Onto part 2 of my Ghibli odyssey and some more
exciting
films on the roster this time around, starting with…
ONLY YESTERDAY
(1991)
“Ever since I was little, I just pretend to be
nice.
Nothing's changed.”
We have made it into the 90s with Takahata’s 2nd
Ghibli film (and the studio’s 5th). I was very excited for
this one
as I have never seen beyond the first half hour or so, which is due to
there
being no English dub for many years. I’m fine with watching subtitles,
but when
its time to chill out with a movie, I guess I always picked something
that
didn’t require it. Anyway…
This is a film about a woman called Taeko visiting
the
countryside one summer and reminiscing on memories of herself and her
family as
a child. The sections that are her memories are drawn in an unusual
painterly
style, with the backgrounds all washed out and only really the central
characters in focus, which I thought was a very clever way of
representing
memories. That’s kind of how it is when remembering things.
Taeko is a very kind, grounded person and the film
had me
wondering how she grew up to be like this, as her family were mean and
sometimes straight up abusive in some of the memory scenes. There is
one scene
where her mother says she is not right in the head because she is
struggling
with fractions (I relate to this a lot!) and her sister muses that she
was
dropped on her head as a child. There is another, quite shocking scene
where
her father slaps her for wearing no shoes outside and another where he
scuppers
her dream of being an actor for no obvious reason. But then there are
other
memories that are amusing family moments, such as when they excitedly
try
pineapple, sitting around the table together and debating how best to
cut it up
– and then no-one likes it.
I don’t think we as the viewers are necessarily
supposed to
pass judgement or feel any particular way about this and Taeko
certainly
doesn’t seem to – its just her memories and she seems to be a content,
independent person as an adult. Regarding the modern day sections of
the film –
the farming scenes are wonderful, with really gorgeous animation and a
lovely
sense of a countryside in summer atmosphere. I do think that the voice
acting
is not the best here, with Dev Patel’s performance in particular being
very
awkward. His character laughs all the time and he doesn’t really manage
it.
Also Daisy Ridley talks as Taeko talks in an American accent, except
for when
she slips out of it.
All in all I think this is a sensitive film that
has a keen
knack for portraying how people and families are, and I think it
would’ve
resonated with me a lot more powerfully if I could relate to the
character
more. I still found it an interesting, enjoyable and at times touching
film
though.
In three words as became tradition – Nostalgic,
gentle,
kind.
PORCO ROSSO (1992)
“A pig that doesn’t fly is just a pig”
I’ll say right away that out of this entire
process, this is
probably the film I was most excited for and I was not disappointed. I
saw this
film once years ago and I barely remember it, and I’ve been wanting to
watch again
it for a long time. So here I am finally getting around to it.
Firstly, the opening text is very charming, which
is
becoming a bit of a theme with Miyazaki after My Neighbour Totoro.
Whilst I’m
on the subject – let’s talk about themes, because this film got me
thinking
about Miyazaki and if there is a point where themes stop being themes
and start
becoming repetition. Once again this film features planes, sky pirates,
strong
young female characters and a feminist theme. I wondered if this is a
lack of
originality or if these are simply the themes Miyazaki likes to explore
as an
artist. My conclusion was the latter - like Monet painting over 250
paintings
of waterlilies – Miyazaki has particular themes and subjects he often
likes to
explore. I’ve always been conscious of this and never minded it and
actually on
reflection I think it adds a great deal to his oeuvre as there is a
cohesion
across much of his work that lets you know you are watching something
from his
universe. Anyway, this is a digression.
Having said all that about Miyazaki revisiting
themes, this
film actually goes in new directions compared to his previous work and
explores
themes of its own, the greatest of which is related to Porco being a
pig and
why that is. We know as viewers that when he was young he was a
handsome human
man and a successful fighter pilot but it is ambiguous as to why he
became a
pig. The reason is never properly explained but my interpretation is
that it
represents what he has become later in life as he became jaded by age
and his
experiences as war and the rise of fascism got in the way of love and
freedom
and made him question who and what he fights for. He’s also quite
sexist, or at
least chauvinist, admitting that he doesn’t want Fio to build his plane
partly
because she’s a woman. Men are pigs.
The film itself represents these themes
wonderfully,
juxtaposed with the beauty of the world, planes and people in the
magical
Miyazaki style that you can only find in his movies. This film takes it
to a
new level – the world is so full of character I was once again smiling
throughout most of it. Some moments that
stood out are the sailors on the deck of a ship standing in an arrow
formation
to help guide Porco flying above, and the abducted children climbing
all over
the pirates and hanging off the machine gun as he fires. The planes in
this
film are more beautiful than ever and it really feels like Miyazaki
just let
himself dive fully into it with this one – its unambiguously a plane
movie. That
said, some moments of this film are very “noir” and it does have a very
grown-up feel compared to Miyazaki’s other works so far.
A few final thoughts to wrap-up as I could go on
forever.
