I recently re-saw “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya” in theaters due to a limited re-release in the States. Seeing it on the big screen definitely made me appreciate it's unique art-style. However, literally everything else that the film had to offer really made me take a step back and rethink what I remembered seeing in this film when I saw it for the first time years ago.
The best way I can describe this film is a beautiful mess. It presents a lot of interesting ideas and plot threads. However, it really fails to capitalize on any of them. It will also, on a whim, change drastically in pacing and tone, all at once. The ending, oh god the ending, comes so far out of left field that I thought I had accidentally started watching “Millennium Actress”. I'd buy it more if the film had stuck with the idea that everything is a fever dream, but it isn't. It seems like half way through the film, they started throwing shit against the wall and decided to roll with all the ideas.
I think that everyone should see this based solely on its visual prowess. However as a film, it is really janky and not really enjoyable pass the half-way point. So go watch this and get frustrated like the rest of us.
Enjoyment: 5.8/10
Overall: 6.0/10
