Celebrating Miyazaki

Matthew Bowden, Online Screen Editor, debates Miyazaki’s best works

WHEN film-lovers and critics alike discuss the great cinematic visionaries of the mid-20th and early 21st century, certain names rise to the top. In terms of Hollywood, people think Scorsese, Spielberg, or Coppola, and the more artistic, cine-literate crowd might nominate European New Wave directors such as has only ever seen one Studio Ghibli movie, it is probably this one; and in all honesty, if you’re new to Miyazaki, it is a perfect one to immerse yourself in his filmmaking world. As always with his films, the quality of animation is astonishing — the parallel blues of the sky and sea are constantly popping out at you, and the imagination that goes into the creation of the spiritual world pulls you right into the young girl Chihiro’s situation. For such a mainstream film as well, it is enjoyably weird and wonderful, as shown by the crazy circumstances of the film’s ending. A perfect one to start with for budding Miyazaki lovers.

Godard or Fellini. However, Hayao Miyazaki remains conspicuously absent from the conversation. In my opinion, the consistent body of work he has produced from his feature film debut in 1979 right up until 2013 (we’ll see if his eagerly anticipated 2023 film How You Do Live can continue his fine legacy) establishes him as one of the underrated greats of cinema history. He possesses the wonderful art of telling stories that are important and contain deep cerebral messages but also making them accessible — regardless of age, gender or nationality. Through his examination of unconventional themes such as environmental conservation, pacifism and feminism (the majority of his protagonists are young females), Miyazaki has contributed significantly to bringing animation into the public consciousness, and his filmography has displayed the storytelling power that this cinematic medium possesses.

The most familiar of Miyazaki’s works is his 2001 film Spirited Away, about a young girl who is forced to survive in a spiritual world after her parents are taken away from her. If someone

My personal favourite though has to be Princess Mononoke: arguably his most grown-up, mature film, about a young prince cursed by a demon who teams up with a she-wolf (the titular Princess), who casts aside the human world to live as a girl among the forest wildlife and attempts to prevent humankind from abusing the environment for their own gain. It was the first Ghibli I’d seen, probably too young, but I was again enthralled by the ease with which Miyazaki manifested a 14th century world. Watching it back numerous times, it is incredible to see how far ahead of its time (considering its 1997 release) the film is in terms of its environmental foresight; namely the concept that human exploitation of natural resources results in them being architects of their own destruction. For me, it’s his masterpiece.

Another amazing nuance of Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki films in general is their potential to initiate young kids into cinema and loving movies. Wholesome classics such as My Neighbour Totoro and Kiki’s Delivery Service are indicative of how so many of his films are both suitable and understandable for children, whilst still being treats that fully-grown adults can also enjoy. There are also a couple of Ghibli gems that definitely fly under the radar — I would heartily recommend Porco Rosso (about a pig fighter-pilot-turned-bounty-hunter who battles sky pirates: it’s as fun as it sounds) and Whisper of the Heart, which makes incredible use of the classic song ‘Take Me Home Country Roads’.

Miyazaki’s absence from Studio Ghibli will undoubtedly leave a gaping hole, yet recent films not directed by him, such as 2013’s wonderfully hand-drawn period animation The Tale of Princess Kaguya, suggests that there is hope for this animation dynasty when the great man hangs up his pencil.

EDITORS: Annabelle Law and Madison Sohngen