Michael Keeton as Porco Rosso is brilliant and I have to mention
Piccolo who is
one of my favourite Ghibli characters so far. Its interesting how this
film is
set in the real-life Mediterranean vs the fantasy representation in
Kiki’s
Delivery Service. It gives this film a much more grounded feel than I
think
we’ve had from Miyazaki up to this point. The feminist theme is once
again
strong, with the character of Fio representing strong young women and
subverting the sexist views of the male characters in the film – “Don’t
be such
a pig”.
This marathon is such a joy. I am so glad I’m
doing this.
In three words – Exciting, cool, colourful.
POM POKO (1994)
“They used their balls as weapons in a brave
kamikaze
attack.”
We return again to Takahata, again with a film
that I have
only seen once, with my only memory of it this time being that it made
me feel
queasy with all the giant squishy testicles. Unfortunately, it seems
that many other
people also remember this film for the testicles when it is so much
more. And
with that out the way, I will say no more about the testicles. It will
remain a
mystery unless you watch it and find out for yourself.
This is a film that oozes creativity and fun in a
way that I
don’t think Takahata’s films have really done up until this point.
Grave of the
Fireflies and Only Yesterday were extremely grounded films whereas Pom
Poko is
funny, creative and colourful, despite the extremely important themes
it
discusses. This is a film about humans building cities and destroying
nature,
in particular the story of the construction of the massive Tama Hills
area of
Tokyo in the 1960s and the colony of shape-shifting racoon dogs that
try to
fight back against the destruction of their home.
The film is presented in a documentary style with
a narrator
describing the events which really adds to the charm and character of
the film.
Sometimes the events in the film are represented in creative ways, such
as tiny
diggers munching (digging) their way through a leaf like caterpillars
or a
diorama-like scene of a town being built by a giant buddha and human
babies.
When one character dies, a golden buddha and a troupe of golden angels*
literally come down on a cloud, singing angelically, and carry the
corpse away
to nirvana.
The real focus of this film though, beyond the
themes and
events are the racoon dogs themselves who make up a very dynamic and
vibrant
cast of characters, all of whom react to the events going on around
them in
different ways. I love all the different character designs and colour
combinations - its brilliant how they manage to all be obviously racoon
dogs
whilst also having so much variety in their designs. It is also
fantastic how
the film sometimes switches to realistic portrayals of them, drawing
racoon dogs
in a natural style behaving as we see them, then switching to the
“cartoon”
Ghibli style as we enter their world and how they see each other. My
favourite
characters are the three elderly masters who come to town to teach the
rest how
to shape-shift.
Despite all the character and creativity, the
themes of this
film are bleak and it becomes more and more sad as the situation for
our racoon
dog friends becomes increasingly bleak. There are deaths that shocked
and
saddened me – it is still a Takahata film – and the way the characters
sometimes band together, sometimes fight, sometimes argue as they
desperately
try to save their world is truly affecting. The environmental message
here
could not be more clear. My only complaint as that it feels slightly
over-long
and it lost me a little bit in the middle, but it comes together to
culminate
in a very effective and bittersweet ending.
Before I finish I have to mention the monster
parade, which
I haven’t managed to fit in yet – my favourite moment from the film
when all
the racoon dogs shape shift into huge, colourful monsters and parade
through
the city in an attempt to scare the humans. This is a moment of utmost
creativity,
rendered in fabulously colourful animation which rivals anything else
Ghibli
ever created – truly spectacular and extremely fun to watch.
I fear I have not done this film justice as it
truly needs
to be watched to be appreciated. There is so much more to it, but in
three
words – Funny, colourful, creative…. And a fourth - sad.
*My uneducated interpretation, apologies to the
zero
Buddhist people who may read this
WHISPER OF THE
HEART (1995)
“You have to find the rough gems inside yourself,
take the
time, and polish them”
For the first time we break the Miyazaki/Takahata
combination with what is for me, a big one, being one of my favourite
films of
all time and only surpassed in Ghibli’s oeuvre by Spirited Away.
Perhaps not on
merit, but on personal affection at least.
This film was directed by Yoshifumi Kondo who
sadly died two
years later without producing any other films. This is the only
full-length
film directed by him. It is based on a manga series and I believe
Miyazaki
wrote the adaptation and had a hand in the direction of some scenes.
This is a
“slice of life” movie, following the normal life of a girl called
Shizuku Tsukishima
who lives, interestingly, in the Tama Hills suburb of Western Tokyo (as
per our
previous film Pom Poko) as she navigates school, boys and her dreams of
being a
writer in the 1990s. As such, I feel that this is a film that simply
will not
resonate with some people but will resonate heavily with others – I am
firmly
in the latter camp.
The way this film captures the wonder in every day
life and
people as they try to navigate it is singularly beautiful and inspires
me in a
way that similar films such as Only Yesterday didn’t manage. As proven
by that
film, a teenage girl is not an obvious character to relate to
personally for me
but I do relate to Shizuku Tsukishima heavily and this film has
inspired me in
many ways.
The film opens with scenes of Tama Hills at night,
cleverly
showing locations that will later feature in the film and even
including the
cat Moon who becomes an important character later on. It then follows
Shizuku
home and we see a domestic scene of her with her family, sharing iced
tea and
having problems with their printer. As I say, this is a slice of life,
but
these mundane moments are where the magic of this film is cystalised.
