Hayao Miyazaki‘s latest film is perhaps his most personal. Unless fans know what his younger life was like, it’s easy not to understand what The Boy and the Heron are about. This semi-autobiographical work released by Studio Ghibli has lots of imagery to unpack, and not all of them subscribe to his beliefs regarding Shintoism.
Instead, I recommend watching the documentary “Never Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki.” (review and Amazon link) Even without this knowledge, what’s presented is more than his usual coming-of-age story about a youth not accepting the future, and being willing to move on.
When considering, this movie refers to Genzaburo Yoshino‘s book, “How Do You Live?” this theme is not all that surprising. Here, Mahito (Soma Santoki) is struggling to deal with life without a mother. This feature shows how Hisako died in a hospital fire. This happens during the onset of the Asian Pacific War, and is not a result of recent bombing, otherwise there would be American planes seen leaving the scene.
Although his father is quick to remarry–finding love with his mum’s sister, Natsuko (Yoshino Kimura), and even getting her pregnant–some viewers won’t understand. It’s called a solo-rate marriage, which I think is retainership. When one partner dies too soon, a sibling can carry the tradition. Also, it’s not meant to dishonour the deceased, which was what Mahito is no doubt feeling for much of this film.
With much of Tokyo rebuilding, father and son don’t have a place to call home. They move to a fancy estate in the country, and this Narnia-like relocation doesn’t end there. Despite his pops promising a better future for everyone, there’s little allusion to what else he’s doing to keep the family unit together.
When this story is about the boy’s life with his new mom, and her attendants, I’m sure he doesn’t like to be doted upon. And when he spots a Grey Heron (Masaki Suda) who’s also curious, I had to wonder if it sensed everything he’s feeling inside, hence often “paying a visit” as though the kid is like the narrator from E.A. Poe’s “The Raven,” quoting another word other than “Nevermore!”
Time passes by, and this bird doesn’t stop. Although Mahito is rarely affronted when at school, somewhat adjusting to this life, all is not well. He misses his mom and gets emo; that new punk look he gains is an important point to note, and as for whether this redesign is intentional by the director to reflect that desire to rebel, I’d have to study this film at home rather than at the theatre in order to understand the deeper moments. There’s no internal dialogue. I had to guess at what Mahito’s feeling.
In some ways, what’s presented mixes moments inspired from Shakespeare’s Midsummer’s Night Dream and L. Frank Baum’s Wizard of Oz! The latter came to mind because of all the parakeets flying around and their leader looks like he should belong there! Or maybe, it’s just a classic fairy tale, where this hero finds a means to enter the faerie realm, but is not prepared to face what’s contained within! What’s explained is more mystical than a study about the self.
And as for whether Mahito’s adventure is simply imagined, I get the sense it’s real! The world is not that of the subconscious, where everything is a metaphor. Instead, it’s a world where existence can be shaped by the will of a collective. Even though nearly everything he’s in contact with are representations of all his fears, he’s able to fight back! The question lies on whether he wants to do so instead of hiding behind his wall. As a result, I was humming along to Pink Floyd’s song, “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” by the second act and knew why this song came to mind. It was to pay respect to the band’s founder, and in this film’s case, I would say it’s reflecting upon the past while searching for a way to live for the future.
And when the boy shows to everyone he wants to help his new mom, especially when she walks deep into the woods for no good reason, that’s when the story finally moves forward. As for what it all means, I’m sure the metaphors are more personal to the filmmaker than to audiences as a whole. And as for whether Miyazaki has more tales to tell regarding his own youth tranposed atop fictional characters, Studio Ghibli’s Vice President Junichi Nishioka said he’s still coming into the office and meditating on it. It’s just a matter of time if he decides that what can be addressed can be weaved into something magical.
4 Stars out of 5
The Boy and the Heron American Trailer
