Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Latest
    • Thank You
    • 4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)
    • 3999. The Pianist (2002)
    • 3998. Philadelphia (1993)
    • 3997. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)
    • 3996. The Green Mile (1999)
    • 3995. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
    • 3994. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Home
    • Blog
      • All Posts
      • Best Of The Year
        • Best Of 2015
        • Best Of 2016
        • Best Of 2017
        • Best Of 2018
        • Best Of 2019
        • Best Of 2020
        • Best Of 2021
        • Best Of 2022
      • The Decade In Review
      • Box Office Analysis
      • James Bond
      • Oscars
      • RANKED
      • Star Wars
      • The Big Questions
      • Top 10
      • World Cinema
    • Ratings
      • Top 250
      • Top 100 Foreign Films
      • Bottom 50
      • 0 – 1.9
      • 2 – 3.9
      • 4 – 5.9
      • 6 – 7.9
      • 8 – 10
    • Genres
      • Action
      • Anthology
      • Animation
      • Christmas
      • Comedy
      • Crime
      • Documentary
      • Drama
      • Fantasy
      • Film-Noir
      • History
      • Horror
      • Kids’
      • Musical
      • Psychological
      • Romance
      • Sci-Fi
      • Short
      • Silent
      • Sport
      • Superhero
      • Survival
      • Thriller
      • Western
    • Release Year
      • 2020s
      • 2010s
      • 2000s
      • 1990s
      • 1980s
      • 1970s
      • 1960s
      • 1950s
      • 1940s
      • 1930s
      • 1920s
    • Country
      • Afghanistan
      • Argentina
      • Australia
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Brazil
      • Cambodia
      • Canada
      • Chile
      • China
      • Colombia
      • Costa Rica
      • Czechoslovakia
      • Czech Republic
      • Denmark
      • East Timor
      • Faroe Islands
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Georgia
      • Greece
      • Hong Kong
      • Hungary
      • Iceland
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Ireland
      • Israel
      • Italy
      • Japan
      • Latvia
      • Lebanon
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Mexico
      • New Zealand
      • Nigeria
      • North Korea
      • Norway
      • Paraguay
      • Peru
      • Philippines
      • Poland
      • Romania
      • Russia
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Singapore
      • South Korea
      • South Africa
      • Soviet Union
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • Syria
      • Taiwan
      • Thailand
      • Turkey
      • Uganda
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
      • Uruguay
      • Vietnam
      • Zambia
    • About
    The Mad Movie Man
    You are at:Home»Review»1206. The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya (かぐや姫の物語) (2013)

    1206. The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya (かぐや姫の物語) (2013)

    0
    By The Mad Movie Man on January 5, 2016 130-139 mins, 2013, 6 - 7.9, Animation, Drama, Fantasy, Jan 16, Japan, Movies Of 2016, Review
    7.4 Beautiful, but not enthralling
    • Acting 7.2
    • Directing 8.0
    • Story 7.1
    • User Ratings (0 Votes) 0

    Starring: Aki Asakura, Kengo Kôra, Isao Hashizume

    Director: Isao Takahata

    Running Time: 137 mins


    The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya is a Japanese film based on the folktale of a princess, born out of a bamboo plant, who rapidly grows into a beautiful young woman, and becomes the desire of all who see her. However, she begins to struggle with her new-found role as a member of the aristocracy, and wrestles with the emotional dilemma between her own fate, and the happiness of those around her.

    Studio Ghibli has always had a unique way with animation, and at its sunset, it’s playing to the highest of abilities. Isao Takahata’s final film is a beautiful tale that’s both serene and sad, and although it may not manage to play with your emotions in the way it clearly wants to, it’s a spectacular animation that you can’t help but adore.

    What is most notable about this film is that the animation isn’t exactly the normal Ghibli style. Whilst it retains a staggering visual beauty, the film appears much more like a watercolour painting combined with hand drawings. Although that’s the technique Ghibli have always used, this film’s visual realism is toned down completely.

    But in that, it really works its magic, and the animation provides for one of the most beautiful and pleasant experiences you’ve had in a long time. The appearance of the film makes it feel so much more like a classic, centuries-old folktale rather than an ‘anime’, and that, more so than anything else in the film, really pulls you into its world, and whilst you never forget the beauty of the animation, it’s an ingeniously unique tool that works an absolute charm.

    Beyond the visuals, the film isn’t actually the pleasant, delightful story that you’d think. Yes, it starts off as a lovely fairytale, but over the course of its (slightly overlong) 137 minute runtime, it evolves to tell what is at times a desperately sad story.

    Almost like a fable, it shows how money, fame and power can’t buy you happiness, and as the girl grows up and becomes a more official figure, you do get a sense that she’s not being able to live her life like she wanted, and that is often really sad.

    Having said that, the emotions aren’t always hugely effective. The overwhelming tone of the film remains pretty upbeat, furthered by the animation (excluding one astonishingly powerful scene that transcends everything you thought about the movie before), and as such it doesn’t really pack the emotional punch that you’d like.

    The story may never pick up to tell a happy story, but because it all feels so serene and pleasant, it’s difficult to feel as desperately sad as the film would like you to, so it doesn’t compare in any way on an emotional level to Takahata’s original masterpiece: ‘Grave Of The Fireflies‘.

    Overall, however, The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya is still a fantastic treat of a film, with a wonderfully special animation style that you won’t want to take your eyes off of, as well as a captivating story, even if the emotion isn’t as powerful as it’s intended, so that’s why this gets a 7.4 from me.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    The Mad Movie Man, AKA Anthony Cullen, writes articles and reviews about movies and the world of cinema. From January 1st, 2013 to December 31st, 2022, he watched and reviewed a movie every day. This is the blog dedicated to the project: www.madmovieman.com

    Related Posts

    8.2

    4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)

    7.8

    3999. The Pianist (2002)

    8.2

    3998. Philadelphia (1993)

    Follow Me Online!
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Tumblr
    New Releases
    8.2
    December 25, 2022

    3994. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

    5.6
    December 10, 2022

    3969. Falling For Christmas (2022)

    6.9
    December 4, 2022

    3956. The People We Hate At The Wedding (2022)

    5.4
    December 3, 2022

    3954. Disenchanted (2022)

    7.4
    December 3, 2022

    3953. Meet Cute (2022)

    7.6
    November 23, 2022

    3934. Do Revenge (2022)

    7.0
    November 18, 2022

    3929. The Wonder (2022)

    6.7
    November 13, 2022

    3924. See How They Run (2022)

    Recommended Movies
    8.5
    Review
    November 30, 20180

    2366. Ralph Breaks The Internet (2018)

    9.2
    Review
    January 11, 20130

    13. God Bless America (2012)

    8.3
    Review
    January 22, 20180

    2029. Molly’s Game (2017)

    8.5
    Review
    December 13, 20210

    3578. Spider-Man (2002)

    8.5
    Review
    November 5, 20130

    339. The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (2011)

    Popular Posts
    December 31, 2022

    Thank You

    8.2
    December 31, 2022

    4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)

    7.8
    December 30, 2022

    3999. The Pianist (2002)

    8.2
    December 29, 2022

    3998. Philadelphia (1993)

    7.5
    December 28, 2022

    3997. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)

    9.1
    December 27, 2022

    3996. The Green Mile (1999)

    7.6
    December 26, 2022

    3995. Doctor Zhivago (1965)

    © 2023 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.