For Art's Explorer #5 I chose to watch the movie Princess Mononoke. I am a huge fan of Miyazaki's work. I believe that he knows how to execute wonderful story lines with beautiful, breathtaking animation. After watching the movie, my two friends and I discussed about it and well it was an interesting conversation...
Kelly . says
The movie was beautiful
Animation simply amazing!
Aira3 . says
yes so were the music
i LOVED the tatara woman working song
mary anne - says
i found the plot to be very informative, even though it was in a fictional world.
Kelly . says
Mhmm, I have downloaded the OST. I love the musical pieces that were incorporated into this movie.
informative about what?
Aira3 . says
Joe Hisashi does a lot of the music for Miyazaki and he is amazing!
Kelly . says
Ooo, I've heard of Joe Hisashi: talented man.
Aira3 . says
well Miyazaki's movies (more for the earlier ones) were meaningful
there were always messages behind them
this movie and Nausicaa of the valley of the wind were all very umm environmental based
Kelly . says
Mhmm, in this movie there was no good or evil sides.
mary anne - says
my favourite one was this one :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uLhnKsB3Sw
Aira3 . says
awareness of the natural environment and how humans were destroying it
Kelly . says
And I think it was trying to teach us that in order to survive we need to be at peace with one another and respect each other.
mary anne - says
they should air this movie after earth hour to help send out the message about how important our plant is
Aira3 . says
oh i loved that song too
mary anne - says
*planet
Aira3 . says
it's the 2nd fav for me
yeah i like the earth hour idea
Kelly . says
haha, that would be a great idea.
Aira3 . says
Sorry is i'm a bit slow, i'm watching the movie online again it's lagging me
Kelly . says
but this movie, to me, also teaches about the importance of life and death
that they are intertwined
Aira3 . says
yes!
Kelly . says
remember how the gods were scared to die
they didnt want to embrace that they will die one day
mary anne - says
i totally agree. i love how simplistic the movie is and the various themes interrelate with each other in a way that isn't complicated even for children to undertand
*understand
Aira3 . says
yeah but the movie is for all ages too
Kelly . says
the movie is really simple.
mary anne - says
the wolf god accepted towards the end of the movie though.
Kelly . says
thats what i LOVE about Miyazaki
Aira3 . says
it's not like too simple an animation that adults who watch it will be like "oh so childish" we take away some thing as well
Kelly . says
his plots are relatively simple but the topics and issues that he touches upon are relatively deep and complicated
Aira3 . says
yes
Miyazaki has a lot of strong female roles in his animations i find
the woman who was in that village
i forgot her name
Kelly . says
Yea the wolf god accepted death, it was sad, but it's good that he did.
mary anne - says
aren't most of his films like that though? where there's a strong-headed heroine?
Aira3 . says
well i mean other than the main character
there is that other woman
Lady Eboshi
and the girls of the village weren't the traditional woman
Kelly . says
I love how Miyazaki protrayed her
Aira3 . says
they were not afraid to speak
Kelly . says
exactly
Aira3 . says
and act
Kelly . says
they even told the men off =P
Aira3 . says
yeah!
and back to the Lady Eboshi part
she respected ppl of all different social status
i mean she didn't look down on the lepers
and she also employed the former prostitutes
i like her
mary anne - says
it's pretty sad that she had so much respect for people of different classes but not for the enviornment. I mean she did use some unethical tactics to gain power by killing off the different gods, and destroying the forests
Kelly . says
She really cared about the people in the village
Aira3 . says
yes, she was a good leader
she was really there with the people she leads
Kelly . says
and because of that she also harmed other living creatures that lived in the forest.
killed so many animals.
Aira3 . says
yes
Kelly . says
because of her leadership.
Aira3 . says
but she did it for the people
mary anne - says
i didn't like that aspect of the movie though. but shouldn't good leadership involve respecting everything that a person interacts with, not just people?
Kelly . says
but now it depends on the person's goals.
Aira3 . says
well she had her reasons
mary anne - says
true
Kelly . says
how about San?
I loved how even though she was human, the wolf clan still took her in
and took care of her as if she was their own only because her original parents threw her at the wolves to begin with and I love how San hates humans even though she is one
Aira3 . says
yeah
and it really makes sense that Miyazaki made them wolves
Kelly . says
so the wolves took pity lol
Aira3 . says
cuz they are known to take care of human children
if you read about feral children
like Victor or umm Jenny?
i forgot their names
mary anne - says
did you find that at times the animation seemed so life like?
like it was filmed instead of hand drawn?
Kelly . says
That's Miyazaki for you
He is known for his animation that involves nature
Aira3 . says
yeah
i enjoyed the beginning of the film
it drew me in right away
idk i'm just interested by these things
Kelly . says
He represents Japan's nature in the most realistic way possible that represents Japan in whatever time period
Aira3 . says
the god/spirits and everything
yes
Kelly . says
Same here. I love animation
mary anne - says
that's true. like there was one time in the film where i actually felt like i was in the movie and walking towards that healing pond
Aira3 . says
a lot of his earlier works had meaningful messages behind them
yeah,
yeah?*
it would be great to have a 3D experience of this
mary anne - says
that'd be interesting. i mean with our technology advancing at a really high rate it may happen.
let's petition the idea!
