The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya-2014

Director Isao Takahata

Starring (English Voices) Chloë Grace Moretz, Darren Criss

Scott’s Review #430

Reviewed June 23, 2016

Grade: B+

The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya is a Japanese animated film released in 2014.

It is a unique film, mixing elements of fantasy and drama, and it is stunning to experience and appreciate from a creative perspective.

Unusual still is the lengthy running time of two hours and seventeen minutes- animated films are typically on the short side.

This is not to say that it drags, although I found it helpful to view it in segments.

Originally made in Japanese, the film has been dubbed in English and features recognizable voices such as Mary Steenburgen, Lucy Liu, and James Caan.

A bamboo cutter, Miyatsuko, discovers a baby girl inside a bamboo tree one day. He and his wife consider her a divine presence and keep her as their own, naming her Princess Kaguya.

Mysteriously, she begins to grow and develop at an alarming rate, becoming the wonder of the village.

Kaguya develops a playful crush on Sutemaru, a handsome peasant.  Led by her parents, Kaguya is taken into a life of nobility and wealth as her destiny.

Her governess attempts to mold her into a regal Princess, but Kaguya is a wandering, free spirit, and rejects the formalities of this life. Her many wealthy suitors clash with her feelings for Sutemaru.

From a story perspective, the film shines as it explores the conflict between wealth and poverty. Kaguya’s parents are not greedy, but they want her to receive just desserts and a life free of hardship, as they are used to.

They want something better for her.

One can relate to the parents’ views, but Kaguya feels differently. She wants freedom, love, and happiness, not a life of rules, procedures, smoke and mirrors.

The filmmakers present the viewpoint of someone “other-worldly”  observing and analyzing planet Earth, warts and all, so the film has a message.

It is not cliched or overbearing in its approach, though- merely honest and sincere.

Every frame in the film appears to be a gorgeous drawing- not conventional, fast-paced animation, but classic, muted, pastel-type colors are used, giving it a softer touch, which astounded me.

If one is not into the story (tough to imagine), one could easily sit back and marvel at the spectacle.

The growing trend in animated films seems to be a return to traditional drawings- think Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer from the 1960s- as evidenced by The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya and Anomalisa (2015), two recent animated features receiving critical acclaim.

This is music to my ears, as these are far superior to the redundant, CGI-laden films.

Oscar Nominations: Best Animated Feature Film