...Watch Studio Ghibli Films

There’s something to be said about watching a lot of the usual suspects at the cinema or on your television these days; they all seem to be pretty routine on the whole. Either the world is saved by the hero or the boy gets the girl – you get the gist. That’s not a criticism from me, but most of the films I watch do tend to under-whelm rather than excite or fill me with wonder. Don’t get me wrong, some gems do come along with originality and ambition; The Lord of the Rings and Inception to name a couple, among others. Maybe I’m hard to impress; maybe it’s due to my age or maybe movie studios are leaning away from unique concepts and taking less risk on story. Maybe I was just easily impressed when I was a kid…

“Baby of Mine”

Disney used to be one of those studios that took risks with darker storytelling at times.

Do you remember classic Disney? I’m talking about most things before the Lion King like Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Bambi. All of those films that you used to watch over and over again throughout your childhood that would take you on an adventure and just fill you with excitement, enchantment and even terror.

My overriding memory is how these films felt much longer than they actually were. For example, I remember Dumbo being a mammoth of a film when I was seven, only to watch it now and find that it’s a mere 64 minutes short; it still packs a punch, though. Man, when Dumbo gets rocked to sleep by a chained Mrs. Jumbo; you'd have to be an android not to well up, but I digress. 

What I'm trying to say is that when you get older, you have a different perception of what films were actually like from when you watched them as a kid. Even when I look back at my experiences throughout childhood, my memories of them feel heightened and at times they have an almost dreamlike quality – a romance to it you could say. Whereas now, having grown up (hopefully) everything just seems to be flying by at warp speed with a mundane clarity about it. Only a small amount of films stand out and fill you with those childlike feelings. 

Turning Japanese

So recently, thanks to Film4, I've been lucky enough to have found myself watching a lot of films produced by a Japanese studio known for making original and unique stories. These are films about our childhoods and the vibrant imaginations, dreams and passions of children. They are the creators behind Jonathan Ross' favourite film, Spirited Away - don't let that be a turn off (sorry Wossy!) – and My Neighbour Totoro which was the film that introduced the west to Hayao Miyazaki in the first place. They are Studio Ghibli.

For those of you who don't know, Hayao Miyazaki is often referred to as 'the Walt Disney of Japan', but he and Studio Ghibli are much more than that. They are the wizards that conjure and construct a lot of these magical stories and characters. And it is the characters that really hit a nerve with me; they are real and believable, and act just like you and I did at whatever age we were whilst growing up.

Hayao Miyazaki with some of his cast

I’ve seen a lot of films where child characters are often an afterthought, written solely to serve as a plot device for an adult protagonist or written more mature than they would be in real life. In reality, most kids can be loud, energetic, stubborn, and yes, annoying – I hope I haven't put you off having kids! It is important to note that kids can also be thoughtful, brave, happy, adventurous and carefree too. What Studio Ghibli, and in particular Miyazaki, manage to do is incorporate some of these characteristics into their protagonists, who are always children. They do this more often than any other producers of film, with great success – and I am forever indebted for it. Let me explain...

Watching a Studio Ghibli film is simple: you find your way into the movie through the main character(s) and then they go on their own journey. This could be as complex as a grand adventure to save their parents from being eaten by a witch (yes, grim!), or as simple as the trials of growing up, figuring out what to do with the rest of their life and finding love.

However, none of this would matter if we, the audience, did not care about the characters, and this is what Studio Ghibli does so well. Their protagonists are as human as any person you have ever met; with traits that you and me have in abundance; experiencing situations and emotions that we have all experienced at one point or another in our lives. This ability to make the audience empathise and, as a result, care about the character through this familiarity of our own past ‘lives’ – like our childhoods – is what makes watching a Studio Ghibli film stick with you long after you have seen it. It is possibly the factor that makes every film of theirs a success in my eyes and what many other studios and filmmakers spend less time developing.

“To-to-ro? You’re Totoro!...”

Watching a Studio Ghibli film often requires patience, initially, but slow burners – in the hands of the right people – produce the most rewarding experiences once the originality of story kicks in and the characters blossom.

My Neighbour Totoro was the first Studio Ghibli film to catch me completely off-guard – and it will remain the only! I had heard of its quality from places like IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes and from the reliable people at Empire Magazine. Still, I did not heed their praise. I actually found the protagonist Satsuki and her younger sister Mei to be a little annoying. Yet, I found myself slowly warming to the characters as the story progressed. On reflection, I think it was how their all too familiar traits took a hold of me. It was to my surprise that I actually really cared for this duo by the end of the film when something worrying (that I won’t spoil here) happened.

Satsuki, Mei and Totoro waiting for a bus. Good thing they brought their umbrellas along.

Waiting for that train

What I've discovered about all of the Studio Ghibli films that I've seen so far is that they creep up on you and surprise you. The Oscar winning Spirited Away did that to me, as did the lesser known Whisper of the Heart and Ocean Waves, along with the rest of their catalogue of films. All you have to do is get on that train and give them a chance. Chihiro (the heroine of Spirited Away) took that train; you might find it rewarding if you do as well. 

Studio Ghibli films might not be perfect; they might take a while to get into; they might even be in subtitles (which I actually prefer), but they make me remember what it was like growing up. The feeling of disappointment and shame the first time you were told off by a teacher; the sense of excitement when going on an adventure in a mythical land that you imagined and defeated the bad guys in; that first crush and the thrill and embarrassment when someone found out. Ah, yes, that felt like a lifetime ago. Now, when is that next train coming along Miyazaki-san?

Hayao Miyazaki’s eleventh and final feature film, ‘The Wind Rises’, is a fictionalised biography of the man who designed Japanese fighter planes during World War II. No release date has been confirmed for the UK but expect it later this year.