Hayao Miyazaki started his animation career in the 1960s, but didn't break out as a hugely creative force until 1984, when he directed "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind". Soon after the film was released, Miyazaki co-founded Studio Ghibli with fellow animator Isao Takahata. Disney has taken responsibility for the global distribution of Ghibli films. There is a strict "no cuts" policy when it comes to packaging his movies overseas. Miyazaki has a reputation for being environmentally inclined; many of his films feature a conflict between man and nature. "Mononoke" concerns an iron mining town at war with the magical creatures that live in the forest surrounding the encampment. The humans in "Nausicaa" are constantly at odds with giant insects known as Ohmu who violently defend the home, a "toxic jungle" poisonous to humans. In each film, Miyazaki preaches a reverence for nature. The most wondrous moments of animation come at moments of great natural beauty. My personal favorite is in "Mononoke," when the protagonist travels through the forest with two wounded men, guided by a multitude of playful forest sprites.
Miyazaki is often critical of contemporary society. In "Spirited Away" and "Howl's Moving Castle," greed and gluttony lead to great trouble. "Spirited Away" begins with a girl's parents gorging themselves at a buffet. They are promptly transformed into pigs. In "Howl's," the Witch of the Waste, a grotesquely enormous diva, turns an innocent young woman into an elderly one in an attempt to gain the attention of Howl, a wizard whose heart the Witch is trying to acquire.
Perhaps his greatest criticism is of mankind's tendency to quickly resort to violence in most situations. Miyazaki's films are often violent, but never without consequence. Howl slowly changes into a monster the more he fights. The protagonist of "Mononoke" is dying of a disease that worsens as he is consumed by hate. The battles in Miyazaki films come as results of misunderstandings more often than not. He is reluctant to ever proclaim any side of a conflict as right or wrong. You would be hard-pressed to find a true villain in any of his films. His characters are complex people with complex motivations. No Miyazaki film ends with one character triumphing in a fight over another. He is not interested in petty conflict, but rather in the absurd nature of most conflicts, and the way they can be resolved peacefully.
I have heard rumors that his newest film, "Ponyo on a cliff" will be his last. There were similar rumors surrounding "Mononoke," "Spirited Away," and "Howl's." I don't think Miyazaki can or will ever stop. His creations are too beautiful, magical, fantastically unique; I don't think I could handle it if I heard that they were to ever stop.
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spirited away was just a great film to watch. for an animated feature, it really took the use of color and imagination to a whole new level. i was really impressed with his creativity. he created a whole new world that functioned within its own rules almost as a sci fi movie creates its own world for its characters.
ReplyDeletei am not a huge fan of anime, but his films are just beautiful.