One of my favourite sequences comes after,
following Shizuku
from waking up the next morning all through her journey to school on a
hot
summer’s day. At one point she goes out onto the balcony of their tiny
apartment, is surprised to see a blimp in the sky and exclaims “today
is gonna
be great!” – a spirit that I try to carry in my daily life. Be amazed
by the
small wonders. The music in this whole sequence is stunning and it
really feels
like a boiling hot day as the sun reflects off the handrails and the
chorus of
cicadas hums in the background.
The story itself – without saying too much – is
about
Shizuku’s dream of being a writer and dedicating herself for a couple
of months
to writing her first story, intertwined with a very cute love story
between her
and a boy at her school Seiji Amasawa, who is learning to be a violin
maker. I
love how the film captures the melodrama of teenage girls without ever
being
patronising as they get hurt over boys, or often over nothing really
and
Shizuku struggles to balance her grades with her passions.
There really is so much more I could say about
this movie,
but equally I feel that for some people it simply won’t do much. For me
though
it is inspiring, absolutely beautiful and a genuine reminder to
appreciate the
beauty of every day and to chase your dreams even in small ways. This
film has
genuinely altered my mind set and outlook. RIP Yoshifumi Kondo and
thank you
for this wonderful gift of a film.
In three words – Inspiring, lovely, charming.
PRINCESS MONONOKE
(1997)
“You cannot change fate. However, you can rise to
meet it,
if you so choose.”
We end part two of this marathon with the film
many would
call Miyazaki’s magnum opus – a truly magnificent film, surely one of
the
greatest ever made, and a perfect complement to Takahata’s previous Pom
Poko –
the preeminent Princess Mononoke.
I have always had an odd relationship with this
film, fully
acknowledging its brilliance but never truly loving it myself. I think
it was
the third Ghibli film I saw after Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving
Castle and at
the time I thought it was long and slow. Over the years I’ve put it on
plenty
of times and enjoyed it but it has always lost me a bit and has never
been a
favourite. I say this with embarrassment now because my opinion
couldn’t be
more different after this viewing. I went into this really wanting to
finally
give this film a proper chance and I’m so glad I did.
I will acknowledge that this is not always an easy
film to
watch. You’re unlikely to watch it with a grin on your face like many
of
Miyazaki’s films. This film is far darker and more sober than anything
else
Miyazaki ever produced. Only Nausicaa compares to this in terms of tone
and it
does feel almost like a redux of that earlier work. This film is a
genuine
shock to watch, with blood and dismemberment throughout. This is so
unexpected
when you put on a Miyazaki film - the man who made My Neighbour Totoro
and
Kiki’s Delivery Service - and it’s all the more powerful for it. The
brilliance
of the man’s range is really striking.
Once again this film carries an environmental
message and
without wishing to repeat myself too much, feels like a revisiting of
the
themes explored in Nausicaa in 1994 – the
conflict between humanity, nature and war. Both films feature
titular
Princesses who fight to defend nature as well as female warmongers who
want to
destroy it. The two films take a different approach though, which
probably
illustrates how Miyazaki’s view of humanity and the issues at hand
evolved over
the intervening years – whereas Princess Nausicaa is a pacifist and
does
everything she can to avoid conflict, Princess Mononoke is extremely
violent;
she is raised by wolves and hates humans even though she is one.
One thing that strikes me about this movie is that
the film
happens around our main character Ashitaka – he takes part in events
but is not
responsible for any of it. He is dragged into the conflict in the first
place
as he is infected with the curse that humans have put on nature and
travels to
ask forgiveness and healing from the great forest spirit. It’s unusual
to have
the main character not really drive the plot of the film and it makes
for an
epic experience as we get caught up in the conflict through his eyes.
The music in this film, once again written by Joe
Hisaishi,
is absolutely majestic and fits the epic, serious and natural tone of
the movie
perfect. It is one of his most iconic scores. That said, this film
knows when
to leave music out of it and let the ambience speak for itself such as
one key
moment where the forest spirit appears. The lack of music adds so much
power
and majesty to the moment and highlights that forest is silent, perhaps
in
reverence or a collective held breath. The only comparable film in this
area is
again Nausicaa.
Animation-wise this film takes it up another level
and is
certainly among Ghibli’s – and anyone’s - greatest. Many scenes are
filled with
hundreds of people such as in the large battle scenes. The early scene
with the
cursed boar is among the most impressive in Ghibli’s entire oeuvre,
with
thousands of worms all wriggling and writhing in their own ways. It
boggles the
mind that every single frame was hand drawn. There are also scenes of
fantastic
beauty, such as in the forest, with the crystal-clear water and shards
of light
breaking through the canopy. It truly is as good as it gets.
It all culminates in powerful ending where humans
get what
they deserve but strikingly, this film never really judges or
disparages
humanity or the evolution of technology. There is so much more that can
and has
been said about this film – but suffice to say it is one of the
greatest
animated films ever made, one of the greatest FILMS ever made and
possibly
Miyazaki’s magnum opus.
In three very reductive words – Epic, powerful and
beautiful.
End of Part 2
