As I grow older, I find that my memories of my childhood take on a largely rosier tint. I guess it’s not all that surprising, really; aging tends to send some of us on a journey backwards, in vain attempts to perhaps recapture some of that elusive combination of innocence, wonder, and hope that we label the “magic of childhood.” After all, that period of time in any person’s life is a severely limited one: it is but a mere moment, precious and fleeting, gone far too soon.
You know, not to get all florid and poetical about it or anything.
But seeing as how we’re on the subject, films like Hayao Miyazaki’s beautiful anime masterpiece My Neighbor Totoro inevitably send me reeling back into the past, remembering some of those purely magical moments from my own childhood. And therein lies the power of this fascinating film, one that is both fantastical and entirely too real.
Simply put: I love this movie, I love this movie, I love this movie.
The movie has no plot, really, to speak of–it’s simply a snapshot of a young Japanese family at a trying time in their lives, as the mother recovers from an undisclosed illness in the hospital. The father, a professor at the university, spends much of his time buried in books, but still takes the time to ensure that his daughters have settled comfortably into their new home, and allays their fears of ghosts in their seemingly “haunted house.” When four-year-old Mei wanders into the nearby forest one day and encounters a mystical animal called “Totoro,” she and her older sister, Satsuki, befriend the creature and discover just how magical their big, cuddly new pal really is.
Miyazaki’s original story pairs splendidly with the work of art director Kazuo Oga, as the movie is a true joy to behold. My Neighbor Totoro is a visually lively film, with dynamic character designs amidst storybook-like settings that are nonetheless grounded firmly in reality (seriously, the animation in Totoro is almost unreal in its sheer beauty). And while the movie is undoubtedly influenced in some small part by Alice in Wonderland–note particularly Mei’s pursuit of a white rabbit-esque creature, as well as her tumble down a rabbit hole (and tell me that Catbus doesn’t look like a Disney-fied Cheshire Cat)–those recognizable literary shades are mere winks at the audience.
This is a wholly original tale, drawing from Japanese mythology (and some created whole-cloth by Miyazaki) to tell a story that feels at once familiar and brand-new. It has the sometimes gauzy edges of a memory, marked by delightful surprises and–interestingly for such an exceedingly gentle film–a very distinct energy that practically pours from the screen. Everything about this movie is alive, and vibrantly so.
Though Totoro has few truly dramatic moments (Mei’s climactic temporary disappearance notwithstanding), they really aren’t missed. The story meanders along, but with intriguing characters and bits of quirky humor, the film progresses rather quickly.
What’s most fascinating about My Neighbor Totoro is how it portrays the two young girls, who are allowed to just be girls. They are not one-dimensional “plot moppets”: they are giggly and irreverent, quick to temper and even quicker to forgive, prone to worry about the unknown as much as they revel in the relatively careless freedom of youth. In other words, just as delightful and complicated as children truly are.
Totoro depicts that storied “magic of childhood” in both figurative and literal ways. The girls encounter spirits which, according to Nanny, can only been seen through the innocent eyes of a child, and when they tell adults what they have seen, they are not ridiculed or chided, but believed. There’s no cynical twist to the story, no doubt that the girls’ experiences with Totoro are as real as the things that happen in their everyday lives. It’s ALL real, without question. And that’s part of what makes Totoro so very special, because it allows us to embrace that belief wholeheartedly and share a small bit of that magic.
WIthout question, this movie is a breathtaking work of art, one for which I do not have enough superlatives, and one of the masterworks of Miyazaki’s impressive career. For its gorgeous visuals and its pure, pure heart, you really cannot beat My Neighbor Totoro.
Try to watch it without feeling a twinge of nostalgia. It’s nigh on impossible.
Yes it is a truly magical film. I’d agree too that the strain of nostalgia is powerful. Excellent review!
Many thanks, Frank!
I love this film too, Brandie, and you’ve written a great piece about it here. I’ve been discovering a lot of Miyazaki and Ghibli films recently with my 21-year-old son, who is a big fan of anime – this is definitely one of the best. I also love Ponyo, which to me has a similar atmosphere.
Thank you, Judy! And ditto to your love of Ponyo! I bought the Blu during a Disney Movie Club sale of their Ghibli titles and fell head over heels for it.
Brandie, your review is suffused with some genuine passion, and it guides your superlative piece here. No doubt this spirited film is one of Miyazaki’s masterpieces, and its wonderful that voters rallied behind it. There can be nothing that registers as resonantly as something cherished from the past. Oh and how true that life is so fleeting. Lovely work here!
Thanks, Sam! Have you seen the new Collected Works of Hayao Miyazaki Blu set that’s due to release this fall? Looks like a fitting tribute to the master–and now I need a couple hundred dollars so I can snap it up for myself. 🙂
My son has been going on about this set and saying he’d like it – sounds like a fairly major investment, though!
What a tremendous piece, Brandie! Just about everything Miyazaki has done is splendid, and lots of it offers a commentary on childhood, but of them all I think that this simple little fable is the most perceptive. For a long time the animation fans in this country didn’t rate Miyazaki too highly (look how long it took for Disney to cotton on), but now I think the argument’s been settled.
The other Miyazaki movies on childhood that I love are Spirited Away and of course Laputa.
Thank you! I tend to fan-girl a bit about Miyazaki. I love introducing his films to those who are unfamiliar with them–I have yet to run across anyone who does not appreciate how truly beautiful his work is once they actually sit down to experience it.
I tend to fan-girl a bit about Miyazaki.
Yep. And I tend to be a bit fanboy about him!
Pam and I were lucky enough to get tickets for the US premiere of Mononoke at, I think, the Lincoln Center, where people like HM and Neil Gaiman turned up to talk about stuff (it was fun to see Neil being likewise all fanboy about HM!) as well as what I believe was the commercial premiere of the movie somewhere far uptown Manhattan, near the Society of Illustrators HQ. I got the impression that at the time Disney was trying a bit to bury Ghibli, but I might have been wrong.
One of my favorite films and also my favorite Miyazaki films. Nice Review
Thank you!
I am really looking forward to seeing this film again on TV here in the UK next weekend. I enjoyed it so much first time round, the best of the Studio Ghibli films really are wonderful and I say that as someone who is not generally a fan of animated films.
I saw this years ago and remember it fondly. There was a space of a few months in which I watched several of these sorts of movies and to my surprise enjoyed them. The one I remember (beside Tortoro) is PORCO ROSSO which I especially liked because it was a kind of revelation. I know I also saw a third Miyazaki film but I can’t remember which one. I think it’s time for me to reacquaint myself with these wonderful films. Thanks for the reminder, Brandie.