Thus, the character who despoils the natural world in the film is not a modern developer but the owner of a fortified iron forge in the midst of a primeval mountain forest. Miyazaki informs his audience that Japan was once a verdant paradise that has been eroded away by the incursion of humanity. Mist boiled up out of the valleys as if by magic the slender and delicate tree branches quivered like feathers in the wind, and in the gaps between them the sheer rock surface would show through, only to be hidden again.”2This description could have been taken directly from Princess Mononoke. He writes about the once pristine countryside: “Roads were few, and the mountains were heavily blanketed with old-growth forests. He fell in love with the country and moved there in the 1960s, but now, he sees traditional Japanese architecture and the country’s natural beauty being replaced and destroyed. In his book Lost Japan, expat American Alex Kerr discusses many issues with modern Japan. In this time- that is no time at all-Miyazaki can explore themes that are very important to the Japanese. It is a time of traditional village life but also the beginning of an industrial revolution, where an iron forge and primitive muskets are key plot elements.
The events of the movie take place during a time when humans and gods lived together. However, it is also set in a mythical time, one without a particular historical context. Like many Japanese films, it has a medieval setting: a time of samurai and monks. Viewers of these films cannot help but be captivated by their adventurous, complex plots and beautiful, hand-drawn animation but to truly appreciate them, the viewer needs to be familiar with the culture behind them.ĭespite the international success of Miyazaki’s films, one cannot get away from the “Japanese-ness” of his creations. Miyazaki uses these movies to explore Shinto, its idea of purity, humanity’s relationship with the spirit world, and modern Japan’s environmental concerns. Though the settings are somewhat disparate, the themes in both movies are quite similar. Princess Mononoke is set in a mythical, medieval past and Spirited Away in the modern present. His engaging narratives draw students into a deeper understanding of abstract concepts. Even students who claim they do not want to watch a “foreign movie” or say that anime is too childish are quickly put under Miyazaki’s spell.
However, a board full of notes and a dry, scholarly handout can often induce yawns and eye rolls, especially when you are teaching an Asian studies elective. A teacher can certainly find readings and handouts that outline the religion’s main tenets, along with pictures of shrines and torii gates.
It is a religion that is literally and figuratively foreign to the American teenager. ©2000 Miramax Film NY, LLC Studio Ghibli.Įxplaining the concept of Shinto to a high school class can be very daunting.
Despite this, they have become very popular with American audiences and can be great introductions to Japan’s unique and complex culture. The Secret World of Arriety (2010) is based on the classic children’s book by English author Mary Norton, The Borrowers and Ponyo (2008) is loosely based on the Hans Christian Anderson story “The Little Mermaid.” However, two of his most popular films, Princess Mononoke (1997) and Spirited Away (2001), are perhaps his most “Japanese” films. Two recent films from his production company, Studio Ghibli, are good examples. Often, these films can be familiar to Western audiences because Miyazaki bases many of his scripts on European sources. Over the past two decades, the Walt Disney Company has reissued English-language versions of Miyazaki’s films with the voice talents of such famous actors as Patrick Stewart, Claire Danes, and Billy Bob Thornton. 1 It also won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2003. Perhaps his most famous work, Spirited Away, is the highest-grossing domestic film in Japanese history. The films of Hayao Miyazaki are some of the most popular in Japan and the rest of the world.
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