We’re slowly working our way through all the Studio Ghibli films we can get our hands on. Watching Hayao Miyazaki’s films is almost like reading an author’s entire body of work; after a while you can pinpoint all the familiar morifs and themes. Flying (airships, gliders, broomsticks, dragons, floating islands, moving castles) is a big one, as is the theme of environmental degradation caused by technological progress. This often takes on a spiritual element, as the environment is often guarded by animalistic spirits (like the boars and wolves in Princess Mononoke and the giant Ohm in Nausicaa). Boiling down the movies to such basic themes and elements do not do them justice, because first and foremost they are just great stories, peopled by nunaced, complicated characters and full of riveting conflict and ratcheting tension.
I grew up on the (so I have since learned) butchered English version of Nausicaa, called Warriors of the Wind. And while the newer version is far more faithful to the original (and includes all the scenes, thereby plugging the plot holes that confused me for years), I still have a sneaking fondness for Warriors. I have entire swathes of dialogue completely memorized from that film, most of which is internally playing right along with the new version, creating an interesting mental disconnect. I’m sad that some of my favorite lines–and most of the funny ones–are no longer there, and while the story makes more sense, I find the environmentalism somewhat heavy-handed.
Despite that, Nausicaa (in its Warriors of the Wind guise) remains one of my oldest inspirations. Post-apocalyptic scenarios, weird and wonderful worldbuilding, a strong, courageous and generous girl protagonist, nuanced villains, truly scary creatures (the Fire Demons… er… Giant Warriors never fail to give me the creeps), gliders and other flying contraptions, a story that just keeps getting bigger and bigger–if any of those appear in my work, they’ve grown from the seeds sown by those bazillion viewings during my formative years. My liking for adventurous music probably stems from that, too. In fact, Nausicaa/Warriors is like a well-known, well-loved orchestral piece that never fails to elicit the same emotional responses from me–from the way my stomach drops when Nausicaa launches off from a cliff (yikes!) to the deep-seated sorrow when her people are rounded up by the Tolmekeans to all the complex feelings at the final scenes on the shores of Acid Lake.
And Nausicaa herself is just a fantastic heroine, with her great physical and moral courage, her love and loyalty for her people, her initiative, and yes, her ability to really ride those winds on a not-at-all-safe-looking contraption.
I can tell that you really love these movies, Rabia. Is Howl’s Movable Castle part of this group? The kids like that movie, but are quick to point out the differences between the movie and the graphic novel. In the movie, yes, the environmentalism is heavy-handed.
A podcast recently featured a novelist who is openly Christian–whose stories have been criticized for not having a Christian message beaming through them. He said, and I think it’s completely true, that “agenda-driven stories generally fail.” Theme (agenda) is usually best when it’s an outgrowth of the story. Most writers get sapped when they pick a theme, then write to it. But that’s a big controversy, isn’t it? Many folks would disagree with me.
Still, it’s a lot of fun to be a fan of an artist’s work, and to indulge–even to study–that artist to your heart’s content. :)TX
Yes, there is a Studio Ghibli Moving Castle movie based *loosely* on Howl’s Moving Castle. I enjoy both the movie *and* the book, but they are *very* different from each other. It’s best not to let the expectations from one color your perspective of the other. 😀
The Warriors of the Wind version that I grew up with had a much less heavy environmental message. I also recently rewatched his Princess Mononoke, and was struck again just how nuanced the “villain” (a clearcutting, iron mining, gun-toting lady) was. Miyazaki seems to get that progress is not all bad (where else would you get all those fantastic airships? :D), but he def. has a nostalgia for the good ol’ days of deep forest and happy animals, hee.
Spirited Away and Kiki’s Delivery Service, imo, are smaller and more personal stories and do not have that heavy environmental message.
But really, all of the films are just such great adventure stories that I find it easy to ignore any preaching. 😀
Could you link to that podcast from the Christian novelist? It’s an ongoing exploration for me to figure out how faith fits into my writing. I’ve looked into some CBA books, but they do come across as agenda-driven to me. Would love to hear how other novelists deal with this issue.