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Film: Spirited Away
Release date: 29th March 2004
Certificate: PG
Running time: 116 mins
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Starring: Rumi Hîragi, Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki, Takashi Naitô, Yasuko Sawaguchi
Genre: Anime
Studio: Optimum
Format: DVD
Country: Japan
Studio Ghibli is a name to be reckoned with in animation. Their back catalogue is sizeable, from 1984 up until the present day it numbers seventeen films without including shorts and museum releases. The Japanese animation studio has attained a high standard of excellence and awards throughout its productions - Spirited Away is no exception. It is a film that reveals at its heart a message that love can be stronger than magic.
Chihiro is a 10-year-old girl, moving to a new home with her parents, looking sadly on a bunch of flowers given to her by the friends she is leaving. On their journey, they encounter a long tunnel, at the end of which is a mysterious town. As events unfold, the mysterious town is not all that it seems. Whilst looking around, her parents are turned into pigs after gorging themselves on the available food which has appeared despite Chihiro’s warnings.
Her situation finds her alone in the town, trapped in a spirit world with darkness approaching. A young boy Haku comes to her aid, sneaking her into the large bathhouse for spirits and gods, telling her that if she is willing to make herself useful the witch Yubaba will have to tolerate her. He takes her down to the furnaces to the six armed Kijami to work. As Chihiro goes on to explore upstairs, following a young woman she is curious about, she finds work on the upper levels preparing the baths for the customers.
During this employment, where Yubaba works her staff hard through the night, Chihiro, with Haku’s help, must somehow work out where her parents are, and how to turn them back from the pigs they have become - a somewhat notable aside from Miyazaki on capitalism.
Magic and intrigue conspire to make sure that Chihiro is always tested. In a world she is unfamiliar with, Chihiro’s core values are on trial…
Ghibli’s animation is always breathtaking, and this is no exception. The clear, identifiable style of the animation studio means that the viewer is able to tell its pedigree from the outset. To top it off, it is written and directed by Miyazaki after his pseudo retirement.
The impending sense of loneliness, which comes from a little girl alone and forced to try and survive, is filled with the sort of tenderness and stillness not often found in animation. One particularly notable scene comes from the coal creatures and Kijami. An exhausted Chihiro comes to sleep in the boiler room, where she feels comfortable, deep in the furnaces of Yubaba’s bathhouse. The six armed Kijami, in a moment of kindness, place a blanket over her, and the coal creatures remove her shoes to make her more comfortable. Even though this is such a short moment in the film, it encapsulates so much of the tenderness that the audience feels toward the character. Chihiro is in a strange land and is now having to work to stay safe. The need to feel the soothing sense of familiarity - however odd - is clearly pertinent for her.
An underlying message becomes clear as the film progresses - like many of the Ghibli films, and is encapsulated by the state of the land Yubaba inhabits. Miyazaki seems to be making a comment on pollution and the global warming occurring in the world. The customer at the bathhouse, which turns out to be a river spirit - not the stink demon they had envisaged - has become so laden with filth and garbage from river pollution that he has become unrecognisable. The cleansing process of Chihiro, removing the thorn stuck in his side, becomes somewhat illustrative of the pain and peril of the natural resources of the earth. This is shown again with the water overlapping onto the train track which leaves the bathhouse. It is inferred that much has been submerged; the train no longer comes back.
Even though there is the ability to read into the narrative issues of environmental destruction, at its heart, the film is a touching tale of a little girl trying to survive in an unfamiliar world, and finding that kindness, love and truth are universally held in high esteem. The innocence of Chihiro and the goodness and compassion which she tries to uphold sees the character able to deal with everything the spirit world throws at her.
The animation is stunning, and the visual landscape created is absolutely wondrous. For an audience who are used to animated films saturating the market with 3D and other trends, Spirited Away provides a burst of freshness. The film has so many things happening at once that it keeps the audience fully engaged in the world it has created. From thunderously large babies who must be appeased, faceless spirits and dangerous paper birds, Spirited Away is one of the most creative pieces of animation around, and richly deserving of the many awards it has acquired.
Ghibli have provided what is arguably one of their best films to date. This is a classic which seems to force Pixar and Disney’s fare to take a step back. It’s a great movie to introduce newcomers to the world of Ghibli, and an absolute essential in any film collection. DHA
Film: D'Artagnan's Daughter
Release date: 4th October 2010
Certificate: 15
Running time: 125 mins
Director: Bertrand Tavernier
Starring: Sophie Marceau, Philippe Noiret, Claude Rich, Sami Frey, Jean-Luc Bideau
Genre: Action/Adventure/Comedy
Studio: Second Sight
Format: DVD
Country: France
The words “I shall avenge you” conjure up images of Star Trek, or Dr Lazarus in Galaxy Quest who is farcically tormented by that phrase. Its inclusion at the start of D’Artagnan’s Daughter sets the tone for this luscious period romp through the French countryside. Dumas’ Musketeers ride out again in this adventure. Although their breeches are somewhat straining at the seams these much loved characters of literature are as endearing as their previous incarnations. This time though they have an addition to their number.
