So a lover of mine recently suggested that I should really look into watching the work of Hayao Miyazaki. If you havent heard of him, you should have because he just might be the voice of this generation and the ones to come. To say that his work is magical is selling him short, upon a first viewing of any of his animated films, one thing is evident – Miyazaki is talented beyond compare. Drawing upon influences from renowned authors like Ursula K. Le Guin (Earthsea) and Lewis Caroll (Alice in Wonderland). He promotes themes of anti war, environmentalism, breaking down the class system and feminism, which is prominent in almost all of his films. The movie I got to see (the rest of them are queued up) was titled “Laputa : Castle in the Sky”. It follow the orphan heroine Sheeta who is from a magical kingdom in the sky and in a drastic turn of events, her descent to earth pairs her up with another orphan, our hero Pazu. Together they are out to seek the magical kingdom, a quest that comes at the risk of being hunted by sinister men and women who want the power that lies within the flying kingdom of Laputa. The 1986 film entails everything from flying aircrafts, to powerful crystals, to lore and fantasy and even a robot that is supposed to protect the kingdom of Laputa. While it is hard to really define any of Miyazaki’s work, it is absolutely important to understand that he is foremost a storyteller. His amazing talent renders a vast canvas that encapsulates themes and stories that bear importance to our present day lives and teach us lessons that we have long forgotten. He accomplishes all of this without coming off as pretentious or overbearing. His newest U.S. release is titled Ponyo and if you havent checked out the trailer here it is with the trailer for Laputa at the bottom. Follow some of his other titles online and he is bound to impress you. More reviews to follow as I watch the rest in the Miyazaki series.
and this amazing work of charming innocence
Nel
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