We went to see Miyazaki’s newest film, The Boy and the Heron, to let you know if it is indeed worth checking out.
*warning, minor spoilers below for The Boy and the Heron
Regrettably, I did not start watching Hayao Miyazaki’s films until I was an adult, but I’ve been in love with them ever since. So when it was announced that Miyazaki was making another animated film after all, I was very excited. I was eager to see what new story the master storyteller could bring to the big screen and how it would compare to his past entries.
Finally, I have seen The Boy and the Heron and it surpassed all of my expectations. The story is set during World War II, though that doesn’t really factor into the plot for the most part. The story follows 12-year old Mahito, who is struggling after the death of his mother in a fire. He moves to the country with his surviving family where he encounters a strange heron who can talk…and who tells him that his mother is actually alive. From there Mahito plunges into a strange world with the Heron to see if this is, in fact, true.
The Boy and the Heron contains all of the magic that’s made Miyazaki’s work so special over the years. First of all, the animation is spot-on for what you’ve come to expect from this studio. You’d never think it’d been ten years since The Wind Also Rises came out. Mahito is an endearing character and you quickly find yourself rooting for him as his adventure continues.
As many have come to expect with Miyazaki’s work, the story doesn’t hesitate to talk about some very deep and powerful themes, notably the death of a parent and how one can continue with life in their absence. The film also briefly touches upon how the war is affecting everyone’s lives, with Mahito moving out of Tokyo to the countryside. Miyazaki’s opinions on war are well-known, and he rams the point home in the film’s powerful opening.
While the story is amazing throughout, where The Boy and the Heron really excels is when Mahito passes into another world with the Heron in search of his mother. At times it seems to give off an almost “Alice in Wonderland” feeling: at times there’s a strange sense of order and in almost the next breath it feels like there is no order at all. It eventually becomes clear that this world is operating under an unusual set of rules, though that isn’t figured out until almost the very end, and even then it’s hard to say how much the “rules” matter to the story. In typical fashion, Miyazaki is hinting at a much larger story taking place in the background (a la Castle in the Sky), while we only get a small portion of it. While I suspect many will crave a deeper dive into the story, what Miyazaki gives us is more than compelling.
That being said, parts of the story do come across as a little confusing. For instance, late in the film, there’s a particular sequence where Mahito has a conversation and then the scene immediately cuts to Mahito being somewhere else entirely, with no explanation as to how he got there or whether or not the prior scene actually happened. I eventually worked out what must have happened but it did take me out of the story for a few moments. That’s just one instance, but it does come up a few times throughout the story.
It should also be mentioned that the English voice cast is magnificent. My particular favorite is Robert Pattinson as the Heron. This was his first voice acting role believe it or not, and I think a solid case has been made that Pattinson should do this more often, he’s a natural! I also enjoyed the voice work Mark Hamill did for his character. I won’t name him due to spoilers, but I will say he plays a very interesting character, with interesting motivations.
These problems are minimal though and don’t really change the fact that The Boy and the Heron proves that Miyazaki hasn’t missed a step. The story is deep and powerful, the animation is as brilliant as ever, truly this is some of Miyazaki’s best work. If you get the chance to see this film on the big screen, please do so, you won’t regret it.
