Dec 10, 2023
watching this really soon after watching THE WIND RISES is so funny (they honestly make a good double feature). in a way, they're very similar. both deal a lot with the meaning of creation and art in a world where everything inevitably decays. both touch on the kind of purity in dreams that clashes with the corrupt and imperfect world they are chased in. both are bittersweet, reflective examinations of Miyazaki's own life and career. but while THE WIND RISES is more about why we must choose to keep on living, THE BOY AND THE HERON asks: how do we live?
it's very poignant watching this
...
old man and his bizarre world of dreams and fantasy on the brink of collapse. he wants to find a successor to his kingdom but, eventually, he has to make peace with what he's built falling to rubble. Miyazaki has accepted what he sees as the imminent end of Studio Ghibli (or at least what it once was) and while he never quite answers the question—"how do you live?"—he hopes that the memory of his creations can push others to find an answer. "This was my world. It was beautiful and messy and tragic and silly. It can not last. Now go make your own."
this is obviously less perfect than many of Miyazaki's other works. while it contains much of the different kinds of magic apparent in his other movies, it lacks some of the cohesion and all-out irresistibility that they have. that doesn't stop this from being a beautiful and heartbreaking collection of the ruminations of a great artist coming to grips with the end of a magical career, though. it's a true legend saying his own kind of goodbye.
also, i couldn't help but laugh imagining Goro as Mahito at the end as Miyazaki wants him to take over his kingdom, but...you know *cough*EARWIG AND THE WITCH*cough*. and, i know it's selfish, but i'm still praying Miyazaki doesn't retire and makes at least one more movie before he dies lol
9/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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