and worthy of being Takahata’s final film. The love and care that went into this film is so evident. I truly believe that the love for this film will grow in the coming years and it will become just as admired as some of the other popular Ghibli films in the catalogue such as My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away. It’s a film that is not an easy watch but it is so captivating and rewarding.
What do you think of The Tale of the Princess Kaguya? Let me know in the comments below!
