Studio Ghibli; films before 1993
As the title says, during this lesson we will go through the films that Studio Ghibli produced before the year 1993. In this lesson we will also discuss the film Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Even though I said that this film isn't a film produced by Studio Ghibli, we will still go through this one, because this film was the start of the establishment of Studio Ghibli. So we can’t forget this amazing film.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (風の谷のナウシカ Kaze no Tani no Naushika)
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind was released 11 March 1984. It is a film that is directed and written by Miyazaki Hayao and produced by Takahata Isao. Like it is mentioned before, Nausicaä isn’t the first film that Studio Ghibli produced. But this film is what it all started. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is about Nausicaä, the princess of a small nation. This nation has been devastated by a holocaust called the “Seven Days of Fire.” Nausicaä tries to stop other nations from destroying themselves and from destroying the only means by which their world can be saved from the spread of polluted wastelands.
When Miyazaki created Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind he was inspired by different kind of works. So he was inspired by Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea, Brian Aldiss’s Hothouse, Isaac Asimov’s Nightfall and J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. Miyazaki got inspired by Homer’s character Phaeacian princess in Odyssey for the creation of the name and personality of Nausicaä. Miyazaki got himself also inspired by the mercury poisoning of Minamata Bay and how nature responded and thrived in a poisoned environment. He used this to create the polluted world of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. |
There are a lot different themes that appear in Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, but the most prominent themes are the anti-war and environmental focus of the film. Nausicaä is a heroine who believes in the value of life regardless of its form and she’s able to stop a war through her actions.
There is not a real villain in this film, but there is evil in the film. The evil in this film are the Buddhist roots of evil, which are greed, ill will and delusion. The fear that appears in the film is why there are conflicts in the nation, the fear of the poisoned forest results also in greed and resentment. In all this Nausicaä is a transformative force. She leads people to understand and respect nature to see that the nature is welcoming, spiritual and restorative for those who enter it peacefully.
In 1985 the movie was dubbed by Vestron Video. Vestron Video’s had severely edited Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. The editing was done without the knowledge of Miyazaki or Studio Ghibli. They were very unhappy with this, since the dubbed version had lost a lot of its original elements and plot. Vestron Video even called the movie Warriors of the Wind instead of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. In 2005 Disney released an uncut and redubbed version of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.
There is not a real villain in this film, but there is evil in the film. The evil in this film are the Buddhist roots of evil, which are greed, ill will and delusion. The fear that appears in the film is why there are conflicts in the nation, the fear of the poisoned forest results also in greed and resentment. In all this Nausicaä is a transformative force. She leads people to understand and respect nature to see that the nature is welcoming, spiritual and restorative for those who enter it peacefully.
In 1985 the movie was dubbed by Vestron Video. Vestron Video’s had severely edited Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. The editing was done without the knowledge of Miyazaki or Studio Ghibli. They were very unhappy with this, since the dubbed version had lost a lot of its original elements and plot. Vestron Video even called the movie Warriors of the Wind instead of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. In 2005 Disney released an uncut and redubbed version of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.
Laputa: Castle in the Sky (天空の城ラピュタ Tenkū no Shiro Rapyuta)
Laputa: Castle in the Sky was released 2 August 1986. This film was directed and written by Miyazaki Hayao and produced by Takahata Isao. Laputa: Castle in the Sky is the first real film that was produced by Studio Ghibli. The film starts with Pazu rescuing an unconscious girl who falls from the sky with a glowing pendant around her neck. The name of this girl is Sheeta. Pazu helps Sheeta escape from air pirates and the military who both are obsessed with Laputa, a legendary kingdom on a floating island in the sky. They suspect that Sheeta is connected with Laputa, which is the reason why both parties want to have her.
The name Laputa comes from the novel of Jonathan Swift Gulliver’s Travels, where Swift’s Laputa is also a flying island that is controlled by its citizens. The difference in Miyazaki’s Laputa is that the technological superiority of the castle in the sky is used for political ends. Which is something we don’t see back in Jonathan Swift’s original Laputa. In Laputa: Castle in the Sky we see back Biblical and Hindu legends, which ties the world of Laputa to the Earth. We also see medieval castle architecture back in the film, where the clothing, ground vehicles and town architecture of Pazu village resemblance |
Welsh mining-town architecture. We also see back the Victorian styles in the pirate ship of the pirates.
