"Impossible Treasures" Princess Kaguya Review

The Tale of Princess Kaguya

2.5/5

Rated PG

Directed by: Isao Takahata

            Studio Ghibli, makers of Spirited Away, Castle in the Sky, and My Neighbor Totoro, present their 19^th feature length film, The Tale of Princess Kaguya.

            This film is beautiful. Every painted frame of this film was clearly drawn with careful craftsmanship and precision. There were moments throughout the film when all I wanted to do was stare at my screen in awe. The look and feel of the film is enhanced by its lively ambience and tranquil music. All of these elements flow together, and give the film such breathtaking aesthetics.

            There’s not much past its beauty. Beyond those gorgeous frames and organic hues lies a lot of nothing, at least, nothing of interest. The story was not engaging enough for me to truly care about the Princess’ fate, and it dragged on for too long. looking back on the film certain moments that didn't feel meaningless when I was watching them now feel hollow and empty. The film is like a silkscreen painting. If you try to touch it, pull it, or make it more than that painting you’ll rip it in two and then you won’t have its beauty to look at. The best way to appreciate it is to stand back from a distance and just look at it as a silkscreen painting, nothing more.

After watching the film I found the fairy tale that this movie is based on, which revealed key character motivations, the importance of the locations, and a better understanding of the unspoken customs. Since this movie was made in Japan, where most people know the fairy tale by heart, there's no reason to restate what seems obvious. Though, it would have been very helpful knowledge for foreign film goers, like myself. Since the writers spent an extra five minutes looking at bamboo, couldn’t they spend a few seconds giving a better explanation for stuff than “that’s just the way it is”?

This film has a very narrow and select audience. The person who would find the most enjoyment in this film would be someone who likes long epics with few locations, elegant hand painted animations, slow methodical pacing, whimsical fairy tales, and depressing tearjerkers. I do not fit in all of these categories, so I was not wowed by this film. I'm glad I watched it, but I can't help thinking I could have done something better with that time.

Verdict: If you like finely crafted Japanese animation, then you should add this to your list. If not, then you're better off either watching clips, or just ignoring this one.