The Boy and the Heron, A Spoiler Free Review
How does Ghibli's latest film stack up?
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Release: December 8th, 2023
Over the past three months, I’ve watched every Ghibli film, so I’ve had the chance to get very familiar with Hayao Miyazaki’s work in a relatively short period of time. I’ve always heard about his legendary abilities as a filmmaker, and I saw a couple of his films in college, but by immersing myself in his work, I think I’ve really gained an understanding of what makes him so excellent at directing movies.
The Boy and the Heron isn’t quite like any other Ghibli film. It follows a boy named Mahito living in World War II era Japan. He moves out to the country with his father and encounters a strange heron, who lives in a mysterious tower. The story leans more into the abstract and metaphorical than any of Miyazaki’s other works (though metaphorical concepts have always been part of his films, from My Neighbor Totoro in 1988 to this movie in 2023). After the movie ended, I overheard a group of people talking about how it wasn’t like Howl’s Moving Castle or Spirited Away and how The Boy and the Heron was a stranger film. I think that they were right, and I also think that isn’t a bad thing.
I went to see this movie with Eli, and they mentioned afterward that “it left me with more questions than answers.” A function of good art is to get the viewer to ask questions, and the ambiguous metaphors and fantastical elements of The Boy and the Heron leave a lot of room for pondering.
Mahito’s journey has the fantastical elements that make Ghibli movies so enchanting. The cast of characters and the world of the film are larger than life, the kind of world that only exists within the human imagination. I found myself engrossed as Mahito’s story unfolded before me. The relationships between the characters are a highlight of the movie, with conflicts and goals that feel true to life, even when the world turns to fantasy.
I have to commend the animation and the art of this movie. This is one of Miyazaki’s most visually striking films. The movie has a visual motif that shows the skills of the studio’s artists and animators, and does a lot to contribute to the themes and story of the movie. The way the characters move is incredibly fluid. This movie can go toe to toe with any of Ghibli’s other artistic masterpieces.
Each aspect of the movie’s craft came together to make an immersive experience. The voice cast did a great job of bringing the characters they portrayed to life. I also have to commend the soundtrack, which added emotional weight to the movie and just sounded really good. Ghibli hasn’t lost a step here either.
Overall, I found The Boy and the Heron to be a very meaningful film. It expands upon themes we’ve seen come up before in Miyazaki’s work, and it leaves the viewer with a lot to contemplate. The world is fantastical and the narrative around it is engaging. All in all, it has everything that makes Ghibli films so great. Miyazaki adds another cinematic masterpiece to Ghibli filmography. S+ tier movie.
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