It's been my last full day in Finland for a while and I spent it by packing, slightly sorting out my room and watching films by Studio Ghibli. Or more to the point, Hayao Miyazaki films. It has been a nice day and I don't even feel too anxious about traveling tomorrow. However, just as I was about to start writing this post I realised I have a slight problem concerning the 250-project.
Now that i think about it, it's weird I hadn't thought about it before - the list can change. It already has changed from how it was at the turn of the year. So now I'm left with a bit of a problem: which list do I follow. Since I do have a saved copy of the list as it was at the start of the year - and then I thought that it would consist of the films I am to watch this year - I could still simply follow through with that. But then it would I couldn't say that I've watched every film on the list at the end of the year...
So I think I'll do this: I shall watch all the films that were on the 250 list when the year started. In addition I will watch all the new films that find their way onto the list before the end of the year. This will of course mean that the total number of films I have sworn to watch this year will be more than 250. (And of course I will also be watching many other films from outside the list as well...)
It's going to be quite a task, and one that will require a bit of organising as well. Well, it slightly helps that the films that are new to the list at the moment are all films that were released late last year, and will be getting their releases in Finland and UK only during the spring. So I'll have a chance of going to watch them in the cinema. That is a nice addition to the task!
Well anyhow, on to the progress that I made with the project today.
It was certainly a very productive day. In the end the number of films that I can tick off my list is a magnificent 3. As I already mentioned, they were all Ghibli films directed by the amazing Hayao Miyazaki. The animator is a living legend - he was superbly talented during the 80s and has stayed true to form all the way to the 21st century. His films are a joy to watch with their dazzling level of animation, and the stories are varied in theme but always (or at least for now since I have not yet seen all of his films) keep me intrigued and fascinated.
The first film I watched today was Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) [currently 250 on the list]. Granted, some might disagree that it is not really a Ghibli film since it was made just before Studio Ghibli was officially established. However, it was directed and written (based on his own manga) by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Isao Takahata - the two people who founded Studio Ghibli.
To me Nausicaä is a Ghibli film, and a very touching one at that. The main character's courage and unquestionable moral integrity are admirable. She has a strange ability to befriend pretty much any living creature, even understand and communicate with the ohmu insects that threaten human kind. The story is at times nearly heart wrenching but the older characters have a knack at easing the atmosphere with their occasionally comical ways. There is even a slight hint of a romantic subplot. Not much, but enough for a romantic to cherish.
The second film for today was Spirited Away (2001) [currently 48 on the list]. That one I have seen quite a few times already. I have enjoyed it every time and always seem to find something new about it. This might of course be because it has been quite a long time since I last watched the film and it is packed so full of small details that you simply cannot remember everything.
Like Nausicaä, Spirited Away also has a courageous young girl as a protagonist. Chihiro's life is completely changed when she and her parents accidentally stumble into a magical world. The little girl has to learn the rules of the strange world to save her parents but there are quite a few tasks she has to conquer before she can return to her own world. Once again there is a bit of a romance growing throughout the film - well, it's more like puppy love, but very touching and important for the story.
Out of today's three films my favourite was undoubtedly the third one - Howl's Moving Castle (2004) [currently 237 on the list]. I have had the dvd in my collection for over a year already, but this was the first time I have actually watched the film. I enjoyed it greatly and am happy that it was the last one for today's marathon (I watched the films in chronological order).
The film pretty much attacks the idea that being beautiful is everything and shows vanity as a nearly fatal flaw in a person's character. Of course it is not quite as simple as I put it here, but that is the core of it according to my current reading of the film. The story also shows that love and acceptance make the world a better place and can even cure people in a way. It's message seems to be that a person needs a heart - both literally and metaphorically.
The main protagonist is once again female, though this time she is a young woman and her courage starts to shine through her somewhat timid exterior little by little. As she gains courage, finds her place in her new home and turns the inhabitants of the castle into an actual family she learns about herself, changes others' lives and even has a chance to fall in love. The main reasons why I prefer Howl's Moving Castle over the other two Ghibli films I watched today are that I greatly empathise with Sophie's character and that I simply adored the love story in the film. In a way - and very unprofessionably put - it made me feel all fluffy inside.
I absolutely recommend all three of these films to everyone. Even if you don't usually watch anime, or any kind of animated films, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle are a treat to any film enthusiast. They all have brilliant and engaging stories with a variety of remarkable characters told through beautiful animated images. Just one more suggestion: watch the films with the original Japanese audio track. The subtitles are pretty good and you should not miss the original voices.
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