Film ReviewsThe Tale Of Princess Kaguya: Ink Flutters Into Art
Dec 16, 2014, Anchorage Press
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Drawing starts with a line, any line. After the first line come others, thick or thin, shabby or clean, dark or light, slowly they build images and shapes on the page, or in this case, on the screen. Under the direction of Isao Takahata, lines and color emerge to deliver Japan's familiar folktale, The Tale of Princess Kaguya.
At the age of 79, Isao Takahata's successful career has established him as a master of animation. Takahata is one of the founders of Studio Ghibli along with Hayao Miyazaki. Studio Ghibli, founded in the mid-1980s, has set the standard for animation films coming out of Japan that are complex compositions of human expressions, stories and the art of drawing. Viewers may be familiar with Studio Ghibli productions like The Wind Rises, Howl's Moving Castle, or Grave of the Fireflies. The Tale of Princess Kaguya is undoubtedly another bright star in the Ghibli constellation.
The Tale of Princess Kaguya is a retelling of a tenth century Japanese myth about a bamboo cutter who finds a small girl in a golden bamboo stalk. He takes the child home and he and his wife raise the child as their own. The child grows rapidly, like bamboo, and becomes a beautiful and mysterious young woman. She is named Princess Kaguya, which means "shinning light". As the young woman matures, suitors come calling, stories about her beauty spread throughout the land, and her circumstances change. The Tale of Princess Kaguya may sound like a fairytale, but it is much more. Princess Kaguya is far too complex and multidimensional to compare to a fairy tale princess; viewers discover along with her who she is, where she came from and the weight of destiny. In the process, Princess Kaguya must accept that there parameters to her existence and the consequences these bring. The tale of Princess Kaguya has been told through the centuries in all kinds of forms, from storybooks, and songs, to animation. Viewers can see multiple variations of the story on YouTube, including Hello Kitty's version called Bamboo Princess. What makes Takahata's The Tale of Princess Kaguya different and amazing is that he tells the story well, and his experience mastering animation styles dating back to the 1960s pays off in the integrity of the artistic process that is perfectly balanced for viewers. Viewers may find parallels with emaki-mono or emaki. Emaki are horizontal, Japanese picture scrolls that are read by exposing an arms-length of the scroll at a time, from right to left. Like emaki, The Tale of Princess Kaguya rolls out before the viewer. At times, images of the princess running move fast through sketchy lines that pulsate, like a scroll quickly unrolled; at other times the scenes have a watercolor texture and the viewer simply pans the frame to spot that one moving element that guides him or her through to the next scene.
Isao Takahata was inspired to pursue animation after seeing the 1952 French adaptation of The Curious Adventures of Mr. Wonderbird ( La Bergère et le Ramoneur original French title), by Paul Grimault. Grimault adapted Hans Christian Anderson's tale about a chimney sweep and his lover who are helped to escape a dictator by a quick-witted bird. It was this film that showed Takahata the breadth of human emotion that could be expressed through animation. In an age where movie previews give away all the good parts, and where art often has to explain itself, The Tale of Princess Kaguya relies on showing rather than telling. Takahata gives the characters deep expressions at just the right moments but also creates stillness throughout the film that allows viewers to appreciate the beauty of the images while letting their imagination fly. Albert Einstein said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand"-and, there is a lot to understand in The Tale of Princess Kaguya. The character of Princess Kaguya as Takahata conceives her is rebellious and filled with a deep sense of joy even in the face of a tragic realization. The level of understanding that the character possesses is humbling and regal. The film is over two hours long, but the character development and treatment of overlapping human elements and emotions make it seem much shorter. Sound and images, cacophony and melodies, silence and ruckus, all work together to engage the viewer in a perfect pace.
The Tale of Princess Kaguya is Takahata's first film in 14 years. Takahata told David Poland of the web interview program DP/30 that he would like to do many more things including writing books, other projects, and perhaps another film. He said in order to make films one needs physical health, mental health and the financial resources. Viewers who have followed Takahata's work and even viewers who may only see The Tale of Princess Kaguya will wish that these elements, like stars, align at least one more time for Isao Takahata.