During the years Laputa: Castle in the Sky has appeared in different titles, where in 2003 the title film was shortened from Laputa: Castle in the Sky to Castle in the Sky. The reason for this is because the name Laputa is similar to the Spanish slang “La puta,” which means “the whore” in Spanish. Distributors found this part offensive to many people, even though the word “Laputa” has no meaning in the Japanese language.
In Laputa: Castle in the Sky Miyazaki tells a story that involves discoveries and wonderful encounters. It is a story that carries a message of hope.
During the years Laputa: Castle in the Sky has appeared in different titles, where in 2003 the title film was shortened from Laputa: Castle in the Sky to Castle in the Sky. The reason for this is because the name Laputa is similar to the Spanish slang “La puta,” which means “the whore” in Spanish. Distributors found this part offensive to many people, even though the word “Laputa” has no meaning in the Japanese language.
In Laputa: Castle in the Sky Miyazaki tells a story that involves discoveries and wonderful encounters. It is a story that carries a message of hope.
Grave of the Fireflies (火垂るの墓 Hotaru no haka)
Grave of the Fireflies was released 16 April 1988. It’s directed and written by Takahata Isao and produced by Hara Toru. Grave of the Fireflies is the first film that Takahata Isao created under Studio Ghibli. In Grave of the Fireflies we follow the story about two siblings who struggle to survive during World War II. Seita and Setsuko, are brother and sister, after their mother passes away from severe burns inflicted by the American firebombing of their town, the port city of Kobe, they are left to fend for themselves. They haven’t heard from their father in a long time, since he is serving in the Japanese navy. During their survival, they try to stay with a distant relative. Seita doesn’t get along well with this relative and decides to leave. By leaving he takes Setsuko with him so that they can live on their own. Grave of the Fireflies is a very somber and dark film.
Grave of the Fireflies is in the West seen as an anti-war film, even though the Japanese theme pointed more to how certain decision can create a miserable life. Western people see this film as an anti-war film, because of the graphic and emotional depiction of the pernicious repercussions of war on a society and the individuals therein. The focus on the personal tragedies that war gives, make the western culture think of this film as an anti-war film. But Takahata Isao stated that Grave of the Fireflies is not an anti-war film. In Takahata Isao own words “Grave of the Fireflies is not at all an anti-war anime and contains absolutely no such message.” |
On the contrary, Takahata Isao created this film as a message for the people in their teens and twenties. He wanted to invoke sympathy to that target, because he thought they needed to be straighten up and respect their elders for the pain and suffering they had experienced during one of the darkest points in Japan’s history. This means that the image that he create of a brother and sister living a failed life due to isolation from society was not an anti-war message, but a message to rile up the youngsters in Japan.
Even though Takahata Isao stated that it is not an anti-war film, the Chicago Sun-Times announced in 2000 that Grave of the Fireflies is one of the best and most powerful war films.
Even though Takahata Isao stated that it is not an anti-war film, the Chicago Sun-Times announced in 2000 that Grave of the Fireflies is one of the best and most powerful war films.
My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ Tonari no Totoro)
My Neighbor Totoro was released on 16 april 1988. It was released on the same time as that Grave of the Fireflies was released. My Neighbor Totoro was directed and written by Miyazaki Hayao and produced by Hara Toru. My Neighbor Totoro is one of Miyazaki’s best-loved films. It’s about a forest spirit, Totoro, that Mei and her sister Satsuki encounter in a giant camphor tree near their new home. Together with their father they moved to the countryside, while their mother remains hospitalized. When Mei hears that her mother’s condition may be worsening, she decides to go and visit her mother by herself. Satsuki then asks Totoro to help her find her missing little sister.
