This beautifully confounding, animated fantasy is legendary Writer/Director Hayo Miyazaki taking us on a journey of love, loss and adventure lined with hope. It’s been 10 years since this 82-year-old, cinematic master has given us another gem and this one is a semi-autobiographical story come to life.
Miyazaki has talked about retirement many times in the past, yet, inspired by a 1937 once controversial book by Genzaburō Yoshino, he’s been working on this film for more than six years. But the book’s story and characters have very little to do with those you see in this film, showing just how imaginative Miyazaki is.
We saw it with subtitles, but it is also available dubbed by an all star English speaking cast including, Christian Bale, Dave Bautista,Gemma Chan, Willem Dafoe, Karen Fukuhara, Mark Hamill, Robert Pattinson, and Florence Pugh. We suggest a second viewing in either case to be able to absorb and appreciate Miyazaki’s incredible artistry, as well as the message of the story.
This is reportedly the most expensive animated film ever produced in Japan, mainly because the artwork relies on the human hand, not computer animation. The look of every scene is lush, from saturated colors to broad brush strokes. The story and the art wash over you on so many levels, whether following each element or the intense emotion he gives to the central figure of the story, Mahito. The sound design, especially the music by Joe Hisaishi, complement the visuals to accentuate and intensify the passionate impact of scenes, with a wealth of unique animated characters that come pouring out onto the screen.
The story centers on 12-year-old Mahito whose mother died in a Tokyo hospital fire in 1943 during WWII. Shortly after, Mahito’s father, the owner of a factory making fighter airplanes, marries his wife’s sister and moves the family to the countryside. Mahito remarks how much his new stepmother/aunt looks like his mother and she is pregnant. It’s a lot for this young man. He is still grieving, depressed, while adjusting to a new school in a new place. It is hard for him to adapt.
It’s in the bucolic setting that Mahito begins to encounter strange beings, first and foremost, a talking, taunting gray heron that keeps leading him to an old, crumbling, sealed off tower. Despite warnings from the group of old, wrinkled maids who are his caretakers, Mahito is drawn to investigate what’s behind those tower walls. Once inside, he is confronted with incredible creatures and meets beautiful symbolic female allies who take Mahito across multiple worlds and timelines.
The Heron transforms as a majestic bird, but with a hideous man inside. In the tower Manitoba encounters multitudes of stunning creatures pouring out onto the screen in droves. The number of images is overwhelming. A huge flock of pelicans emerge. There are also open-mouthed fish and toads who stage a sort of aquatic ballet. Huge, pastel colored, menacing parakeets appear marching lockstep toward Mahito in a scene reminiscent of War, yet all of these flights of Miyazaki’s imagination seamlessly fit together. But the simplest, most adorable creatures of all are the Warawara. Thousands of these little, lighter than air, balloon-like beings come cascading out onto the screen representing the soul of the future.
Throughout his journey, Mahito is presented with choices for how to live his life. He learns that escaping from the ugliness in the world isn’t an option but that finding your own way is more important by learning to care and help take care of people, especially those close to you, and to help take care of the world.
There is so much going on in this story, it’s easy to stray off the path and get lost. But let the images and the sound work their magic and the underlying sentiments seep through. Miyazaki balances the forces of the universe along with nature, spirits, and even the afterlife. He seems to be using this journey to reflect as he comes to terms with the meaning of his own life. Miyazaki, at 82, shows no sign of losing his vibrant imagination and desire to tell wondrous tales bursting with emotion including optimism in a story needed now more than ever.
GKIDS/Studio Gibli 2 Hours 4 Minutes PG-13