Kelly . says
Lol!
I don't know how many hardcore fans would react though
Aira3 . says
even if it's only like clips
and i want to have it not like at the movies
we sit there
i want to have it like you go into a room
and all around you is like monitors
so you are literally surrounded
you know
?
mary anne - says
they'd be crazy not to! with all those fight scenes and explosions, who wouldn't?
Aira3 . says
so you can look at the mountains if you want and you can look at the trees if you want
yeah
but that would require a lot of umm technology
like have a whole room turn into the movie
idk how it would be done
mary anne - says
so what!? they do it with live action, why not animation?
Aira3 . says
but i'd want all sides of the room to becomes screens for the movie
mary anne - says
projectors, lasers?
Aira3 . says
the ground beneth your feel you'd see grass
above is the sky and mountains
oh man!
mary anne - says
hmm, well they did something like that for 2010 winter olymics. so why not?
it's possible
but expensive.. =[
Aira3 . says
like those planetarium but better
mary anne - says
why most everything be expensive! ='[
Aira3 . says
yeah....
Kelly . says
You guys really want this movie to be in 3D
How about his other movies
mary anne - says
YES! =] you'd be crazy not to
Kelly . says
My neighbour Totoro?
Aira3 . says
i'm biased
spirited away all the way
and maybe moving castle
mary anne - says
AHH! that movie is so cute. i loved the sisterly bond in that movie and how family always sticks together
Aira3 . says
but idk the more recent ones...just not the same
there just doesn't seem to the message
maybe cuz moving castle and earth sea was based on some other books
mary anne - says
but moving castle is based on war though
i haven't watched earth sea
Aira3 . says
umm moving castle it wasn't really war
it's more like howel running away
idk
but i like the one called...whisper of the heart
it's really cute
the guy asked her to marry him
but lol i'm off track
mary anne - says
hmm, interesting. i'll watch that once finals are over.
Aira3 . says
back to mononoke
mary anne - says
ugh, finals!
Aira3 . says
the ending of mononoke idk i like it but
i'm one of those people who want people to end up together
though in the story made sense that they don't end up like at the same place
but idk i'd want them to be together
i'm cheesy
BUT if you watched spirited away, it's like the same ending
they part ways but then vow to see each other
maybe Miyazaki had a message to get out and didn't want romance to sort of get in the way?
xD
Kelly . says
see the situation between san and ashitaka is that they really didn't have that time to bond romantically
the happenings in the movie just gave the two main characters a reason to just simply bond and have a friendship
Aira3 . says
but i enjoyed it
true
true
so anyone going to watch it again?
Kelly . says
Miyazaki is a very realistic story teller even when his stories take place in a fantasy world
I defiantly want to watch it again
I would LOVE to watch it in Japanese dub
Aira3 . says
i could find it
mary anne - says
same here.
Aira3 . says
but yeah
i think it's nice how we got to share
mary anne - says
let's watch another film, shall we? =]
Aira3 . says
and i got to see it in differnt ways
haha maybe if you guys don't mind coming to my cramped condo
i have a lot of his stuff
nausicaa of the valley of the wind
is good but i haven't watched it....i read the manga he drew
also, spirited away is a good one
return of the cat (haven't seen)
castle in the sky (haven't seen)
Kelly . says
haha we should do a Miyazaki movie marathon!~
Aira3 . says
yes!!!!
and we can make cookies in the shape of them little spirits
mary anne - says
let's do it! =]
Kelly . says
alright then! awesome!
Last but not least, here is the...
Art Word of the Week!
This week's art word is balance! There are two ways to attain balance in artwork: symmetrical (formal) or asymmetrical (informal) (Schirrmacher & Fox, 2009). If a picture is symmetrical then the shapes in the picture are essentially balanced. Half of the picture mirrors the other half no matter how many different ways the picture is folded.If a picture is asymmetrical then there is no balance. Shapes are all different and placed wherever on the picture. In Princess Mononoke, balance was demonstrated throughout all scenes in the movie. An example of a symmetrical scene in this movie may involve animation about the forests. An example of an asymmetrical scene in this movie is when Ashitaka first fought the huge demon in the beginning in the movie.
I'm glad that I watched Princess Mononoke and participated in a conversation with others that enjoyed the movie as well. I believe it is important as educators to expose children to different type of art films because it will allow children to become more open-minded about various art forms and respect other cultures' entertainment industries.
Anyways, until next time fellow bloggers!
~Kellz
References:
Schirrmacher, R., & Fox, E. J. (2009). Art & creative development for young children (6th Ed.). Delmar, USA: Cengage Learning.
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