A Film Directed by Hayao Miyazaki –

The Boy and the Heron, directed by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, stands as a testament to his unparalleled storytelling and artistic vision. Initially proclaimed as his “final film”, Miyazaki has sensed surprised fans once again by announcing his involvement in another project. Nevertheless, The Boy and the Heron shines as a beautifully crafted and thought-provoking film, transporting audiences to yet another enchanting Ghibli fantasy world. The film delves into the profound exploration of life and death and emphasizes the significance of the grieving process when facing the loss of a loved one. Set against the backdrop of World War II, the film follows the journey of a young boy named Mahito, who embarks on a quest to reunite with his mother following her tragic demise during the allied firebombing of Tokyo.

Inspired by Miyazaki’s own personal experiences, The Boy and the Heron exhibits glimpses of semi-autobiographical elements. The director’s struggles with grieving for his own mother, who battled illness throughout his life, add a deeply personal touch to the narrative, resonating with audiences on an emotional level. We’ve seen his dip his toe into this theme before, My Neighbor Totoro most notably, but this new film is perhaps the most visceral in its execution.

“A young boy named Mahito yearning for his mother ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead. There, death comes to an end, and life finds a new beginning. A semi-autobiographical fantasy from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki.”

When we first meet Mahito, he is a survivor of a grisly act of war that left his mother dead. Her death, after burning alive in a hospital, haunts his nightmares and gives him immense survivor’s guilt. Mahito goes through the paces of living a normal life, but he is numb to the world. His father, a wealthy factory owner has re-married and is expecting a child with his mother’s younger sister, a fact that seems to somewhat disturb him, however he never has any outbursts. In fact, when faced with any sort of emotional situation, he disassociates. At one gruesome point in the film, Mahito gets in a fight at his new school and seemingly bashes his own head with a huge rock afterwards, blood gushing everywhere, in order to avoid going back. There is obviously something going on with the boy, and the fast way that everything has been reset, complete with a “new mother” has rattled him.

At one point, he finds a new copy of a book, How Do You Live? by Genzaburo Yoshino that his mother had purchased for him, inscribed with a message to him. She had intended to present the book to him when he got older, and she never got the chance. Reading the book brings him to tears, making the decision to investigate a mysterious tower on his property that much easier. In Japan, How do you Live? is actually the name of this film, a fact that is somewhat surprising considering how little screen time the book gets in the film. Him reading it is a tipping point, and it is a VERY popular book in Japan, so I’m not bothered, it just makes me wonder if this film had started out as something different than what it ended up being.

Mahito wants to visit the aforementioned tower, which is said to have been built by his eccentric great uncle that went mad because he had been “haunted” by a mysterious grey heron since moving in. The bird stalks and taunts him with the prospect of being able to see his mother again. Mahito is angry because the heron did not seem to be a normal heron, exhibiting features found in humans such as teeth. Assuming malice in the creature’s intentions, Mahito did not trust that anything the heron said was true, much less that the bird was not actually a monster intending to kill him. Once he enters the tower and confronts the vile bird, a new movie starts.

For better or worse, that is something that happens in this film – one hour is a period drama about a grieving boy, the other is a fantasy film about a timeless fantasy world that exists to reincarnate lost souls. I honestly would have rather had one story or the other, and I’m not truly sure the two halves fit together perfectly. This isn’t really a massive dig at the film, I was just surprised when I watched it.

The Boy and the Heron features a star-studded English voice cast that rivals any of the castings Disney did as the previous publisher of Ghibli films in the West. Luca Padovan portrays Mahito Maki in a performance that was both endearing and heartfelt. Christian Bale lends his voice to Shoichi Maki, Mahito’s father. The rest of the cast includes Dave Bautista as The Parakeet King, Florence Pugh as Kiriko, Gemma Chan as Natsuko, Willem Dafoe as The Noble Pelican, Karen Fukuhara as the enigmatic Lady Himi, and Mark Hamill adds his iconic voice to the role of Granduncle. Robert Pattinson shines as The Grey Heron, a performance that I don’t think many were expecting from him, showing his versatility and ability to steal the show if allowed to play anything other than a brooding heartthrob. This talented ensemble captures the essence of the characters and enhances the enchanting storytelling of The Boy and the Heron.

As always, I chose to see this in English because I always take my son to these, and thoroughly enjoyed the dub. This was, perhaps, the most important dub that GKids has ever done, and something that should elevate that company to extremely great heights.

The musical score for The Boy and the Heron was composed by Joe Hisaishi, a longtime Ghibli collaborator, and is undoubtedly a masterpiece that perfectly complements the stunning visuals and elevates the emotional impact of each scene in the film. Hisaishi’s talent shines through in the haunting melodies and soaring orchestrations, seamlessly weaving together to create a captivating auditory experience. Joe Hisaishi is joined by Kenshi Yonezu, a popular Japanese singer-songwriter, for “Spinning Globe”, the moving end-credits song featured in the film.

With his heartfelt and powerful vocals, Yonezu brings emotional depth to the song, leaving a lasting impact on the listeners. The lyrics of “Spinning Globe” reflect themes of hope, dreams, and the vastness of the world, resonating with the film’s overall message and capturing the essence of the story.

The Boy and the Heron is a testament to Miyazaki’s ability to create a world that not only entertains but also resonates deeply with its audience. It is a journey of self-discovery, acceptance, and the extraordinary power of love. This film is a must-watch for animation lovers, Miyazaki enthusiasts, and anyone who appreciates the magic of storytelling. I am very happy that the film is doing well at the box office, something Disney was NEVER able to pull off. It goes to show what happens when a good company that isn’t just IP squatting can do if they actually put a film out there in wide release.

In conclusion, The Boy and the Heron is a solid film with great voice acting, great animation, and great music. Due to its odd presentation, ostensibly being two one-hour films, it is not one of my favorite Ghibli films, but I loved every second of it and want to see it again to see if I can pick up on anything I missed. While not perfect, it is perhaps Miyazaki’s most personal film he’s ever made, and for that, I appreciate him trying something different. The Boy and the Heron is the anime event of the year, and a true modern classic.

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