How do you live?
This is the question Miyazaki posed often in the marketing for this movie. After watching the movie I was a little confused, the marketing was taking every which turn. It was a movie about the producer, Toshio Susuki. Then it was about life and death. Then it was an adaptation of a manga. The marketing wasn’t clear or consistent at all, so I really had no way to prepare myself for the movie.
And it made it better.
See this movie blind, don’t look it up, don’t investigate, and just enjoy the ride.
The Boy And The Heron is set in 1940’s Japan during World War II. We follow Mahito who is grieving his mother’s death, as he is simultaneously moved into his father’s new bride’s
home. Natsuko was Mahito’s maternal aunt and now step mother who is carrying his half sibling, when Mahitio is moved into Natsuko’s shiro style expansive and ancient castle.
The trouble begins when a large gray heron begins to harass and call for Mahito in an eerie voice, seeming to mock his mother’s passing and Mahito’s inability to save her. So, Mahito takes the most logical path when addressing a demented and likely magical bird.
He tries to kill it.
Mahito is eventually pulled into the space between worlds and falls down into an Alice and Wonderland style adventure where the lines of ‘Good’ and ‘Bad’ are a little muddled.
This movie is exciting, touching, and a general joy. You’re never confused for long and everything is explained neatly, all loose ends are tied. Miyazaki has always been gifted with making compelling worlds with fascinating characters, and adventures that will stay with you long after you leave the theater.
What sticks out to me most, while in his journey of grief, is Mahito’s journey of learning duality in characters. Some characters begin as abrasive and standoffish, but over time seem to ease onto a calmer and more open disposition, even if they don’t become true friends. Miyazaki always takes the time to make background characters feel alive in their space when the protagonist bumps into them. Miyazaki also uses this theme of duality to explore goodness and evil in us all, how we all have the capacity to hurt others, and ourselves through selfish action.
I’m not sure it stuck to its original thesis, How Do You Live? Which is the original Japanese title and is based on a manga surrounding the original title. The Boy and The Heron does deal with grief and overcoming odds, but it doesn’t really deal with living as much, we explore a strange spirit world that has odd rules and even odder inhabitants. I suppose the question is left to us to answer.
It’s a surrealist, philosophical, weird movie. It’s like the old movies from the 80’s, you’ve no idea where you’re headed until it all comes together in a neat bow as the theme slowly unfolds for you. And I feel we desperately need more of them as a society. Animation absolutely has the capability to capture these stories, and is likely even better suited for it, like in Satoshi Kon’s works; Perfect Blue, Paprika, Magnetic Rose, and Millennium Actress. Reality can bend easily in Animation, it’s already made of rubber when you begin, it’s so easy to mold and shape after that.
It’s also currently nominated for an Oscar, at the time of writing, and has won the Golden Globe for animation, beating Across the Spider Verse, the darling of the animation world presently. The last time Miyazaki took home an Oscar was for Spirited Away in 2002. We shall see if history is made again!