The story revolves round Eloise, a young girl living at a convent. She has been left there to be raised by nuns whilst her father D’Artagnan is in service to the King of France.
The convent is disturbed one night by a search party pursuing a runaway slave. The search for him by his pursuers leads to the Mother Superior being killed trying to protect him. Eloise (Marceau) vowing to avenge her death finds a smudged document in the old nun’s personal things. Believing it to be highly important, as lives have been lost for its procurement, she must leave the safety of the convent and find her father the famous D’Artagnan (Noiret). She intends to present him with the paper believing him still to be in service to the young King Louis XIV, and therefore able to help her.
Can Eloise find D’Artagnan and reunite Aramis, Athos and Porthos to save the day and decipher the stained paper?
The film delivers on many levels. Fans of the modern day Hollywood pirate will love it; those who love traditional action romps will also adore it. The script doesn’t take itself too seriously, and instead focuses on delivering story and fun. This isn’t ‘carry on’, though; instead it echoes the balance of early Bond films, with action front and centre followed by entertainment, plot twists and turns. Many little humorous moments are asides, like D’Artagnan’s conversation at the side of the grave of his deceased friend - when he realises he was sitting on his friends head! The audience is in safe hands with Tavernier, the film feels warm and familiar.
Tavernier indulges his audience with long shots of sweeping French landscapes, galloping horses, picturesque castles, heavily wooded glades and beautifully imagined French towns. It is a sumptuous production which is aged only by camera technology rather than production. The cinematography is a joy, and there is a real sense of action and escapism in the film which comes in part from the pace with which Tavernier sets it. The sound of thunderous galloping hooves sets an audible rhythm to the piece, usually closing or opening scenes without a hint of Monty Python.
The costumes, which have such an integral role in any period piece, are also exceptional. Full skirts, which are allowed to become muddied in street fights; and the Musketeers faded breeches and belts, which have seen better times. The villainous woman in red, her role centred on her red costume, frequently enters the scene laden in sumptuous fabric, her menacing appearance seemingly every bit as essential as her dialogue.
The Musketeers are past their glory days, although inexplicably older than they should be. For fans of the original films, seeing the older Musketeers may be something of a wondrous return, but it doesn’t actually deliver all that it could. The physical prowess of the Musketeers may have waned, and certainly much is made of that fact, but their exploits seem hampered often by an overly complicated plot which does not need half of the villainous characters it portrays - the spoilt teenage Louis XIV, quick-witted; sinister Cardinal Mazerin; slave dealer Crassac; and the devious woman in red. Along with these primary villains, there are secondary villainous characters that seem to muddy the waters, and create a somewhat farcical atmosphere of chaos and slapstick. It could be argued that these characters could be halved without very much impact on the narrative, and would in fact aid the audience comprehension.
The father /daughter dynamic between Eloise and D’Artagnan is tricky, and although played well, specifically by Noiret, who shows his experience through the affability he creates, it often leaves an audience wanting some semblance of development or affection between the characters. Although she has been in a convent for most of her life, and Noiret and Marceau play their disagreements with conviction, there seems to be a lack of believability between the two characters, which is a real shame.
Marceau’s depiction of a wide eyed Eloise - although perhaps some might argue she is slightly too old for the role - is delightful. She brings energy to the character. It is well known that Marceau did most of her own stunts in the role, training in swordplay for two months prior to the movie shoot. This could go some way to explain why her rambunctious, cavalier demeanour as Eloise works so well.
The pace of the film often builds up to fight scenes, which don’t seem to have any real bite. This is possibly due to very similar fights, and also the older cast playing the Musketeers. The high energy exertions which are required for believable fight scenes are not matched by these Musketeers echoing their supposed younger days. It is almost impossible to see these men as the canny, heroic, unbelievably dexterous men of Dumas’ books, even twenty years later. Viewers have two choices; to either let this issue glide off them and enjoy the frivolity of the whole film, or get annoyed by the disappointment of these faded idols.
