Reviews

Jun 27, 2020
Still a total masterpiece. It feels so old but it’s so well made. It has a simple story of confidence and resistance all wrapped in the connection to the world we go through. The world-building is so realistic and purposeful. The way how they interact with the worlds of humans, forest and spirits is super effective and immersive. It creates a memorable environment that flows to the narrative in such a great way. The characters are absolutely perfect and the growth they go through is really wonderful. Miyazaki’s appreciation of the unclouded judgement of children is exemplified well here, and it feels definitely like a practice to what would happen in Spirited Away. They’re both sensitive young girls who have to trust but at the same time still fear the world they move into. Combined with their mother’s illness it’s a challenging world in both their concern but it’s so empowering and heartwarming to see them surpass it and live in these times. I relate a lot to Satsuki in how she seeks to survive and support the lives of her family in her mother’s absence. And her sense of control is quite strong but the fragility underneath is very believable and beautiful. The spiritual aspects of this film is fantastic in how they’re used. The build up with Totoro’s influence and how the characters grow is perfectly balanced. Their trust of connecting and appreciation of the world they live is payed off in a beautiful poetic way. With Satsuki giving Totoro the umbrella paying off with him helping her find Mei in the end. It’s such an interesting world but it’s such a great message of confidence and hope. The ways that the actual spirits are portrayed is also really cool. With only the girls seeing them at select times and subtle hints that everyone has seen them before strengthens the belief that they are in fact real. The adult’s belief in spiritual is also really cool. In other films adults may brush off and say that they aren’t real but in this film everyone wants to connect and feel safe in this world so they wouldn’t they deny it. And Totoro’s design is so perfectly cute and weird. A character that would only ever make sense in animation or else it would look terrifying. And the little ones are adorable. I watched the Japanese dub and honestly, it’s kind of rubbish? Like especially with the Dad and Nanny, they can’t really quite capture a certain suspense for the moment and it feels super weird. In the English one they have great personality and emotional nuances that also feel real and it’s epic. Also the joke where Satsuki just says she drew Mei as a crab wasn’t in the original and it’s a bit bland in the Japanese version. But yeah this movie is perfect and I love it dearly.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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