Isao Takahata director of the animated Grave of Fireflies and founder of Studio Ghibli first feature film is set nominally in a Norse country, but it sure seems like old Russia to me. Hols, a young boy/man/teenagerish kid lives with his father on the edge of an ocean. Not long after he removes a thorn, actually the sword of the sun, from a giant rock man, Hols father dies. He tells his son the story of how a devil named Grunwald had spread evil in their old village and had caused things to fall apart. Hols father wanting to keep his then infant safe fled into the wilderness. As a dying wish Hols father urges him to go back and find his people. Traveling with Coro his friend who is a bear he sets out to find his people. In the process he meets Grunwald who wants Hols to join him and Hilda, a girl with a lovely singing voice and a dark secret.
Moving like the wind this is an 80 minute movie that has enough plot for at least another hour. This isn't a bad thing since the film keeps moving at all times. Its a beautiful film, filled with an endless series of set pieces. Actually I don't think there is a bad sequence in the entire film. To be honest the film's script is a real mess. Its doesn't move at time so much as lurches from thing to thing. The dialog is also often stilted, which I'm guessing is the result of too faithful a translation from the Japanese (there are times when you really need to reword things. And no this is not a bootleg or a print from Asia, its the official UK release DVD).
Messy script or no I think this is a masterpiece. This is a great grand adventure that hooks you and drags you along for 80 minutes. As I said the set pieces are spectacular and the sense of magic is wonderful. We have a hero is truly heroic and some characters who are very close to being real. The design of the film has echoes of later anime projects, not just Ghibli which helps give it a nice feel of familiarity when its not being wholly original. Strangely the film feels very much like the Russian fantasy films of directors like Aleksandr Ptushko. Its suppose to be set in a Norse country but the design of the costumes is very Russian.
I really liked this a great deal. to be certain its flawed, deeply, but there is something about the central story thread that allows the film to survive as something wonderful. I recommend it.
Moving like the wind this is an 80 minute movie that has enough plot for at least another hour. This isn't a bad thing since the film keeps moving at all times. Its a beautiful film, filled with an endless series of set pieces. Actually I don't think there is a bad sequence in the entire film. To be honest the film's script is a real mess. Its doesn't move at time so much as lurches from thing to thing. The dialog is also often stilted, which I'm guessing is the result of too faithful a translation from the Japanese (there are times when you really need to reword things. And no this is not a bootleg or a print from Asia, its the official UK release DVD).
Messy script or no I think this is a masterpiece. This is a great grand adventure that hooks you and drags you along for 80 minutes. As I said the set pieces are spectacular and the sense of magic is wonderful. We have a hero is truly heroic and some characters who are very close to being real. The design of the film has echoes of later anime projects, not just Ghibli which helps give it a nice feel of familiarity when its not being wholly original. Strangely the film feels very much like the Russian fantasy films of directors like Aleksandr Ptushko. Its suppose to be set in a Norse country but the design of the costumes is very Russian.
I really liked this a great deal. to be certain its flawed, deeply, but there is something about the central story thread that allows the film to survive as something wonderful. I recommend it.
