Forum - View topicThe Tale of Princess Kaguya (movie).
|
Goto page Previous 1, 2 |
| Author | Message | ||
|---|---|---|---|
ADM20
 Posts: 9 |
|
||
|
I just now finished watching the movie, and, for all the talk about how its a story about wanting something you can't have, the evils of greed, the beauty of a rustic life versus the evils of urban extravagance, etc., there is one thing that I feel really made this a unique experience that I don't think anybody's been talking about; it exists as a denouncement of stoicism. The main struggle in much of the film is that Lil Bamboo wants to be with her friends and have fun in the rural village where she was raised, but she is forced to become a regal princess-- there is even a scene that calls this out specifically in which she refuses to have her eyebrows ( a body part that serves a major role in the display of emotion) plucked and scoffs at the idea that a true lady would never laugh, cry, or yell. spoiler[This goes further in the struggle in the end in which she fears losing her memories from the Moon Robe because she does not want to forget the beauty of joy and sorrow.] I think that this aspect of the story is a really major point in analyzing what this film sets out to do because this is exactly the kind of message we need in the 21st century "nerd" culture, a society driven by jaded cynicism. Lil Bamboo knows that the enlightenment and culture that she will receive through a regal lifestyle will take from her the very fabric of what humanity really is, just like how we today spend so much time on the Internet, a place that, in all fairness, is not without joy and playfulness, but, at the same time, it is often callous. This really makes sense for a Ghibli film, considering their oeuvre as being an overall joyous rainbow that shines in the gritty, "mature" landscape of modern anime; furthermore, Isao Takahata is a name that can never be separated from his colleague, Hayao Miyazaki, who has garnered some controversy in recent years for criticizing otaku culture. I find it fairly unfortunate that people are mostly picking up on the anti-greed, naturalist, and non-conformist messages that almost all Ghibli films have anyway.
On a much less analytic (i.e. pretentious) note, I think the thing that made Kaguya the masterpiece that it was can mostly be boiled down to the aesthetic. While I did quite like the story, I'd be lying if I said my motivation for seeing this wasn't the animation style that I saw presented in trailers. It looks downright incredible because there's not a single point where anything is truly static; in this trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6btxEdjZCo, you see the lines shifting constantly to display the kinetic energy of Lil Bamboo's emotions in that scene, and that one trailer made me want to see this movie as soon as I could. I think it really shows how far a simple visual design can drive a film. |
|||
|
|||
Blood-
 Bargain Hunter Posts: 23786 |
|
||
|
Welcome to ANN, ADM20. Interesting post. I do however somewhat disagree that denouncing stoicism is one of the themes. I understand where you are coming from, but what you are seeing as denouncing stoicism, I see as a continuation of the "poor, rural" = good, "rich, urban" = bad theme.
The example that you cite about the Princess scoffing at the idea that a real lady wouldn't laugh, cry or be boisterous is more of a rejection of the effete decorum that comes with high status city dwellers. The Princess isn't trapped in a stoic society, she's stuck in one bound by absurd rules that cut people off from the more authentic existence that is only open to those charming country bumpkins. The evils of the city is also a major theme of Pom Poko which is, of course, all about urban blight destroying the countryside. Yeah, I get the sense Takahata is not a fan of cities. |
|||
|
|||
Jose Cruz
 Posts: 1775 Location: South America |
|
||
|
These naive anti urban/sophisticated society/civilization and pro nature/rural views are so typical of Ghibli in general (even Only Yesterday has the theme). I think it's one of the aspects of Ghibli films that I find the least interesting, it's a cliche.
Also, I disagree with ADM20 that Ghibli films stand in sharp contrast with the rest of the anime indstry. In fact, Miyazaki and Takahata are to a great extent the fathers of the modern animation industry and heavily influenced the whole industry. From instance, when I was watching a 2010 slice of life moe title, Tamayura: Hitotose, the show opens up with Kiki's Delivery Service theme song. Which shows the influence slice of life Ghibli films have had on modern slice of life shows. And it's easy to see references to Ghibli films all over the place, such as the Nausicaa reference in Shirobako, or the Castle in the Sky and Howl's Moving Castle references in Angel Beats, or the Nausicaa references in Nisemonogatari and in Watamote (and in 50 other series to be fair), or the Princess Mononoke reference in K-On! Not only by references but the fact is that Nausicaa for example, can be regarded as the ultimate otaku anime (has everything otaku love: gritty science fiction post-apocalyptic world mixed with a medievalist fantasy setting, has tons of action scenes and big nuclear explosions and the main character is cute innocent girl with pure soul and angelic voice). And films like Only Yesterday and Whisper of the Heart were an important influence on modern slice of life anime. |
|||
|
|||
 |
All times are GMT - 5 Hours |
|
|
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group