On films
Watched 'Omohide poro poro' (wonderfully summed up by a newly discovered blogger) yesterday and have found yet another favourite in the Studio Ghibli canon. Every time I watch one of their films for the first time, I always say it's my favourite one - it's a bit like Pixar, actually. I don't know how these people do it.
It's basically two intertwining stories, both narrated by the main character Taeko. The first one is her in 'modern day' 1986 and the second follows her ten year old self in the early sixties. I love how honestly Japanese films deal with memories. Often in films, people who appear to have 'elephant memories' and remember silly little details - some hurtful, some plain ordinary - are portrayed as neurotics or grudge bearers. It's so nice to have a film about remembering the past, that doesn't turn it into an exercise about forgiveness, or overcoming adversity or anything so trite (a reiteration of Hollywood commandment numero deux: 'Thou shalt always have a therapist!').
Present-day Taeko feels as if she'd on the cusp of something - though she doesn't know what - and it brings up memories of herself at ten, an age where again she felt 'on the cusp of something' - adolescence - even though she didn't know it at the time. And that's all there is to it. She can remember the disappointments of her childhood without any of that characteristic bitterness you tend to see - usually exhibited by women, for some strange reason... - in films, and the really lovely things without feeling that they were the highlight of her life. Oh yes, and the other people around her don't think she's strange or 'has issues' for remembering this stuff - sometimes it brings out their own memories and feelings as well.
The film was directed by Takahata, so it's no surprise that it's such a mature and quietly ambitious film (he directed 'Grave of the fireflies' which was also very realistic. Harrowingly so in that case). It worked so well, I didn't even realise how cliched the ending was until someone else mentioned it but in this case it doesn't matter and again it's done in a natural way so it didn't bother me at all.
Apparently Miyazaki is directing his 'last' project at the moment. I suspect it's going to be a new 'best Ghibli film EVER' affair yet again.
It's basically two intertwining stories, both narrated by the main character Taeko. The first one is her in 'modern day' 1986 and the second follows her ten year old self in the early sixties. I love how honestly Japanese films deal with memories. Often in films, people who appear to have 'elephant memories' and remember silly little details - some hurtful, some plain ordinary - are portrayed as neurotics or grudge bearers. It's so nice to have a film about remembering the past, that doesn't turn it into an exercise about forgiveness, or overcoming adversity or anything so trite (a reiteration of Hollywood commandment numero deux: 'Thou shalt always have a therapist!').
Present-day Taeko feels as if she'd on the cusp of something - though she doesn't know what - and it brings up memories of herself at ten, an age where again she felt 'on the cusp of something' - adolescence - even though she didn't know it at the time. And that's all there is to it. She can remember the disappointments of her childhood without any of that characteristic bitterness you tend to see - usually exhibited by women, for some strange reason... - in films, and the really lovely things without feeling that they were the highlight of her life. Oh yes, and the other people around her don't think she's strange or 'has issues' for remembering this stuff - sometimes it brings out their own memories and feelings as well.
The film was directed by Takahata, so it's no surprise that it's such a mature and quietly ambitious film (he directed 'Grave of the fireflies' which was also very realistic. Harrowingly so in that case). It worked so well, I didn't even realise how cliched the ending was until someone else mentioned it but in this case it doesn't matter and again it's done in a natural way so it didn't bother me at all.
Apparently Miyazaki is directing his 'last' project at the moment. I suspect it's going to be a new 'best Ghibli film EVER' affair yet again.