Talking About Stuff, with Mike and Christiana

The reason I got a late start on my Oscar-cast last night was because I had a friend over and we had a Miyazaki movie marathon with: The Castle of Cagliostro, Porco Rosso, and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

If you're not yet familiar with Hayao Miyazaki, then I think you're in for a treat. Some have called him the Japanese Disney, but I think a more apt moniker would be the Japanese Pixar. Everything I have seen from him, I have absolutely loved.

If anime brings to mind images of Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh, then you really owe it to yourself to have a look at some Miyazaki. Pokémon is cheap, mass-produced anime. A Miyazaki film is a work of art. Think of it like this: Pokémon is a cheeseburger at McDonalds, A Miyazaki film is a great steak. In theory, they both come from a cow, but the difference in taste and presentation is immense.

The three films listed above are some of his older work, and as such, some of the animation is a little less sophisticated than the more recent films, but the stories are just as magical.

The Castle of Cagliostro

This is the very first full-length film that Mr. Miyazaki directed. He had done some television work before this, but even with his very first film, he achieves tremendous success. It features an adventure of the famous Lupin III, a classic Japanese Manga character. If you already know who Lupin III is, then you probably already know about Miyazaki as well, so I'll write this review as a primer for the uninitiated.

Lupin is like James Bond's id. His playful, impulsive side, freed from all that stuffy, old-fashioned patriotism and thus allowed to use his considerable skills for things that are more fun, like stealing expensive things, hitting on beautiful women, and generally having a really good time.

In this film, he decides to seek out the origin of the famous "goat bills", counterfeit money that is supposedly 'better than the originals.' This particular adventure will lead to evil Counts, giant castles, a runaway bride, ancient conspiracies, lost treasures, booby traps, impersonations, ninjas and eating to the point of unconsciousness.

It's loads of fun, with some real drama but without ever really taking itself too seriously. I came to it new, without really knowing anything about Lupin or his friends and adversaries, and the movie introduced me to each of them brilliantly and I was never confused for a second. That said, my friend, who is a Lupin fan, informed me that the film is literally filled with in jokes and little bonuses for long-time fans.

One early scene captures a lot of the fun: Lupin and his long-time friend Jigen are pulled over on the side of the road, changing the tire of their tiny Eastern-European car. It's a serene picture, until they hear the sound of an approaching car. Soon, a car races by them at high speed, driven by a woman in a bridal gown. Only seconds later, another car zips by, in hot pursuit, driven by a number of armed thugs.

Without wasting a second, (and indeed, barely allowing Jigen time to get back into the car,) Lupin presses a hidden switch, opening a secret panel in the back of the car, revealing a souped up engine. They take off like a shot, going after the two cars.

"Which one are we helping?" asks Jigen.
"The girl," says Lupin with a maniacal grin.
"Hmph... Typical," grumps Jigen.

The Castle of Cagliostro is available on DVD.

Porco Rosso

This is probably the most mature and sophisticated of Miyazaki's films. I mean that thematically, not in terms of content. Porco Rosso tells the story of a seaplane WWI-style flying ace who was the sole survivor of a doomed military unit. Since then, he's had the feeling that he's meant to be alone, on the outside of life. This makes him wary of getting too close to people, even when it's what he really wants. Oh, and for reasons never made explicit, he was cursed by a magic spell to have the head of a pig, thus the title, which translates as "Red Pig".

It sounds bizarre, and, well, it is kinda. But Marco, aka, "Porco" is a gruff, but likeable loner, and you really root for him. Both that he is able to defeat his romantic and flying rival, Curtis, and that he is able to come out of his shell and finally court the woman he loves from afar. Along for the ride is Fio, a plucky teenage girl who happens to be a top-notch airplane engineer.

The story is sweet, bittersweet actually. When Fio asks for the story of how he became a pig, he doesn't quite comply, telling a different story instead, but a truly touching one with some wonderful visuals. Likewise, the film also has some really exciting arial dogfights; complex, but comprehensible in a way only animation is really capable of. The climactic fight is simultaneously tense and funny and the film is incredible. Bittersweet, but hopeful.

Porco Rosso is available on DVD.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

Nausicaä starts small. An old man in a strange outfit that includes a gas mask is exploring the ruins of a town that has been overgrown by odd, alien-looking spores. We learn that thousands of years ago, the human industrial civilization has collapsed, and "The Sea of Decay" has spread over much of the world, an entire alien ecosystem that produces clouds of toxic gas, rendering entire regions uninhabitable by humans.

Next, we meet a teenage girl, wearing a similar mask, collecting samples from a vast alien jungle populated by giant insects and bizarre plants. She's cautious, but not fearful, talking to the creatures she finds there as though they can understand her, and taking time to appreciate the alien beauty of the place.

She hears a gunshot in the distance and knows immediately that it means trouble. The insects don't tolerate human violence in their territory. She leaps onto a one-person jet-powered glider and soars off towards the noise. It's the man from the opening, and he's being pursued by an Ohmu, a tremendous alien insect thing the size of a five-story building.

The story grows from there, getting bigger and bigger until it encompasses a vast war featuring many human nations and armies of thousands. It's fantastic science fiction, with rich interesting aliens, cultures, technology, etc.

But it's also the story of a girl, Nausicaä, the princess of her valley. She instinctively knows that there has to be more to the insects and the spores. When soldiers invade, intent on burning away the Sea of Decay, she knows that it's a mistake. Every time it has been tried, the attempt failed, and the retribution from swarms of Ohmus was terrible and killed millions. That won't happen this time, they say, they have a secret weapon.

The film follows Nausicaä as she tries to protect her valley, to avert a war, to save all civilization from its own mistakes. She's a fantastic character. Tough, capable, brave, but without sacrificing femininity or emotion. One of the things that Miyazaki is incredibly good at is writing extremely strong female protagonists. Many of the other characters are really cool as well. The film is grand in scope without losing sight of character or detail. A scene near the climax with Nausicaä and a baby Ohmu is enormously powerful.

I wish I could write like this.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is available on DVD.

And don't forget all the other wonderful Miyazaki films!
My Neighbor Totoro, also on DVD
Kiki's Delivery Service, also on DVD
Castle in the Sky, also on DVD
Princess Mononoke, also on DVD (this is the only one that might warrant a caution, it's different in a lot of ways, dealing with a lot of animal spirits. Still good, just unusual.)
and Spirited Away, last year's Oscar-winning Best Animated Feature, also on DVD

Pick up any of these and you won't be disappointed.