Know Your Asian Cinema: Hayao Miyazaki (Japan)

"The tunnel led Chihiro to a mysterious town..."

Master animation director Hayao Miyazaki follows up on his record-breaking 1997 opus Princess Mononoke with this surreal Alice in Wonderland-like tale about a lost little girl. The film opens with ten-year-old Chihiro riding along during a family outing as her father races through remote country roads. When they come upon a blocked tunnel, her parents decide to have a look around -- even though Chihiro finds the place very creepy. When they pass through the tunnel, they discover an abandoned amusement park. As Chihiro's bad vibes continue, her parents discover an empty eatery that smells of fresh food. After her mother and father help themselves to some tasty purloined morsels, they turn into giant pigs. Chihiro understandably freaks out and flees. She learns that this very weird place, where all sorts of bizarre gods and monsters reside, is a holiday resort for the supernatural after their exhausting tour of duty in the human world. Soon after befriending a boy named Haku, Chihiro learns the rules of the land: one, she must work , as laziness of any kind is not tolerated; and two, she must take on the new moniker of Sen. If she forgets her real name, Haku tells her, then she will never be permitted to leave.

Review
This film reminds us that great animation is not about excessive CGI and overblown special effects, but is about sheer imagination and creativity. I love how Japanese animation makes serious issues about life accessible to children to understand, yet have a deeper level which adults can also appreciate through the symbolism and rich imagery. Being enthralling for children and deep for adults makes this film exceptional. Only negative would be the length which left some of the youngsters a bit restless but the imagery really is wonderful and will intrigue even the the most cynical audience. In short escapism at its best, up there with the anime classics like Grave of the Fireflies.

Witch of the Waste: "The best part of that spell, is that you can't tell anyone about it. My regards to Howl."

Hayao Miyazaki, the Japanese animation director who wowed audiences worldwide with his award-winning film Spirited Away, brings another visually spectacular tale of imagination to the screen. Sophie is an 18-year-old girl who toils in the hat shop opened years ago by her late father. Often harassed by local boys, one day Sophie is unexpectedly befriended by Howl, a strange but flamboyant wizard whose large home can travel under its own power. However, the Witch of the Waste is displeased with Sophie and Howl's budding friendship, and turns the pretty young woman into an ugly and aged hag. Sophie takes shelter in Howl's castle, and attempts to find a way to reverse the witch's spell with the help of Calcifer, a subdued but powerful demon who exists in the form of fire, and Markl, who protects the four-way door which can instantly take visitors to other lands and dimensions.

Review
Howl's Moving Castle is an excellent book by Diana Wynne Jones. It is an even better movie by Hayao Miyazaki. This film adaptation of a novel is one of the very few that I've found that actually improves itself by changing the plot of the book. Roughly the first third of the movie follows the pattern of the novel: a girl named Sophie is transformed into an old woman and must seek out the mysterious wizard Howl in the hopes of changing back. From there, however, the basic structure and purpose of the story are altered to fit Miyazaki's unique style--and it works wonderfully. The movie retains the same humor and heart that makes the book such a delightful read; and does it on its own, without bothering to align the tiny details. In the hands of anyone else, I would have been woefully depressed by the result; however, Studio Ghibli succeeds masterfully in creating a meaningful and deeply fun story that is enjoyable for every age. The art is whimsical and bright, the plot is coherent, and the characters are dimensional and interesting. I'm not a fan of anime in general, but even I can enjoy the liveliness of this delightful movie. So read Diana Wynne Jones' book for a great story. Watch this movie for a completely different one. But be prepared to enjoy yourself either way.

"The Fate Of The World Rests On The Courage Of One Warrior."

On a journey to find the cure for a Tatarigami's curse, Ashitaka finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest and Tataraba, a mining colony. In this quest he also meets San, the Mononoke Hime.

REVIEW
One of the most breathtaking animes ever released. The quality of this title is beyond ones fathom. A cast of interesting characters with good actors (not talking about the dub) that really can make you feel for the characters and allures into believing that you are actually watching real characters in motion, in which most live-action movies fail. The story of these characters so intriguingly told, with such depth, in a brilliant and rather violent dance of color, motion, emotion and sound. Animation quality overshadowed by none, musical score so touching and backgrounds so life-like and impressive, makes you wonder how such perfection could be achieved. Totally impressive movie that can be safely recommended for all but the smallest children, for whom the violence might be too much.

One cannot praise this movie enough with mere words, one must see it to believe.

"Welcome To A World Where Anything Is Possible."

An animated adventure centered on a 5-year-old boy and his relationship with a goldfish princess who longs to become human.

REVIEW
Like the 5-year old protagonists of his latest opus, Hayao Miyazaki's "Ponyo" enchants with its unbridled innocence as though the anime-meister has become a child himself in weaving a narrative that relishes in its simplicity and emits an infectious charm in the process. Miyazaki, recalling his earlier works, paints a brightly-colored world obviously geared for the younger audiences and the raw effervescence gleefully strips off the grim thematic elements that distinguish its immediate predecessors.

Ponyo (voiced lovably by Yuria Nara), a fish with a young girl's face (making her look like a cuddly child in a pink overgrown Halloween costume), escapes away from her underwater home and her school of siblings to explore the surface. Stranded ashore, she is rescued by Sosuke (Hiroki Doi), a five-year old boy who, along with his mom Risa (Tomoko Yamaguchi), resides in a house on the nearby cliff. This initial encounter and, eventually, friendship, has a profound effect on Ponyo who now wishes to become human, but by becoming so inadvertently tips nature's balance and unleashes a maelstrom on land. With Sosuke's help, Ponyo must pass a test to lift this curse and completely become a human.

Despite the plot lacking the philosophical sophistication of, say, his most recent "Spirited Away," "Ponyo" is nothing short of an astounding follow-up, characterized by the extremely diligent attention to detail and masterful balancing of the real and the fantastic, and of the simple joys and great fears. It's a straightforward tale that, though at times stalled by its tendency to ramble like a toddler, keeps in tune with its youthful pedigree to magically enthrall. "I will protect you," Sosuke tells Ponyo matter-of-factly, a childlike assertion not unlike the manner in which Miyazaki endows his story with artful spirit.