Per Matt
Despite its worldwide success throughout the years, Studio Ghibli still feels like it’s got an unknown presence stateside. But not to anime fans! Merely mention Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle or Princess Mononoke and you’re likely to get an overwhelmingly positive response.
While many individual animated releases of filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki are beloved, not all are known (or even recognized) by the general movie-going public at large in the U.S. On top of that, he’s been nominated for three Academy Awards (and won one), so hopefully his public perception changes with the writer-director’s recent feature film, The Boy and the Heron.
Just watching the movie’s trailer, itself, is a beautiful and inspiring work of art, positively signifying what is yet to come. Studio Ghibli’s definitely got some marketing masters, and I couldn’t wait to watch the full movie after watching it.
This fantastic story begins in Tokyo at the dawn of WWII. Awakened by air-raid sirens, young Mahito Maki’s world turns upside down when his mother tragically dies after an Allied bombing raid. As a result, he and his father move out to the country, where he’s already met a new woman. After a schoolyard tussle, a “nosy gray heron” reveals its true purpose, but will it actually reunite the boy with his recently deceased mother, or is it a trap?
“A gray heron told me all gray herons are liars…”
Fans of Hayao Miyazaki can expect two things from The Boy and the Heron: The beautiful and the grotesque. Photo Courtesy: Studio Ghlbli
In a world where some animals speak (and some have ill intentions), nothing is as it seems. There are cute, strange and disgusting creatures alike, including oversized parakeet guards and the Fire Maiden, and then there’s Mahito’s overprotective “grannies…”
Don’t forget about the unusual tower that straddles different worlds, with supernatural elements thrown in for good measure.
“In this world, the dead are the majority…”
Celebrating traditional Japanese culture and style while promoting themes of starting over and fitting into an all-new overwhelming world, Heron is simultaneously peaceful and serene — at times I just want to soak up the wonder — then it’s violent and brash, but it’s still a work of art in all its destruction. Purposely slow at its start to properly introduce the main character, this emotional adventure doesn’t really involve many fast-moving action scenes or use strong language, but it does elicit a powerful response to its tale.
To say that Hayao Miyazaki is an artist, above and unlike anybody else within the entire continent of North America, is an understatement — a very big one. I mean, the man’s work regularly becomes pop-culture royalty and among all of the awards the filmmaker has won, the Oscar is one of the biggest and the best.
Miyazaki’s imagination never ceases to amaze me and unlike the powerfully influential stateside animation house, his movies’ intended target audience seems to be adults and children of all ages, even if parental guidance might be necessary. The adult themes don’t get glossed over in his films, which remind me of watching early animated Walt Disney releases that were never intended to be G-rated babysitter fare. And as a Child of the ’80s, Miyazaki’s modern-day work often feels underappreciated, much like Don Bluth back in the day, who created many animated masterpieces that were far superior to Disney’s output.
Expect the unexpected whenever watching something from Studio Ghibli. Small-town life and the unusual both receive the spotlight in Hayao Miyazaki’s first feature film in 10 years. In fact, it was previously reported that the filmmaker had retired before returning for one more magnum opus.
And because I prefer to watch foreign films in their original format, I made the subtitled decision, despite so many big-named actors performing in the dubbed version. I’ve always been a subtitles guy, but I also enjoy experiencing the original actors’ performances as they were truly intended. The entire experience looks and sounds incredible, as to be expected for a Miyazaki film.
With Miyazaki at the helm, The Boy and the Heron flies to great heights. As a lifelong fan of animated movies who’s seen a handful of the filmmaker’s greatest hits, this release ranks very high and could be one of his best.
If there’s any justice in this world, Miyazaki might just wrap up his career with yet another Oscar statuette. That would be fitting in the most Hollywood of ways, for a filmmaker who consistently works outside the system. And since this could easily be the filmmaker’s final feature, I absolutely recommend watching this one in any available format while you still can.