Miyazaki in America

David GoerzCOM 329

Dr. Neuendorf

Background

● Born January 5, 1941 in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan

● Began his animation career at Toei, where he stirred the pot, including leading a labor dispute and influencing script changes on a feature early on.

● Co-Founded Studio Ghibli in 1985

● Married to animator Akemi Ota

● Father of Director Goro Miyazaki(Tales from Earthsea [2006], From Up on Poppy Hill [2011])

● See also: Studio Ghibli powerpoint

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

● A peaceful princess works to halt a warbrewing in a post-apocalyptic world

● Based on a Manga of the same name,which Miyazaki wrote and illustrated, andcontinued after the film's release.

● Introduces themes of environmentalism,flight, and the horrors of war, as well as the strong female leads which are prevalent in many of Miyazaki's later films.

● Trailer

Nausicaa in America

● Originally saw a heavily-edited release in America as Warriors of the Wind. These edits were designed to make the film fit better with America's child-centric animation industry, but significantly altered the plot and message of the film.

● Miyazaki was so displeased with the edits that he has since asked fans to ignore this version entirely.

● Re-dubbed and re-released to American audiences in an unedited form in 2005, complete with a cast including such stars as Patrick Stuart and Uma Thurman.

Princess Mononoke (1997)

● A simple villager in feudal Japan becomes entrenched in a war between an industrial mining colony and a band of forest spirits – including San, a feral human girl raised by a wolf goddess.

● Returns to themes of environmentalism and war, as well as a strong female lead.

● First animated feature to win Best Picture in the Japan Academy Prize

● Trailer

Princess Mononoke in America

● Released by Miramax, with a credible cast of voice talents

● Received critical acclaim, called one of the best films of the year by Roger Ebert.

● After pressure from Miramax for Miyazaki to allow the studio to make cuts to the film, a Ghibli producer reportedly sent Miramax co-chairman Harvey Weinstein a katana along with a message saying “No cuts.”

Spirited Away (2001)

● A young girl stumbles upon a magical world on the edges of our own, and finds herself pressed into service at a bathhouse for the many creatures which inhabit it.

● Explores themes of fantasy, family, and childhood seen his earlier films such as My Neighbor Totoro (1988) and Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)

● Trailer

Spirited Away in America

● Dubbed and released by Disney, although with less then their full corporate might.

● Like Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away received critical acclaim, and was the first Japanese film to receive the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

● While the film is exceedingly Japanese in cultural tone (given that half of the film takes place in a bath house) the universality of its themes, and similarity to stories such as Alice in Wonderland, give western audiences a touchstone for understanding the film.

Other Films

● Studio Ghibli's distribution arrangement with Disney continues to allow the english versions of Miyazaki's films to enjoy production values and publicity not afforded earlier work

– Howl's Moving Castle (2004), and Ponyo (2008) both had star-studded english-language casts, including such names a Christian Bale and Liam Neeson.

● Many of his earlier films have been redubbed and re-released in recent years

– My Neighbor Totoro (1988) re-released with star cast in 2006

References

● http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayao_Miyazaki

● http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2005/sep/14/japan.awardsandprizes

● http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0594503/

● http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/people.php?id=51

● http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2066439/?ref_=sr_1