Despite its shortcomings, this is still great fun. It’s a film which will happily reside in any collection and will only benefit from countless viewings. It is a genuine joy, which doesn’t take itself too seriously - a perfect antidote to Hollywood’s on-going love affair with pirates. DHA
Series: Bleach: Series 05: Part 02
Release date: 1st November 2010
Certificate: 15
Running time: 199 mins
Director: Noriyuki Abe
Starring: Johnny Yong Bosch, Masakazu Morita, Fumiko Orikasa, Yuki Matsuoka
Genre: Anime
Studio: Manga
Format: DVD
Country: Japan
Bleach has long been considered a huge success in manga entertainment. The franchise which grew out of a publication in the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in 2001 has now expanded to encompassing volumes of graphic novels, an animated series, video games, seven rock musicals, three films and two video animations. The series of Bleach is now on its 47th volume and has produced 293 episodes over fourteen seasons. Cartoon Network’s airing of Bleach brought the show to a whole new audience around the world.
Bleach chronicles the adventures of teenage boy Ichigo Kurosaki who accidentally obtains the powers of a Soul Reaper, which are similar to that of the grim reaper. His new role means, along with being an average teenager, he must now save humans from evil spirits (hollows) and help the deceased pass through to the afterlife. He joins the ranks of other Soul Reapers who regularly fight evil spirits that put humankind in danger.
Series 5, subtitled ‘The Assault’, focuses on the invasion of the Soul Society - home of the Soul Reapers - by the Bount, vampire-like soul sucking humans that consume souls to extend their lives. The powerful Bount have arrived at the gates ready to destroy the Soul Reapers. Armed with their fearsome ‘dolls’, and powerful from gorging on souls, they present a worrying challenge. The battle must commence between the two groups, and the duels will last for the whole season. The question is will the Soul Reapers’ Zanpakuto swords give them the power to overcome these fearsome foes, or will the Bounts be victorious and destroy the Soul Society?
Bleach utilises many different influences, from classical literature to architecture and rock music. The world of the Soul Reapers becomes a battleground in this series, and the staging of each of these duels is a juxtaposition of classic and modern Japanese architecture. With so much of the action being focused around these individual battles, the visual landscape which surrounds them often pales in comparison to the action. But the landscape proves an important part of creating the atmosphere of the show.
The characters of Bounts and Soul Reapers create an interesting dynamic. The Bounts as vampiric soul eating humans speaks to the current media trends. The prevalence toward vampire narratives in entertainment like Twilight, Vampire Diaries, etc., is illustrative of the resurgence in popularity of this idea. The inclusion of a vampiric element in these episodes will no doubt quench the thirst of any monster lovers in the audience.
The characters are quite formulaic for anime, with the season firmly focused on battles and less on character development or an overarching narrative - the show has a good pace but there is nothing new brought to the characters. The character of Ichigo again has to deal with the constant pressure of taking on the role of Soul Reaper as a teenage boy. As his acquiring of the skills was accidental, the pressure upon him to protect the Soul Society and try and live up to his role as a Soul Reaper is dealt with again - although rather unsuccessfully - here.
The comedic escape is brought through the modified souls. The modified souls were created by the Soul Society in an experiment to reanimate dead bodies. With the moral ramifications of this being so pertinent they were destroyed - apart from four, who were housed in plushies along with their powers. The plushies are literally odd looking plush toys which are able to talk and move. The modified souls can move outside of these forms. The most prevalent of them is Kon the lion. As a character, its role is a welcome distraction from the sometimes overbearing fight scenes. Kon and the other modified souls are often found in their plushie form on the soul reapers shoulders. They are the voices of humour. They often criticise their soul reapers and make jokes at their expense, adding a welcome sense of humour to the seriousness of the reapers and the drama of the season.
The show has four pieces of theme music which change as the season progresses. The music is extremely catchy, and changes from very upbeat pop music to Japanese punk rock. The idea of this is unsurprising as the show has spawned many soundtrack albums and seven musicals. The show has also been used previously as a vehicle to showcase new music and bands. The use of such a wide variety of upbeat catchy music instantly draws the audience in by allowing them to sing-along with riotously upbeat music, often in direct juxtaposition to the action of the show.
This second instalment of series five sees Bleach move into a different direction. The formulaic coming of age narrative has been replaced by a duel orientated war between the Soul Reapers and Bounts. Occasionally, this becomes too overbearing, and often the rest of the story comes second to the duels. This is a shame because there is a lot of very interesting plot devices used in the show. Many of the character’s dolls and zanpakuto swords draw on Japanese history and myths which goes unaddressed often at the expense of any real cohesive narrative.
Bleach - Series 5: Part 2 continues to chronicle the long battle. Those with a penchant for Dragonball Z and other fight based anime won’t be disappointed, but it’s pretty hard going for newcomers and those looking for a decent story. DHA
Film: Hinokio: Inter Galactic Love
Running time: 111 mins
Director: Takahiko Akiyama
Starring: Masatoshi Nakamura, Kanata Hongo, Mikako Tabe
Genre: Sci-Fi/Drama
Country: Japan
Not released in the UK.
