Spirited Away

For a few weeks I have really been struggling on what to say about Spirited Away. Its structure is so perfect to me. It begins with a definite problem (Chihiro's sadness and immaturity) and ends with a definite solution in a full circle. The adventure in the middle doesn't really leave any important loose ends. I finally realized that my thought process about this film was blocked by its status in my brain as a monolith. The film stands on its own and thus it is difficult for me to discuss it analytically. To me, all the questions and answers are already there. Answered in the films. I simply cannot think of any question I really need answered.

Without a question to ponder all I have to do is discuss the themes in the film the way I see them.

The most important thing in this movie to me is the idea of regaining the excitement for life and living it to its fullest. As a young person in a high energy society where much is already figured out for her, Chihiro has become comfortable in her lifestyle. We can assume she hangs out with her friends for the majority of her time and leads a shallow lifestyle gossiping about boys and pop idols. Once she meets Haku, who is a strong contrast to the average boy her age, she begins to understand that there is much more out in the world and waiting for her. As we discussed in class, she has much potential with no initiative to do anything about it. Once she realizes that the world holds so much more for her she expresses 500x the strength and emotion she had in the first scene. This is very important for today's society because there are many people who do not realize what to do with life. It should be cherished and lived to its fullest. This film is probably one of the reasons I value my life so much. I have very interesting talents and they are going to take me in such a unique direction. I find this individuality to be the point of living life.

Howl's Moving Castle

I have always loved this film. The main reasons I have always known - my love of the idea of magic, Victorian clothing, and Beautiful mountain landscapes. I always knew there was something more to this film that made me love it but I could never figure out what it was. I think I finally did.

Howl's Moving Castle always leaves me wanting more. so many things in this movie are unexplained and unfinished. I am always left wanting so much more. I feel as if the film is just a preview rather than a whole film. It seems so short in my mind.

That being said, I just realized which of Miyazaki's films are my favorite and why. It is the Magical Trilogy - Kiki's Delivery Service, Spirited Away, and Howl's Moving Castle. All three of these films treat magic similarly. Gifted individuals (Kiki, Yubaba, Howl) use magic to their advantage and as a was to interact with society in a different way. Kiki and the other witches, use their magic to create a service business to help those without the gift of magic. Yubaba uses her power to efficiently run a giant bath house for spirits in need of revitalization. Howl uses his magic in the different towns to give charms to the people and also fights against the war efforts. This humanitarian treatment of magic is fascinating to me. In most films I have seen or games I have played, any magical individuals are untouchable. They seem to have no weaknesses (I'm thinking the fairy godmother from Cinderella or Glinda from the Wizard of Oz). The magical characters in Miyazaki's films have such great flaws that make them easy to relate to. Kiki's struggle for control over her environment speaks so strongly to me as a college student finding my way through the world. Yubaba's inability to let go of her love for her baby reminds me that it is absolutely impossible to sacrifice the things you love most. Finally, Howl's failure to be entirely self-sufficient reminds me that it is ok to look to my family and friends for help.

These three films speak to me in a different way than any of Miyazaki's other works. To me they do not stress the environmental issues that Miyazaki is so famous for. They define humanity and signify its importance to our world.

Mononoke and Kiki

Certain circumstances have prevented timely posting.

Althought they are so different, Princess Mononoke and Kiki's Delivery Service treat technology similarly. The end doesn't work out the same, but the attitudes portrayed are very close compared to Miyazaki's other films. In Nausicaa, for example, technology isn't blatantly shunned. Nausicaa uses her glider throughout the entire film and the only thing wrong with the Tolmekians is that they have a desire to destroy and conquer. In Castle of Cagliostro, Porco Rosso, and Totoro technology is hardly discussed. Castle in the Sky may be the only other film that discusses the use of technology. Very similar to Nausicaa, Castle in the Sky shows how greed and technology work together to conquer and destroy.

In Princess Mononoke and Kiki's Delivery Service, technological development may improve the lives of humans but the lives of those in nature will be complicated if not ended. Kiki, her town, her family, and the other witches are heavily aligned with nature. Kiki seeks nature when she is feeling down, her town is contrasted with the technologically developed town, her family's house is covered with growth, and the other young witch she meets rejects Kiki's radio. Once Kiki arrives in her new town she is greeted by technology in a very dangerous manner - she almost gets hit by a bus! Right away, this shows how technology is going to complicate her life. Later, when she and Tombo go see the zeppelin fly Kiki slowly loses her magic power out of a lack of confidence. This is an appropriate time for Kiki to lose her power because man has just mastered that same power. This, and Kiki's upcoming trip to the forest define Kiki's need to mediate between nature and technology. Near the end, the disaster with the Zeppelin requires Kiki to use her powers and thus, they are restored. In the final moments of the film and in the credits, Kiki has realized that the world isn't going to stop developing, and that she needs to be able to mediate between nature and technology - this is showed by her use of her radio again.

In Princess Mononoke technology is much more obviously scrutinized. The first horrible image of the film (the cursed god) was caused by the development and implementation of technology by lady Eboshi. Affected by this demon, Ashitaka must go solve the problems in the west. He becomes a mediator between the beings of nature and the other humans. Because he values peace over technological advancement and nature, he rises above the dispute. This absolute division of nature and technology is similar to Kiki, but to the extreme degree - mostly because the technology is causing so much death in the forest. In the end, although neither San nor Eboshi can get along and live with each other, they both decide that peace and harmony is worthwhile. The one thing that struck me about the end of this film was that Ashitaka decides to live in the ironworks. I expected him to live in nature with San but instead he decided that Eboshi's people would need more help rebuilding and organizing a nature-preserving process. Although unexpected, this moment reminded me of Kiki's decision to advance alongside technology, instead of against it.

