Rating of
3/4
Pay Much Attention to These Men Behind the Curtain
Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/17/15
Being both a big fan of Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki, it was a real pleasure to be granted what amounts to an all-access pass into the life of the studio as Miyazaki prepares his most personal project to date, The Wind Rises. Not only do we see the studio at work, but we get a glimpse of the man himself - and thought he film often strikes a melancholy tone, the 72-year-old Miyazaki is at times shown both in high spirits, yet just as often uncertain - you know, just like a normal person.
We do get some brief history behind the studio, including the relationship between Miyazaki, Isao Takahat (who is working on his own film, The Tale of Princess Kaguya during the making of this film) and "The Producer" Toshio Suzuki, who acts the long-time go-between (that's the three of them on the cover as well). Although I would have liked a little more history, what was presented was enough to give you a good overview of how these men came to meet and how their relationships have evolved over time (and often butting heads).
But the real treat is watching Miyazaki and his staff (over 100 worked on The Wind Rises alone) at work. From storyboarding to casting voice actors (Hideaki Anno, well known to me for directing the seminal Neon Genesis Evangelion series, is cast in his first ever voice-over role as the lead in Wind Rises because his voice is "ambiguous" according to Miyazaki), getting the animation just right and even changing the ending to something more upbeat - we get a well-traveled view of this amazing studio. But beyond the work, we get a look into the daily life - radio calisthenics (unique to Japan, I believe), the often languid studio cat Ushiko, Miyazaki's many rooftop visits where he goes to relax and contemplate and interviews with some of the many employees (who often describe the work as harsh, but worth it). We see many notes around the studio as well.
The film also offers a look into the life of Miyazaki - at work everyday at 11 a.m. - off at 9 p.m. like clockwork. He doesn't take off holidays or Saturdays, but doesn't come in on Sundays. His family life - the somewhat unknown future of the studio after he officially retires - while you would think things would be a little more optimistic, Miyazaki is often shown a bit down, even while working on his most personal work. It's not the most uplifting film - but I still think the overall mood is one of resilience.
If you are a fan of Studio Ghibli at all - or the work of any of its fine directors - this is an excellent supplement to the continued quality they have provided over these many years. Here's hoping that in the next 10 years we get a few more films out of Miyazaki and Takahata - and if the Oscar nomination for Princess Kaguya is any indication, the studio still has many good years ahead of it.
