Isao Takahata has died....

TheIrishGrover

The great Isao Takahata has died, aged 82.

One of the founders of Studio Ghibli (Along with Miyazaki of course). His last film was the beautiful Tale of Princess Kaguya for which he received an Oscar nomination. (The decidedly average "Big Hero 6" won that year over this, Song of The Sea and Boxtrolls... But that's another conversation).

Whether it was a conscious choice or not, the difference between Takahata's and Miyazaki's typical output is quite startling. While most will know Ghibli's light, fantastical, uplifting output from Miyazaki (No complaint), Takahata's output was often more grounded and complex.

Few can forget the heartbreak of watching "Grave of the Fireflies". If the sight of Setsuko sucking on the marbles imagining they are sweets as she starves to death does not break your heart then you are a monster. It is a film that I do not have the courage to rewatch. A film that many anime fans point to when people just assume anime is just kids in giant robots or porn.

Hard to believe it was released as a double bill with Totoro in Japan originally!

But he also did "Only Yesterday" a sweet film about a mid 20's woman visiting where she grew up and reminiscing on the past. Anybody who has even moved from their home town can relate at some stage in their lives.

Then we have the lunacy of "Pom Poko". Much of the humour is probably lost on us who have not grown up with Japanese folklore but it's still a fun, surreal trip.

"My Neighbours the Yamadas" was Ghibli's first feature to use the watercolour effect that Kaguya would use later. It's episodic and crazy and, again, a lot of the humour may be lost on us who did not grow up/live in Japan but there are still some great observations there.

He did a couple of shorts and then did Kaguya - probably one of the most beautiful films you will ever see.

While I am a great fan of Miyazaki it's worth remembering that there is (was?) more to Ghibli than Miyazaki.


Gave of the Fireflies:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vPeTSRd580

Only Yesterday:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeZdSPkCSz0

Pom Poko:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSvVvnI2wY

My Neighbours the Yamadas:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1C9ujuCPlnY

The Tale of Princess Kaguya:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6btxEdjZCo

johnny_ultimate

As I said elsewhere last night, Takahata was a genuine legend of cinema.

It is the rare director indeed who can reinvent themselves with each passing film. If Miyazaki has a sort of ‘house style’ (albeit a wonderful one), Takahata was an experimenter - and his films were reliably surprising, beautiful and unexpected. Discovering Pom Poko during my early forays into the Ghibli fringes was a genuine delight. Princess Kaguya is the best film they made in at least a decade.

His films made Ghibli films more interesting, animation a more diverse medium, and cinema a richer art form.

Ronanc1

As I said elsewhere last night, Takahata was a genuine legend of cinema.

probably one of the most beautiful films you will ever see.

These thoughts I wholeheartedly echo and yet I always find it sad that probably whole swathes of populations will go without ever experiencing it/them. At the first mention of animation peoples interest immediately wanes all interest lost! Too easily scoffed at as cartoons or kid's films (Eugh). Such magnificent cinematic artistry is present in so many of these works.