ANIME: かぐや姫の物語 (The Tale of Princess Kaguya)

Image from Wikipedia

At a glance: Japanese, anime, fantasy, ancient Japan, movie (running time: 137 minutes, says Wikipedia)

Summary

A poor, childless couple finds a child in a bamboo shoot, & raises her as her own. She grows up to be known as 'Takenoko' by her friends. When her adoptive father later finds money and expensive clothes inside bamboo shoots, he is convinced that she is destined for a better life. He takes her into the city, constructs a great mansion for her, and introduces her to higher society - anything he can do to make her a princess. She is also renamed 'Kaguya', to fit with her station. However, this isn't the life that Kaguya longs for...


Luna comments


This is directed by Takahata Isao (Japanese order - so 'Takahata' is surname), whose most famous film is probably Grave of the Fireflies (a very good film & so extremely sad that I couldn't bring myself to keep watching). Just thought I'd like to let you know.

I really liked the style of the art used in this film, & so here, have another picture:

Image from Studio Ghibli Wiki

All the Studio Ghibli films are beautiful, but I think that this art style really suits this particular story. There's something soft & simplistic & fantastic about it that contributes to the nostalgic, quietly & contemplatively sad tone of the film. It also has a more 'Japanese' feel to it.

The other good thing is that it's so pretty I can stare at it for ages. Because the movie is incredibly slow, especially for about the second quarter. The pacing there is so slow, that in the middle of the movie I found myself looking at how much I've watched & being very surprised that, even after watching so much, not much has happened at all. But here, the length also contributes to that sad tone, & I can respect the decision for the pacing.

Things start happening in the second half, though, which is good, but it's still slow. (I'm usually very against slow pacing.)

I also love the soundtrack. Which is no surprise, because it's composed by Joe Hisaishi. But I want to make a particular note of the two songs with lyrics, which are both more or less about life. In case you haven't caught the general thread yet, they're both slowly paced, melodic, quiet, unassuming, & sad. One is the children's song, Warabe Uta (わらべ唄), and the other is the ending theme song. I suggest you pay extra attention! I didn't like the voice very much when I first heard it, but as I got used to it, I felt that it was quite fitting.

I think that the combination of everything in this film establishes a certain feeling, or atmosphere to it. I like it when that happens, so, +1 for the film. :)

The plot itself isn't really spectacular, but you don't watch a Ghibli film for its plot. It's a pretty typical storyline, in that the circumstances of the protagonist force them into a position that they don't like. But that's the end of the similarities. The Tale of Princess Kaguya offers a distinctively different take on the story. Kaguya isn't rebellious & she isn't assertive. It's refreshing to see how Kaguya handles her situation.

One thing I'm quite impressed by is Kaguya's characterisation. To be clear: if you want a strong heroine who actively participates in the story & shapes the world around them, that is not Kaguya. She's passive - things happen to her, & she reacts, & she doesn't even make an effort towards changing them. Her actions & emotions are at times immature & don't make her character particularly endearing.

However, despite all her flaws, I didn't find myself disliking her. There may be a cultural element to this - whereas she would probably be seen as a 'weak' character by western viewers (I'm assuming that, based on reviews I've read that comment on the reviewer's receptions of characters in other stories) - I feel as if I understand where she's coming from, that life isn't just about one's own happiness, but that we all carry certain responsibilities. & her choice, or her perception, of her responsibilities ties her down. I can't say her sadness isn't self-imposed, but I can understand why she does it.

I can't say I liked her character either. But despite her childishness, it is clear that her character carries a great weight. There's a quiet sadness & frustration & yearning for freedom that makes it almost impossible for me not to feel sorry for her. In the end, I don't really feel that anything's her fault - she's just a tragic character.


Closing

I really recommend you watch it sometime! Okay, that 'sometime' being a bit more than two hours of spare time. Don't mind the slow pace, & I'm sure you'll have a wonderful visual experience =] It's atmospheric & poignant, beautiful & musical, & I think its cultural elements are quite prominent in comparison to a lot of other films that make it to wider the English-speaking audience (i.e. more than just anime-watchers).