With the recent success of Mostow’s Surrogates, and the unparalleled reception of Cameron’s Avatar, the concept of a surrogate existence outside of a human form has been reintroduced cinematically to a Western audience. Prior to this, in 2005, Akiyama released Hinokio, a farsighted film which posed the apt question: can you live your life through technology?
Satoru is an isolated 11-year-old boy. Confined to a wheelchair after a serious car crash, which killed his mother, he refuses to leave his room. His father, a robotics manufacturer, creates for him a robot, which he can control and communicate through via a station in his room. The purpose of this robot is that Satoru might go to school again and have some semblance of a life - albeit through robotic lenses.
As Satoru (Hongo) starts piloting his new robot - nicknamed by his fellow students ‘Hinokio’ due to the Hinoki cyprus wood which makes up part of its structure, and the similarity of the circumstances to Pinocchio - he soon begins to make friends in unusual ways, and experience life again through the safety and distance of the robot, even interacting - even if bitterly - with his father Kaoru (Nakamura), whom he hasn’t spoken to since his mother’s death a year previously.
As the film progresses, and love blossoms with tomboy Jun, Satoru must decide if his motives for remaining hidden behind the robot are valid or if they are driven by fear…
Hinokio was Akiyama’s directorial debut, with his career up to this point spent as a visual art director for well known richly visual work like Final Fantasy. His previous award-winning experience in visual effects served him well, as Hinokio benefits enormously from his eye for detail. Being both screenwriter and director it is understandable that Akiyama’s grounding in visual, and primarily computer game graphics would be part of the movie. The subplot of the movie is the effect of the mysterious, all consuming role play video game Purgatory, which simultaneously adds and detracts from the film. Its addition gives well thought out sequences of graphics, yet, at the same time, detracts from an insightful and poignant story with unnecessary plot convolutions. It seemed as if Akiyama’s use of the game was a way to add action into a film that didn’t need it.
The direction, though, is creative and inspired. Akiyama’s use of Hinokio’s perspective throughout portions of his scenes brings the audience a more intimate view of Saturo’s life. Shooting through a fish-eye lens to give the view through the robot’s eyes takes the viewer out of the filmic moment and instead into a computer simulation. The lenses give a considerably more vibrant colour than the ‘real’ world outside of them. The contrast when the camera goes back to the wide shot is enhanced by the grey tones which are utilised. Akiyama’s direction focuses very much on point of view shots of Saturo and Hinokio, often positioning cameras behind the robot and over-the-shoulder to allow an enhanced awareness of the reaction of his fellow pupils, or a perspective on the physical difference between Hinokio and its classmates.
Visually the cinematography is exceptional, creating overwhelmingly complicated and rewarding shot sequences and making use of captivating light. There is one particularly beautiful scene between Hinokio and Saturo’s father who has come to fix him. The poignant scene as Saturo speaks of his feelings to his father through Hinokio for the first time in a year takes place in front of a burning sunset, which moves, systematically obscuring and revealing the characters causing them to be illuminated with the dying light.
The sound of the film is split between the upbeat pop songs which accompany Hinokio’s escapades and the stark diagetic sound which accompanies forays into Saturo’s home. His wheelchair moving, the sound of typing and the fridge opening is often the only sound which accompanies the deafening silence. Choosing not to speak, his messages to his father are relayed in notes he leaves outside of the door, despite Kaoru imploring Saturo to communicate with him. The contrast between the two different uses of sound contrasts well - it emphasises the imposed solitude Saturo has chosen for himself, and the joy of his new friendships as he uses Hinokio.
The performances are well considered. With such a young cast there is often a tendency to overact yet they are very restrained. Hongo’s performance of the often expressionless Saturo is captivating. It is possible to feel the hopelessness of the character that has imposed his own hikikomori in his bedroom. A special mention must be given to Nakamura, whose depiction of Kaoru - the father unable to break his son’s isolated captivity - is superb.
Released a year after Facebook, a year after the current prolific incarnation of World Of Warcraft, and two years after Second Life, the film taps into an audience who are already utilising their own avatars in their technological lives. The repeated mention of ‘Purgatory’, and its drug like influence on some of the children who disappear for days to play it, and the references to the suspension of the soul both in the game and outside of it, points to a larger message Akiyama is relaying.
Hinokio, although aimed at children and young people, raises a point which is applicable to all watchers, even with the advances in technology - there is no substitute for human interaction. Conversely it took a robot to fully emphasise the power of humanity.
It is hard to believe Hinokio is Akiyama’s directorial debut. It is a beautiful, poignantly executed work which celebrates life as much as it deals with death. A story which is full of heart, even if it is robotic. DHA
