LiveWire Film Critic Shaquille Silva reviews The Tale of Princess Kaguya…
Never have I witnessed art quite as beautiful as I have today. The Tale of Princess Kaguya directed by Isao Takahata, tells the story of a spirit stumbled upon in a forest by a bamboo cutter one day. This spirit is in the form of a small princess but once in the hands of the man’s wife, the spirit transforms into a baby. The couple choose to adopt this baby with the intent of following heaven’s supposed will and raising her to eventually become a princess.
This tale is, first and foremost, absolutely stunning visually with gorgeous landscapes and a unique style of animation akin to classic frame-by-frame flipbook animation. The artistic style differs from the typical Ghibli style further offering a new experience. Despite having such a style that doesn’t necessarily capture realism so much, the film still resonated deeply on an emotional level with me, exploring themes of family, beauty and love. This emotional resonance is further enhanced by the skill of the voice actors, particularly Takeo Chii as the bamboo cutter, who added a whole new element of heartwarming personality to the film. Joe Hisaishi’s music was utterly mesmerising and without the music of this film, there would be a gaping hole. It was an element of the film I enjoyed as much as the next.
Other than wanting more, I struggled to find a flaw in this film as it was a film that had me entranced throughout the 2 hours running time. Walking out of the cinema felt like I had stepped out of a surreal dimension I didn’t want to leave. There was not a single frame I wouldn’t want to experience again as not a single one was wasted. The Tale of Princess Kaguya is beautiful and, as Studio Ghibi have done for many years, it continues to exceed the boundaries of animation film.
The Tale of Princess Kaguya (U) is currently screening at Cornerhouse. Book your tickets here.