My Neighbour Totoro
So yesterday evening (on my day off) I sat down and watched a DVD, that myself and Shiori failed to watch during the weekend. My Neighbour Totoro is an utterly charming, timeless and beautifully detailed movie from all round animation genius, Hayao Miyazaki.
The story revolves around two young girls, who move with their father to an apparently haunted house in rural Japan to be closer to their sick mother. What makes Totoro so charming is the warmth and benevolence from both the adult characters and the spirits that live in the giant campher tree, especially Totoro (above).
It's a film that is so sweet, but never condescending with a beautiful eye for the Japanese landscape and way of life. This film is fully recommended if you want something to warm your heart, oh and watch out for the "Cat Bus".
You can also check out this website - http://www.totoro.org/ for a fan's eye view of Totoro's world.
I first got into Miyazaki with the excellent Spirited Away which tells the story of a young girl, Chihiro who attempts to save her parents that have been turned into pigs.
Perhaps Miyazaki's great work is Mononoke Hime (Princess Mononoke) a darker epic where the beauty of nature is at odds with the advance of science and the modern world. In Mononoke, the spirits are less benevolent than Totoro and are trying to defend their land from the emotionless march of machines.
Other works by Miyazaki include Laputa, Castle in the Sky; Kiki's Delivery Service; Howl's Moving Castle; Porco Rosso and Nautica.
More information about Miyazaki can be found here -
posted by Justin Buckley @ 12:19
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