Ponyo [movie]

[chomiji]

This was visually very beautiful and quite funny (in a very-young-child way). It also managed the feat of being cute without being sappy - even my cynical husband said so! Part of this is due to some rather scary scenes, but I didn't hear any whimpers or crying from the small children in the audience this afternoon. In fact, as smillaraaq remarked, the tots all seemed to be mesmerized into silence.

Sosuke, age 5, lives in a house atop a cliff overlooking the sea. His mother Lisa (!) works in a senior center next to his school, and his father is an officer on a ship whose route often passes below the house. One day, in the shallow water at the cliff's base, Sosuke finds an odd-looking fish stuck in a jar. He rescues it by breaking the jar, names it "Ponyo," and starts toting his new pet around in a bucket - even to school.

What Sosuke doesn't realize is that Ponyo is in reality the daughter of a half-mad formerly human mage whose job is keeping the ecology of the sea in balance. He'll stop at nothing to get her back - but he is not the only major power in play in this story, and Ponyo herself is a force that can't be ignored.

I think I saw a visual homage to Spirited Away during the rather mystical final section of the movie, but The Mr. disagreed. I also have to add that there was a realism I really appreciated about the depiction of Lisa's situation, as the wife of a man who is often away from home, and that the eventual happy ending is happy for her as well.

Official movie site with trailer here.

Comments

[blue-hobbit.livejournal.com]

I really liked it too, although it didn't completely work magic on me like Totoro did. But still, a lovely film, pure Miyazaki goodness :)

What part of the final scenes reminded you of Spirited Away? Or was it just a general impression? *is curious*

[chomiji]

It was a little more reality-grounded, especially in the shots of the town and its drydock and fishing ships. That storm scene and what followed were pretty amazing, though!

It was after Ponyo and Sosuske come ashore, when the boat goes back to its real size. All the sudden, the road they're following goes through a tunnel. There's no religious statue nearby, but otherwise the scene visually looks just like the part at the beginning of Spirited Away, when Chihiro and her parents go through the tunnel.

[fmanalyst.livejournal.com]

I was thinking about that during that tunnel too!

Ponyo

[chomiji]

Great minds!

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

There's no religious statue nearby, but otherwise the scene visually looks just like the part at the beginning of Spirited Away, when Chihiro and her parents go through the tunnel.

Oh, but there was! Just at the left side of the tunnel was a tiny little alcove with a figure of Jizo-sama. When you were commenting on that at the theater I thought you meant the statue as well as the tunnel, or I'd have pointed it out. :)

Ponyo

[chomiji]

I guess my subconscious noticed the statue! (That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!)

[blue-hobbit.livejournal.com]

Oh! I really didn't notice the tunnel thing at the time, but I think you're totally right about the Spirited Away connection. It's not like Miyazaki hasn't done that kind of thing before, so it really makes sense :)

Ponyo

[chomiji]

Yes, he does do that! To quote the Young Lady, "OK, I think I'll be a little self-referential now!"