An insight into the ‘wonderful encounters’ of animation and why you should make the time to binge all the Studio Ghibli films you can during quarantine.
By Madeline Brown.
11 views
It is a rare occasion in life to find a single word that can perfectly compress and articulate an entire experience within as few syllables as possible. However, there is one I have discovered recently, the Swedish noun smultronställe. It means ‘a place of wild strawberries’ but it figuratively refers to a special or favourite space; one that is personally treasured and returned to for solace and peace of mind. Today I wish to share with you my smultronställe, and that is the enchanting work of Hayao Miyazaki, better known as the world-renowned master storyteller and leading director of the animation powerhouse Studio Ghibli.
Officially founded in 1985, Tokyo-based Studio Ghibli has been making waves in the entertainment industry for decades. The name ‘Ghibli’ is rooted in an Arabic phrase meaning hot desert wind, and is based on the idea that the studio would “blow a new wind through the anime industry.” Five of their greatest films received Academy Award nominations and the soaring fantasy of Spirited Away won a Golden Bear and an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film. As such, leading directors Hayao Miyazaki and the late Isao Takahata have the international acclaim to solidify their legendary status in the world of animation. Even if you have never before experienced their visionary work, you will almost certainly have felt their influence in the production of a number of beloved Disney and Pixar films, whose senior animators and directors have credited Studio Ghibli as being a source of ‘divine’ inspiration. To cite another high-profile example, director James Cameron’s epic science fiction film Avatar has elicited numerous comparisons with the work of Miyazaki and his reverence for the natural beauty to be found within the mundane, the alien, and the unusual.
Whilst the reach and influence of Studio Ghibli may sound impressive, their cinematic visions remain extraordinary and unique. This is achieved through the complex process of pre-production ‘world-building’ which focuses on creating in-depth magical narratives which have enough grounding in the real world to feel tangible yet, through imaginative plot twists and illusions, allow us to also suspend our belief and completely immerse ourselves in a gripping adventure.
The stem of the modern word animation arose from the Latin ‘animātiō’ – which means ‘a bestowing of life’ – and the mythology that the goddess Aphrodite once brought a stone sculpture to life, inspired by the wishes of the sculptor himself. The same sense of magic, mystery, and transformation still applies to contemporary animation, and none more so than the work of Hayao Miyazaki. Every single one of his animated features is created from years of careful planning, screenwriting, and hand painted concept art; it is no mistake that Miyazaki always does everything by hand, even when using a computer. This is based on his belief that the act of creating art and animation is an act of promoting harmony between human beings, not automatons.
Personally, I find all Studio Ghibli films to be incredibly relaxing due to their simple yet whimsical premise and the zen-like-minimalism of the animation style. One can delight in ridiculously minute details which create a sense of domestic familiarity, and the absolutely breathtaking and original orchestral soundtracks which accompany each film (the soft piano and woodwind tunes which are proven to help with studying and sleeping.) A Studio Ghibli film is, in all simplicity, just a visually cleansing and soothing experience, and an excellent break from the mainstream CGI and fast paced action of Hollywood.
If that isn’t enough to convince you then two of Studio Ghibli’s most appealing qualities are their pacifist approach to war and violence, and their prioritisation of women in the film industry; a precedent they have set since the 1980’s that other animation studios, let alone fellow film companies, have been lamentably slow to follow.
The heroines of Studio Ghibli films are shown to be complex characters, capable of being endearing, difficult, joyful, stubborn, and heroic, without conforming to any of the two-dimensional stereotypes most female cartoons seem to follow. They grapple directly with the struggles and adversities of life, in what is often portrayed as a coming of age film: Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989), Only Yesterday (1991) and From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)to name just a few. Speaking of his habit of drafting female heroes, Miyazaki once said:
‘they’ll need a friend, or a supporter, but never a saviour.’
These victories are rarely achieved alone and the young protagonists, who all demonstrate the common virtues of respect, responsibility, courtesy, and courage, are supported by a range of trustworthy friends and companions, with whom they share in their triumphs. Some of the best Ghibli films also feature some pretty high-profile actors for the voice overs such as Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, and Emily Blunt to name a few, whilst the 2013 fan favourite The Wind Risesfeatures an all-star cast.
The colourful and multilayered stories of Studio Ghibli do not just exist for us to marvel at; they reflect the reality of our complex and interconnected world, illuminating the magic and joys of what it is to be human. One of the reasons I believe that they are so beloved, is that at every opportunity Ghibli aims to romanticise the little things in life; the cleaning, cooking, and studying in the home, the wind blowing through your hair when you stand on a hill, the lulling pull of the shore, collecting wildflowers from the garden or building something mechanical and crazy, just because you can.
Within numerous interviews, the directors of Studio Ghibli have reiterated that even when the world seems dark and full of cruelty, they want children and young adults alike to remember that life is always still worth living, and that there is always something beautiful to be discovered in everyday routines.
All in all, these effects of immersive realism and the attention to artistic detail mean that there is a transcendental quality to watching Studio Ghibli whereby the spectator has the sense of having visited a place with characters and landscapes as vibrant and distinctive as any place in the real world, without ever having to leave the comfort of their living room.
It is said that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’, a cliche proverb I know, but one that is unequivocally true in regard to the Ghibli animation style. Though my attempts to impart the emotional complexity of Studio Ghibli films may have fallen short of their actual nature, I encourage you to visit and share in some of these films, especially now that Netflix has released a catalogue of 21 Ghibli films this April. I hope that in time, some of these enchanting worlds may become your smultronställe too, and they can bring a little bit of wholesome happiness to your quarantine days.
Edited by Marnie Ashbridge.
The Quarantine Times 