Who is Hayao Miyazaki?
Hayao Miyazaki is a world renowned Japanese artist responsible for directing, writing, and animating some of the finest full length animated films in Japan and the world; most which are critically acclaimed. Miyazaki’s directorial accomplishments through his studio, “Studio Ghibli”, include “Naussica Valley of the Wind”(1984), “Laputa: Castle in the Sky”(1986), “My Neighbor Totoro”(1988), “Kiki’s Delivery Service”(1989), “Porco Rosso”(1992), “Princess Mononoke”(1997), “Spirited Away”(2001), and others. Brief film synopses: This paper will analyze multiple facets of Miyazaki’s directorial style of story telling, and will touch on the visual aesthetics of his work. It is necessary for the reader to have a brief background on his films. Naussica Valley of the Wind: a young princess seeks to live in harmony with giant insects roaming the earth, while battling a wicked empire bent on reviving an ancient doomsday weapon. My Neighbor Totoro: a playful tale of two young girls’ adventure with a
Hayao Miyazaki is a director and animator who is hugely popular in Japan, and now beloved by the rest of the film world. His films feature strong young women as principal characters. Through them, he promotes environmentalism, and anti-fascism. Miyazaki was born in 1941 in Tokyo, in the middle of WWII. His father owned an aviation company, and most of Miyazaki’s films represent his long-term fascination with flying. After WWII, Miyazaki watched his beloved mother’s battle with tuberculosis for eight years. Her love of reading greatly inspired him, and she was known for her need to question authority. Film critics suggest that most of Miyazaki’s female leads are either a tribute to or based on his mother. Miyazaki graduated from Gakushuin University with dual degrees in political science and economics, but it was his membership in the Children’s Literature Research Club that was more influential on his later work. The club was similar to a comic book club of today. There, Miyazaki met o
Did you know that the films “Heidi” and “Spirited Away” were made by the same director? Hayao Miyazaki directs anime films and his influence both in Japan and around the world has been enormous. He has produced over 10 feature-length anime films and his work has won many prestigious awards, but he’s not that interested in obtaining prizes. He is driven by his preoccupation with modern society and children to make films that are packed with messages. However, he hasn’t always succeeded. The first film he directed, “The Castle of Cagliostro”, premiered in 1979 with less than spectacular results. Science fiction was all the rage at the time and, even though critics and anime fans appreciated the film’s high quality, his style did not capture the attention of general audiences. He had a lot of ideas for new films, but Japanese production companies rejected his projects. After a long period in the dark, he was finally given another chance with the film “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind”,
