Movies often seem to be a form of escapism, a way to escape our monotonous lives and to experience things that are out of the ordinary. Amongst the incredible stories that touch hearts, lie the gems that touch the soul.
Enter Hayao Miyazaki.
Hayao Miyazaki is an animator, writer, director and most importantly, an incredible world builder. He is a co-founder of Studio Ghibli- a studio well known for producing some of the best animated films if not, the best films in general.
Hayao Miyazaki’s stories depict fantastical worlds with curious characters and breathtaking landscapes, while still feeling very real and immersive. But how do these works of art achieve this and why aren’t others able to do the same?
Magic in the Minute
“Crowds are people, not a miserable faceless bunch, they make up society” - Hayao Miyazaki.
Hayao Miyazaki and the hard-working animators of Studio Ghibli bring worlds to life through unimaginable detailing in everything- in each and every scene. Every person in a crowd in a frame has a range of emotions and every move of theirs has a purpose. This and the other minute details which we do not consciously notice make the worlds created by Ghibli more real.
Silence is Golden
“It's called Ma. Emptiness. It’s there intentionally” – Hayao Miyazaki.
While the details are never overlooked, they never overwhelm.
As Miyazaki describes it, “Ma” - emptiness, like the gap between claps, is essential to make stories feel real. Frequent pauses where actions with no direct consequence to the story bring a sense of calm and space. These pauses, where a character sighs or cooks a delicious meal, allow us to relate to and understand them more while also showing us what they feel and observe. Large and silent landscape shots with carefully drawn crowds, forests, temples or even swaying grass brings us closer to the fictional world.j
The Moment is Now
“You don’t depict fate but will” – Hayao Miyazaki.
They live in the moment.
The characters of Miyazaki live in the present with a sense of duty and purpose. While many characters have their flaws, most of them are truthful to themselves and their goals for which they fight for relentlessly. This truthfulness and simplicity bring about a refreshing feeling as compared to our own modern lifestyles which have made our thoughts and motives much more complex and complicated.
The attention to details, the serene and calm moments, the strong-willed characters, the fantastic creatures that inhabit the worlds- all make Ghibli films the gems that they are. Even though these movies are said to be made for children, they have impacted millions of fans of all ages, including me. Analysing and reasoning can only help to try speculating why these movies are so special but only the feel of watching these magnificent worlds unfold and the characters grow can make us truly realize the beauty of what Hayao Miyazaki’s works of art are.
Exit Hayao Miyazaki.
