2010's Catch-Up: The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (3/24/2020)

I'm both glad and upset that I knew nearly nothing of the legend behind The Tale of Princess Kaguya before I watched it for the first time. On the one hand, I got to experience this magical, tragic and beautiful story completely fresh. On the other hand, I was not at all prepared fo the absolute sledgehammer of an ending.

The Tale of Princess Kaguya isn't really like any other animated film I've ever seen, and it's not just because of the art style either - though that certainly helps. The unique animation style allows the film to resemble that of a traditional Japanese story scroll, but it's still incredibly fluid and well composed, and lets you get a good sense of space and emotion. The character designs are lovely and the visuals are stunning, and the whole experience is an absolute delight to the eyes.

It's one thing to look like something out of Japanese folklore, though, but it's another thing entirely to actually feel like one. Even in the realm of Studio Ghibli, which is filled with some of the finest imaginations the world of Eastern animation has to offer, I haven't seen anything that quite encompasses the feel of both Eastern mythology and traditional folklore quite as well as Kaguya does. It both looks and feels like a living, breathing storybook, with a magical, fantastical story filled with rich characters, wonderful mythology and intriguing themes. It's a story that dazzles as much as it provokes thought and emotion; a film that's as sweet as it is rich.

Those who know the story of Kaguya will know that it is also a tragedy. Here is where my admiration is somewhat stunted. It may be that I was too tired to really emotionally resonate with the film, and it may also be that the style of storytelling it contains sometimes takes a rewatch or two to really stick with me. Nevertheless, I didn't quite feel as much as I wanted to in it; despite how heartbreaking it was at times, I was never moved to tears, or even close. I suspect that this film will grow more emotional for me over time, and already I can feel my appreciation for it grow, but for now I still have to say my experience with it was somewhat hampered.

This leaves us with a tragic and heartbreaking yet beautiful and profound film about the joy and beauty of life and the fleetingness of it that gives it meaning. It's a shame that this was the last film from director Isao Takahata, though it also allowed him to go out on a high note. I'll definitely be checking out more of his work with Ghibli in the future, and as far as this goes, while I can't quite call it an utter masterpiece yet, given a few more years and rewatches I suspect it may well get to that point.

Check out my 2010's Catch-Up scorecard on Letterboxd!