The most striking part of The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013) is its fresh and innovative animation style which parts from the boldness we are so used to seeing in Studio Ghibli’s more refined films. Director Isao Takahata, who has worked on other Ghibli films (Grave of the Fireflies, Only Yesterday, Pom Poko and My Neighbours the Yamadas), returns with his breathtaking sketchy pencil strokes and pastel tones which help to create the beautiful world Princess Kaguya finds herself in. The story and style helped the film gain an Academy Award nomination in the ‘Best Animated Feature Film’ of the Year category.
The film is based on a tenth century Japanese folklore tale titled The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter which his considered to be the oldest piece of Japanese literature to use the prose narrative style. The oldest manuscript dating back to 1592, though the original author is unknown. The bamboo cutter finds a tiny girl – smaller than the palm of his hand – inside a glowing bamboo shoot. He believes her to be a divine being and he and his wife raise her as their own daughter. She grows at an alarming rate which earns her the nickname Takenoko, meaning Little Bamboo, which the other children in the village call her.
Shortly after, the bamboo cutter receives gold and fine cloth with beautiful patterns on in more glowing bamboos. This allows him to believe the girl is destined to be a princess. The family relocate from the village to the capital so Princess Kaguya can learn and live as a proper princess.
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is a simple story, yet touches on many important things. Princess Kaguya must choose a man of noble standing to marry, though she finds herself not wanting to marry any of the five men who have come far to see her beauty. The men, having never truly seen her, compare her beauty to rare mythical treasures. She tells them she will marry whoever can bring back one of the mythical treasures they have mentioned.
Whilst the Princess misses her friends from the village and feels uneasy with the men, she eventually falls into a deep depression which is skilfully depicted. She sits still, barely speaks and stares out at the moon as though she is longing for something else. Takahata captures the many emotions of Kaguya with his style of drawing which changes in one scene. The charcoal lines and the pastel watercolours are diluted into a messy, colourless blur of sketches to depict an upsetting emotion.
The incredibly talented Takahata worked on The Tale of the Princess Kaguya in his late 70s, both writing and directing the remarkable film. It is a truly wonderful tale filled with many emotions, tremendous voice actors, astonishing singing and an outstanding animation style. Currently, at age 80, he is producing a new film by Studio Ghibli titled The Red Turtle (2016) which is be one to look out for.
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