The Tale of Princess Kaguya shows at Bear Tooth on December 19.
At the age of 79, Isao Takahata's successful career has established him as a master of animation. Takahata is one of the founders of Studio Ghibli along with Hayao Miyazaki. Studio Ghibli, founded in the mid-1980s, has set the standard for animation films coming out of Japan that are complex compositions of human expressions, stories and the art of drawing. Viewers may be familiar with Studio Ghibli productions like The Wind Rises, Howl's Moving Castle, or Grave of the Fireflies. The Tale of Princess Kaguya is undoubtedly another bright star in the Ghibli constellation.
The Tale of Princess Kaguya is a retelling of a tenth century Japanese myth about a bamboo cutter who finds a small girl in a golden bamboo stalk. He takes the child home and he and his wife raise the child as their own. The child grows rapidly, like bamboo, and becomes a beautiful and mysterious young woman. She is named Princess Kaguya, which means "shinning light". As the young woman matures, suitors come calling, stories about her beauty spread throughout the land, and her circumstances change. The Tale of Princess Kaguya may sound like a fairytale, but it is much more. Princess Kaguya is far too complex and multidimensional to compare to a fairy tale princess; viewers discover along with her who she is, where she came from and the weight of destiny. In the process, Princess Kaguya must accept that there parameters to her existence and the consequences these bring. The tale of Princess Kaguya has been told through the centuries in all kinds of forms, from storybooks, and songs, to animation. Viewers can see multiple variations of the story on YouTube, including Hello Kitty's version called Bamboo Princess. What makes Takahata's The Tale of Princess Kaguya different and amazing is that he tells the story well, and his experience mastering animation styles dating back to the 1960s pays off in the integrity of the artistic process that is perfectly balanced for viewers. Viewers may find parallels with emaki-mono or emaki. Emaki are horizontal, Japanese picture scrolls that are read by exposing an arms-length of the scroll at a time, from right to left. Like emaki, The Tale of Princess Kaguya rolls out before the viewer. At times, images of the princess running move fast through sketchy lines that pulsate, like a scroll quickly unrolled; at other times the scenes have a watercolor texture and the viewer simply pans the frame to spot that one moving element that guides him or her through to the next scene.
Isao Takahata was inspired to pursue animation after seeing the 1952 French adaptation of The Curious Adventures of Mr. Wonderbird ( La Bergère et le Ramoneur original French title), by Paul Grimault. Grimault adapted Hans Christian Anderson's tale about a chimney sweep and his lover who are helped to escape a dictator by a quick-witted bird. It was this film that showed Takahata the breadth of human emotion that could be expressed through animation. In an age where movie previews give away all the good parts, and where art often has to explain itself, The Tale of Princess Kaguya relies on showing rather than telling. Takahata gives the characters deep expressions at just the right moments but also creates stillness throughout the film that allows viewers to appreciate the beauty of the images while letting their imagination fly. Albert Einstein said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand"-and, there is a lot to understand in The Tale of Princess Kaguya. The character of Princess Kaguya as Takahata conceives her is rebellious and filled with a deep sense of joy even in the face of a tragic realization. The level of understanding that the character possesses is humbling and regal. The film is over two hours long, but the character development and treatment of overlapping human elements and emotions make it seem much shorter. Sound and images, cacophony and melodies, silence and ruckus, all work together to engage the viewer in a perfect pace.
The Tale of Princess Kaguya is Takahata's first film in 14 years. Takahata told David Poland of the web interview program DP/30 that he would like to do many more things including writing books, other projects, and perhaps another film. He said in order to make films one needs physical health, mental health and the financial resources. Viewers who have followed Takahata's work and even viewers who may only see The Tale of Princess Kaguya will wish that these elements, like stars, align at least one more time for Isao Takahata.
The Tale of Princess Kaguya shows at Bear Tooth on December 19.