Hayao Miyazaki is a world renowned director and producer of Japanese animated films as well as one of the co-founders of Studio Ghibli. Miyazaki is known for his attention to detail and his ability to create inventive and original stories. His career has been prolific and critically acclaimed throughout. His most popular film Spirited Away became the highest grossing film in Japan ever in 2001 and subsequently won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature that year.
Hayao Miyazaki was born in 1941, in central Japan, to a well-off family. He was the son of a manufacturer of fighter plane rudders during the war. The family had to move around often due to the bombing going on at the time. This experience likely left a lasting impact on Miyazaki as many of his films feature themes of war. The rest of Miyazaki’s childhood was relatively uneventful. He graduated from high school and during university he studied political science and economics.
Miyazaki is meticulous about his work and is known for personally hand checking every single frame of animation. He is also fiercely protective of his his work. When Studio Ghibli was trying to get Princess Mononoke distributed in the United State, Harvey Weinstein, the head of Miramax at the time, demanded that serious edits be made to the film. In return Miyazaki sent Weinstein a genuine katana with a note Saying “no cuts”.
Miyazaki’s films often feature environmental and anti-war themes. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, one of Miyazaki's earlier film, features a world destroyed by pollution, and Princess Mononoke has strong environmental themes as well. One of the director’s best qualities is his ability to create complex films for both children and adults. His film Spirited Away, according to the man himself, was created for his 10-year old daughter, but was lauded by critics at the time for its mature explorations of greed and compassion.
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I am actually a big fan of Miyazaki's work, so it was interesting to see some background on him. I didn't know he was alive during World War II and it's interesting to think about the possibility that those memories could have shaped his creative ideas.
ReplyDeleteI really like Miyazaki's and his work in Gibli studio. His movies are thought to have deep and hidden social message behind all the somewhat dark-theme movie. To learn that his childhood is a constant fear of the World War II and how this affects his products is even more intriguing. Some people say that the movie Spirited Away also has the hidden message of child abuse beneath it. I just love his work and his creativity in putting the social message behind his product.
ReplyDeleteI love Miyazaki's films. It's so amazing how he can take something so seemingly light, such as a spirit village, and interlace a deep message into it. Now that I know about his experience during the war, I can definitely see how that plays in throughout his work.
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