Lucas
Versantvoort / 18 September 2014
Roughly 14 years
after directing the underrated My
Neighbors the Yamadas, director Isao Takahata finally releases his new
film. Based on the oldest, and apparently most well-known folktale in Japan,
The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. (spoilers) It details the life (and times) of
Kaguya, a small girl who originates from a city on the moon, is sent to earth
where she excels in the simple farm life, suffers under life as a lady in the
city and eventually returns to the moon. It’s a story containing both realist
and surreal elements, a combination that Takahata has perfected in his films. Though
apparently a very popular tale in Japan, the story isn’t exactly blockbuster
material. Nevertheless, Takahata follows his own vision and has crafted a
highly effective film replete with all the love and care and obsessive
attention to detail Studio Ghibli has become known for.
We first see (what else) a bamboo cutter
discovering a robed girl, Kaguya of course, as small as his hand in a forest. He
takes her into his home with his wife where Kaguya grows abnormally fast. She
lives a happy country life with friends etc. Eventually, the bamboo cutter cuts
another bamboo tree and to his astonishment finds gold. He becomes something of
a rich man and convinces his wife that by moving to the capital, they’ll finally
be able to grant Kaguya the kind of life that will make her happy. Of course,
life as a lady is only suffocating to the free-spirited Kaguya who alternates
between having to learn and accept the lifestyle of a ‘proper lady’ and wanting
to desperately escape the city.
Saying a Studio Ghibli film looks
amazing is as empty a statement as “the grass is green” or “the sky is blue”,
fuckin’ duh. Takahata utilizes a palette consisting mostly of soft pastels and
charcoal. Characters are drawn in minimalist, though highly distinct fashions. The
soft pastels and charcoal textures aren’t just eye candy however, but fit with
the story’s ancient origins, the film looking as if drawings on ancient
Japanese scrolls were coming to life. As befits Takahata, visuals are also used
to externally emphasize a character’s
inner life and feelings. One
particularly amazing scene, showing Kaguya desperately fleeing the capital,
begins with pastels and charcoal, but soon grows more aggressive, with more and
more harsh charcoal lines, reflecting Kaguya’s inner turmoil as she flees (see images).
It’s quite simply one of those scenes where you realize you are at that very
moment witnessing ‘art’ taking place in front of your eyes; in other words, the
greatest thing you could possibly experience in a movie theater. (See screenshots below)
Personally, I can only level two complaints at the
film: one, the surrealist aspect of the story was a bit hard to digest. I’m referring
to the moment when Kaguya realizes she’s from the moon and has to return there.
There’s something strange about watching a scene where she outright tells her
‘parents’ she’s from the moon when the film up until this point was highly
realistic in tone, despite the surrealist opening scene where she’s found by
the bamboo cutter. Two, the film is perhaps a tad too long. I have nothing against
long (animated) films per se, but here I eventually felt exhaustion entering my
body. I think this is an issue inherent to the story and the fact that it isn’t
exactly the most varied plot. There are basically only two environments: the
landscapes depicting nature and life in the city. As befitting Takahata’s later
output, the tempo is quite slow and this will be hard for viewers who are
unfamiliar with Takahata to digest. In its favor, I find the slow tempo to also
be to the film’s benefit. Like Kaguya, the viewer also grows tired of the
city’s endless parade of suitors and emphasis on etiquette.
I’ve read articles wherein several people question the
point of this film. Why would Takahata adapt this story? After directing films like Grave of the Fireflies and Only
Yesterday, why would he turn to Japan’s oldest folktale? I believe the
reason can be found in the end of the film. At one point, Kaguya is hesitant to
go back to the moon and leave earth and all she’s experienced. Even later, she
has a small monologue about earthly life in general with all the beautiful and
negative experiences she’s accumulated. The point she’s making is that despite
the things she’s experienced during her days as a ‘lady’ in the city, she still
loves earthly life. Think back to Takahata’s Only Yesterday with its positive outlook on people and life despite
all the dramatic events. Both films prefer the honest farmer’s life as opposed
to city life. Think back to Yamadas
which is an even more overt celebration of daily life in all its normalcy. Kaguya fits easily within this most
important of themes in Takahata’s filmography.
Stray
observation: I think there’s symbolism to be found in the colors of the many
robes the characters wear, though I’d have to see the film again to be sure.
Images taken
from:
Such a nice and honest review for The Tale of Princess Kaguya. I had also watched this and my review was also (almost) same. These days I am again having a lot of idle time on the weekends so would like to spend that with my kids and we are planning to watch some of the famous shows by Andy Yeatman.
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