Images and themes inspired by Alice in Wonderland have been filtered through sensibilities reflecting Japan’s animist heritage and given a surreal imaginative twist that is uniquely Miyazaki. What is also unique of this film is that it’s not a story of the mother’s eventual release from the hospital and return to her family. It’s the other way around and it shows us that we can’t resolve all ‘problems’ within ninety minutes and that happiness doesn’t have to be there to make something a happy ending. |
Kiki’s Delivery Service (魔女の宅急便 Majo no Takkyūbin, lit. "Witch's Delivery Service")
Kiki’s Delivery Service released on 29 July 1989. This was the first film that Miyazaki Hayao directed, written and produced. In Kiki’s Delivery Service we get the know of the story of Kiki, who is a thirteen year old witch. It’s a tradition that when a witch turns 13, they move away from their home to spend a year in another city or town where no other witch is living. This is so that the witch can learn to be independent and practice her special skill(s). This story begins where Kiki sets of to begin her journey together with her black cat Jiji. A journey with hardships, new friends and a new environment.
There are different kind of themes being featured in the film. One theme is Kiki’s transition into adolescence. Kiki leaves her home to find a job, seek for acceptance from her peers and to be able to take care for herself. Another theme that is being implied in this film is the transition between traditional to the contemporary. It’s for witches a tradition to wear black. But Kiki also yearns for other kind of clothes. And to adorns this she put a bright and noticeable red bow in her hair. The film also let us see how Kiki uses an antique oven for an elderly lady when the modern one is broken. This way we see the traditistion between these two. During one part of the film Kiki has to deal with her self-doubts, she does this with the help of other. Kiki then learns that vulnerability isn’t always a failure but a stepping stone to grow. She learns that vulnerability can help someone to learn valuable lessons and to understand one’s self better. |
We see how Kiki loses her ability to talk with her cat, Jiji. This loss is a way to show Kiki’s growth into maturity. Were Jiji is the immature side of Kiki. This means that Kiki has matured beyond talking to her cat. In the American version a line is added which implies she is once again able to understand him. (In which we can see how Americans want to see ‘happy endings’)
Only Yesterday (おもひでぽろぽろ Omohide Poro Poro, lit. "memories come tumbling down")
Only Yesterday was released on 20 July 1991, it was directed and written by Takahata Isao and produced by Suzuki Toshio. Only Yesterday is the tale of Taeko, a single woman working a desk job in Tokyo. She takes a vacation to the countryside with the family of her sister-in-law. While she is on her vacation, Taeko looks back at her time as a young schoolgirl and growing up. The story flips back and forth between the two time periods with nostalgia and beautiful country scenery as Taeko sorts out her flashbacks and tries to make some decisions about her future.
The style of Only Yesterday is more realistic in facial muscles and expressions, then the typical Japanese character animation style. Because the facial muscles and expressions are so realistic it was decided that the dialogue was recorded first and the animators fitted the animation to the spoken dialogue. By using this technique the film was made in a more believable and realistic lip-sync and facial expressions. Since it’s a tradition in Japan to record the dialogue after the animation is completed. So this was a rare technique to combine the dialogue and animation. They did use the traditional way for Taeko’s childhood past, since this had a more typical anime style. |
Hier klikken om te bewerken.
Porco Rosso (紅の豚 Kurenai no Buta, lit. "Crimson Pig")
Porco Rosso was released on 18 July 1992. Porco Rosso is directed and written by Miyazaki Hayao and produced by Suzuki Toshio. At first Porco Rosso was planned as a 30-45 minutes in-flight movie on Japan Airlines. It had to become “a film which tired businessmen on international flights can enjoy even with their minds dulled due to lack of oxygen.” But when Miyazaki was working on this film, his imagination took off with him. Because of this Porco Rosso turned into a feature-length film about an Italian Air Force pilot, Marco, who left the service due to the rise of fascism. He becomes a bounty hunter instead and takes on the name “Porco Rosso.”
The historical and geographical settings of Porco Rosso are clearly defined and it’s a story that could have happened in the real world. The film is placed between World War I and World War II. The story takes place during the fascist era, this is shown by Italian guards who wear typical fascist uniforms (blackshirts), with different colors, in military parades. Porco is an anti-fascist and he states this by saying in one scene that he would rather be a pig than a fascist. In Porco Rosso Miyazaki gave light to the political context of the film. Miyazaki also stated that the conflicts that broke out during the film’s production (such as those in Yugoslavia, Dubrovnik, Croatia and some of the islands in which this story is based on) made Porco Rosso into a more complicated and difficult film. |