When Studio Ghibli comes up in conversation, it is inevitably co-founder Hayao Miyazaki who dominates the talk. For good reason: he’s made more movies than any other director at the studio, and his films have helped change the face of animation. That said, while another Ghibli co-founder, Isao Takahata 高畑勲, is less prolific, his films are no less effective. Takahata’s #GraveoftheFireflies, which officially launched Ghibli along with Miyazaki’s My Neighbor Totoro, is a testament to the power of animation as a straight narrative form, free of genre-based embellishments. Films like Only Yesterday, My Neighbors the Yamadas, and Pom Poko tell stories of modern Japan that are unlike any other animation director’s work. For his latest film, however, #TheTaleofPrincessKaguya, Takahata has gone back to ancient Japanese folklore. The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter is the inspiration for this film. The Tale of Princess Kaguya was originally meant to open alongside Miyazaki’s 風立ちぬ / The Wind Rises earlier this year, but was delayed to a fall/winter release. It will open on November 23 in Japan; a US date has not been set.
Posted on: Thu, 24 Oct 2013 14:50:03 +0000