What makes Hayao Miyazaki's films so appealing? That's what ran through my head as I was writing this blog. Often times, I have difficulty describing Miyazaki's style, because he has produced so many diverse movies since his directorial debut in 1979. They seem to be filled with contradictions: they are anime, but not necessarily complete kid's affairs. The scenic backgrounds are beautifully illustrated, but the villains are made grotesque with greed, selfishness, and contempt.
Aha.
I think I found the answer to my question.
It is the nuances found in the films' stories: not everything is in black and white, good versus evil. Rather, it is the blending of the two, into grey hues, some lighter or darker than others in terms of issues addressed. Miyazaki takes his audiences into alternate universes that are filled with elements of the fantastical, but are also surprisingly relevant and accessible to our own world: timeless in its setting, nostalgic and progressive at the same time. The director enjoys finding the truth behind contradictions- about the environment, politics, and sexuality. Simply put, Miyazaki loves paradoxes.
My fascination with Hayao Miyazaki's films continues to this day, but my initial interest began when I was ten, when I was first introduced to "Castle in the Sky." I fell in love with the film, even though it was dubbed in English (which surprisingly I found not bad!). For the next three years, I scoured Blockbuster for his other works, including "Kiki's Delivery Service," "Princess Mononoke," "Spirited Away," "The Cat Returns," and "Howl's Moving Castle." While I have not seen all of his movies, the ones that I did watch stirred feelings in my eleven, twelve-year-old self, albeit new and different reactions each time. I was charmed by "Spirited Away." I was appalled by "Princess Mononoke." I was actually bored by "Kiki's Delivery Service" (I'm sorry, but it's true!). Hayao Miyazaki really knew how to pull at my heart-strings while at the same time address larger, more broader issues about the world, including environmentalism, socialism, and feminism. Such issues are embedded in the films, subtly enough in that they do not preach nor detract from the stories' motifs of fantasy and childhood-like wonder. Like the characters Pazu and Sheeta from "Castle in the Sky," I was blown away by Laputa, with its towering castle-ruins floating in the air and the civilization of the intimidating, but kind-hearted robots. Miyazaki truly created escapist films, transporting me to the past, the future, or to indefinite space.
My most favorite films are particularly from Studio Ghibli, which was established by Miyazaki. This includes "Castle in the Sky" and "Spirited Away," the latter which had won "Best Animated Feature" in 2003. Perhaps it was because I had watched them in sequence, back-to-back, when I was around twelve, but the two displayed similarities to each other. For one thing, the protagonists are children, and were around my age when I first watched the movies. Both films had elements of fantasy, with the floating castle in the sky in the former feature and the "Alice in Wonderland"-esque setting in the latter. They also shared a common theme of friendship, the strong bond that two characters establish as they deal with and solve conflicts throughout the story. I adore these films.
Yet, I have not seen all of Miyazaki's films, including the every-salient "My Neighbor Totoro." I am also interested in "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind;" the cinematography looks absolutely gorgeous. It is never too late to do so, though. Revisiting childhood pleasures does not stagnate growth; rather, they cultivate it, refreshing us on how we used to be- simple, fearless, and dreamers- and inspiring us to strive for that very same simplicity, amid the intimidating, complicated world.
My most favorite films are particularly from Studio Ghibli, which was established by Miyazaki. This includes "Castle in the Sky" and "Spirited Away," the latter which had won "Best Animated Feature" in 2003. Perhaps it was because I had watched them in sequence, back-to-back, when I was around twelve, but the two displayed similarities to each other. For one thing, the protagonists are children, and were around my age when I first watched the movies. Both films had elements of fantasy, with the floating castle in the sky in the former feature and the "Alice in Wonderland"-esque setting in the latter. They also shared a common theme of friendship, the strong bond that two characters establish as they deal with and solve conflicts throughout the story. I adore these films.
Yet, I have not seen all of Miyazaki's films, including the every-salient "My Neighbor Totoro." I am also interested in "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind;" the cinematography looks absolutely gorgeous. It is never too late to do so, though. Revisiting childhood pleasures does not stagnate growth; rather, they cultivate it, refreshing us on how we used to be- simple, fearless, and dreamers- and inspiring us to strive for that very same simplicity, amid the intimidating, complicated world.
"The creation of a single world comes from a huge number of fragments and chaos"
-Hayao Miyazaki
No comments:
Post a Comment