Ghibli and The Miyazaki Mystery
2005 · 53 MIN · IMDB 6.7 · 128 VOTES · DIR. Yves Montmayeur
Overview
Studio Ghibli is Japan's most successful animation studio, with helmers Hayao Miyazaki (""Spirited Away,"" ""My Neighbor Totoro"") and Isao Takahata (""Grave of The Fireflies,"" ""The Tale of Princess Kaguya"") creating a bonanza for producer/prexy Toshio Suzuki. Generously adorned with clips from their films and their influences, the docu follows Ghibli's arc from a mid-'60s rebellion against working conditions at Toei Co. to its present powerhouse position, complete with public fun park. All interviews are illuminating, but Miyazaki is teasingly confined to pic's tete-a-tete finale with esteemed French comic artist Jean ""Moebius"" Giraud. Meeting of the wizened European, whose imprint is on films from ""Blade Runner"" to ""The Fifth Element,"" and the apparently relaxed Nipponese helmer makes an interesting contrast, and will be of special interest to Francophiles. All credits are impeccable
Dialogue Timeline — 479 lines
A SAMPLE ACROSS THE RUNTIME — EVERY LINE IS SEARCHABLE
00:00:04 The western suburbs of Tokyo, about 15 miles from the city center.
00:03:09 "Spirited Away" takes place in a fantastic bath house.
00:06:09 I really like this.
00:08:12 I think you were the first one to write...
00:10:20 People had to make the most of that fixed space.
00:12:00 Nearly all the Western-style buildings in Japan have that symmetry.
00:15:52 In Calcata, you'll eventually find yourself at the edge of a cliff.
00:19:26 Moats and stone walls form a labyrinth...
00:21:19 What was it that inspired Miyazaki to depict these types of buildings...
00:23:26 He was quite excited. He'd taken a lot of photos.
00:26:13 You have to actually depict a way of life.
00:28:10 All this was an inspiration for Miyazaki.
00:29:57 ...but the setting is late 19th century, so some of it is imagined.
00:34:37 The Ghibli Museum has something else in common...
00:38:12 SATURN THEATER (SCREENING ROOM) Takahata describes these rooms, and the maze-like building itself...
00:41:50 Animators use familiar elements from their surroundings.
00:43:40 Each changes from moment to moment with the angle of the sun.
00:46:41 So they go up, and finally reach the rooftop.
00:49:11 This museum is perfect for someone like me.
00:50:41 This museum is similar.
00:52:30 I think the ability to realize the potential of animation...
00:54:31 There's something soothing about this spot.
00:58:17 The space and green of the garden feel liberating.
02:00:00 to promote "Spirited Away."