Gake no ue no Ponyo (2008) aka “Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea"
September 9th 2009 01:59
Directed by:- Hayao Miyazaki
Starring:- Yuria Nara ( Ponyo voice), Hiroki Doi (Sosuke voice), Tomoko Yamaguchi (Lisa voice).
Hayao Miyazaki needs no introduction, as most of you here will be familiar with his work, and if you're not, I suggest you take a look (even if you're not usually into animation). Yes, I am a fan and have seen most of his films, so it was only a matter of time before I came across his latest creation, Ponyo. Seeing this anticipated piece a while after it has been out, it was hard not to go in with expectations, and with this one I was glad that I did.
The story of Ponyo begins with Sosuke, a five year old boy who lives on a cliff by the sea with his mother, and usually absent sea faring father. One morning Sosuke comes across a small goldfish in need of help. Sosuke helps the fish, names her Ponyo, and becomes her friend. Meanwhile, her misanthropic, seafaring sorcerer father (Fujimoto) pursues Ponyo in the hope of returning her against her will to his underwater laboratory. Through a series of struggles involving a bubble prison, a sea goddess, huge fish storms and magical river rides, Ponyo fights to leave behind her life as a fish whilst pursuing her growing love for Sosuke.
For those unaware, Miyazaki is a master of the visual realm, and this film is no exception. After reading some slightly disappointing reviews, I was pleasantly surprised to find surreal characters, colours and images taking me once again to another dimension. I loved Sosuke's eccentric father, Fujimoto, the part human sorcerer who travels underwater in bubbles and phantasmagorical inventions. There is also a classic scene where Ponyo surfs a storm of gigantic fish in pursuit of Sosuke, which is both surreal and beautiful. The sea takes on many forms in Ponyo, from gigantic fish, to slug like forms with huge eyes that drag away their prey in desperation at the will of Fujimoto.
In typical Miyazaki style, there are some wonderful themes in Ponyo. Like some of his previous works, particularly Princess Mononoke (possibly my favourite), Ponyo reminds us of our precious Earth. Fujimoto, having shunned the ways of mankind long ago, strongly dislikes the manner in which humans have treated the world, saying at one point he looks fiendishly forward to the age of man to be gone. Miyazaki not only uses the sea, but time, to get his point across, as there are several reference points (and even characters) to the ancient Devonian era throughout the film. Ponyo also uses both the very young (Ponyo and Sosuke) and the very old to come together, showing that time doesn't change the need to love or be loved. There is a beautiful scene at the end of the film where the sea goddess and Fujimoto visit a nursing home, giving power to the aged to run freely like they haven't in years. It is here that the fate of mankind depends on the love of Ponyo and Sosuke, with the sea acting as the centrepiece for the judgement of all.
Ponyo is a little lighter than some of Miyazaki's previous works, being essentially a love story, however the balance is maintained here, not see-sawing in favour of the cheese. I was expecting Ponyo and Sosuke's love to be very schmaltzy, but for me it wasn't, it was beautiful, and yes very cute. This is greatly helped by the Japanese voices, which project the right amount of innocence, compassion and playfulness. So yes, if you are at all going to see this, I strongly recommend seeing it with the original Japanese voices.
Beautiful, a must see.
Four and a half bananas out of five.
Starring:- Yuria Nara ( Ponyo voice), Hiroki Doi (Sosuke voice), Tomoko Yamaguchi (Lisa voice).
Hayao Miyazaki needs no introduction, as most of you here will be familiar with his work, and if you're not, I suggest you take a look (even if you're not usually into animation). Yes, I am a fan and have seen most of his films, so it was only a matter of time before I came across his latest creation, Ponyo. Seeing this anticipated piece a while after it has been out, it was hard not to go in with expectations, and with this one I was glad that I did.
For those unaware, Miyazaki is a master of the visual realm, and this film is no exception. After reading some slightly disappointing reviews, I was pleasantly surprised to find surreal characters, colours and images taking me once again to another dimension. I loved Sosuke's eccentric father, Fujimoto, the part human sorcerer who travels underwater in bubbles and phantasmagorical inventions. There is also a classic scene where Ponyo surfs a storm of gigantic fish in pursuit of Sosuke, which is both surreal and beautiful. The sea takes on many forms in Ponyo, from gigantic fish, to slug like forms with huge eyes that drag away their prey in desperation at the will of Fujimoto.
In typical Miyazaki style, there are some wonderful themes in Ponyo. Like some of his previous works, particularly Princess Mononoke (possibly my favourite), Ponyo reminds us of our precious Earth. Fujimoto, having shunned the ways of mankind long ago, strongly dislikes the manner in which humans have treated the world, saying at one point he looks fiendishly forward to the age of man to be gone. Miyazaki not only uses the sea, but time, to get his point across, as there are several reference points (and even characters) to the ancient Devonian era throughout the film. Ponyo also uses both the very young (Ponyo and Sosuke) and the very old to come together, showing that time doesn't change the need to love or be loved. There is a beautiful scene at the end of the film where the sea goddess and Fujimoto visit a nursing home, giving power to the aged to run freely like they haven't in years. It is here that the fate of mankind depends on the love of Ponyo and Sosuke, with the sea acting as the centrepiece for the judgement of all.
Ponyo is a little lighter than some of Miyazaki's previous works, being essentially a love story, however the balance is maintained here, not see-sawing in favour of the cheese. I was expecting Ponyo and Sosuke's love to be very schmaltzy, but for me it wasn't, it was beautiful, and yes very cute. This is greatly helped by the Japanese voices, which project the right amount of innocence, compassion and playfulness. So yes, if you are at all going to see this, I strongly recommend seeing it with the original Japanese voices.
Beautiful, a must see.
Four and a half bananas out of five.
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