I think this is something Miyazaki is stating very clearly in these two films. Neither the preservation of nature nor the advancement of technology are worth dying for. Instead, the two should work together and all people should keep both in mind.

Porco Rosso

I always thought that Miyazaki was obsessed with flight since it appeared in so many of his films, but now I KNOW that he is obsessed with it. To me, this film is merely Miyazaki exercising his freedom as a director to explore his childhood fantasies. The story is not very interesting, major plot points are never completed, and social and political issues were not stressed. With so much attention from the public it seems selfish to make a film lacking in a lesson. All I took away from it was that its not easy being outside of society. Thats really not much of a reason to watch this film when so many others do the same thing and much more. Although not necessarily a bad film Porco Rosso, to me, is just a standard Miyazaki film. It is not as special as some of his other films.

Despite the narrative flaws I noticed Porco Rosso had some great moments of stunning animation. The sequence where they are escaping from the piccolo workshop the plane sprays a trail of water that is really beautiful! Also, when the girl is swimming the water around her as she moves looks very natural and detailed.

I am curious to see what people say about this in class. I had an overall negative reaction to the film in comparison to his others, but this is apparently Nagisa's favorite. Seems like the discussion could get heated!

Totoro

It's been a while since the screening last week, but I really have had to let the film sit in my brain for a while so that i could figure out how I really felt about it.

Generally I liked it but not the parts that I assume most people like. Satsuki and Mei were ok characters but they started to annoy me really fast. They scream too much. I don't know if it is common for Japanese children to scream out everything their parents say. I hope it is not. Besides that I thought they were cute, just like normal kids. Their desire to help their mother get well was endearing but Mei was far to young to be an interesting character. Satsuki was slightly more complex but not by much. Totoro was really cool and I finally understand why so many people love him. He reminded me of a big, old, friendly dog. He often moves slowly and is cuddly but if he needs to exert the energy to be ferocious, he can. I also found his continued use of the umbrella to be really interesting. He treasured it not only because the girls gave it to him but because it was a musical instrument and a tool. He appreciated all of the small details of something we normally take for granted. I think this has to do with his connection to nature. When you go out into the forest and let your mind clear out the business of our modern everyday life you begin to notice more; like the rustle of things in the wind and the flow of the waves in a lake.

This brings me to what I liked most about the film: the scenery. So many films nowadays are a constant assault of excitement and action. I rarely get to see a calm environment with no music playing and just sounds of nature. I really enjoyed watching peace.

Its not the most academic analysis of the film but it is a reaction and that is important.

Castle in the Sky

I have always loved Castle in the Sky. If I remember correctly, it was the first Miyazaki film I ever saw and it was no doubt the first Ghibli soundtrack i had memorized. Now that we have watched three of Miyazaki's films I am definitely noticing a trend. Most noticeable was the common motif of flight and the technology of the films. I noticed a lot of very similar shots of clouds. I wish I knew how to insert clips into my posts so I could show the similar ones. Also, I so far really like the two title sequences I have seen. The artwork is very different from the animation of the rest of the film but it goes very well with both of them. One thing I have always thought was very interesting was the cut where the kitchen is a mess and then a few scenes later it is spotless. Of course it is easier to draw a clean environment but this is actually a common scene in Miyazaki films that I have already noticed. The same thing occurs in Spirited Away when Chihiro gets assigned to clean the big tub and in Howl's Moving Castle when Sophie cleans the front room in a short montage. Cleaning house has a power to relieve tension and I think it is a very smart thing for Miyazaki to use at these particular moments in his films so they do not become an overload of excitement. I also think its interesting that this same scene happens in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; there is no doubt that Miyazaki was inspired by this scene.

Nausicaa Week 2

I expected to have some revelation this week when watching the film again; I did not. Watching it a second time was very similar to the first time. I only noticed a few details that I did not understand before and I also figured out which scenes I like the best.

One of the small details I noticed was that the three princesses all have the same style of earrings. It doesn't really provide me with any revelation except that the three women are connected in more than just being princesses. Perhaps they were actually sisters. I would probably have to read the manga to really find out about that.

Another thing i thought was really interesting was the finite border between desert and toxic jungle. They always say the forest is spreading but at the same time this border makes me thing that it is a very delicate ecosystem and that is one reason for the bugs to protect it like they do.

One of my favorite images of the film is definitely the tapestry sequence during the opening credits. I really enjoy the contrast between the human depiction of the giant warrior and the giant warrior itself. The humans have illustrated it really extravagantly when they are actually aesthetically simple. The following shots of the giant warriors walking amongst the burning ruins are my favorite. Their walk is very unified and something about it hypnotizes me. Its ominous beauty is very striking and rather than evoking fear, it glorifies them in their efforts. Also, the same inaccurate depiction comes into play with the man dressed in blue in the tapestry in the Valley of the Wind. The man on the tapestry is supposed to be Nausicaa but the image has been interpreted inaccurately by man. I think this is also a comment on the heroines Miyazaki so often presents; we expect there to be a hero but we are given a heroine. With the inaccurate depiction of the giant warriors we should have known that the other tapestry was incorrect.