Highly Overrated But Still Good

Don't Believe the Hype

A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness is a documentary following the life of legendary anime writer Hayao Miyazaki. This documentary focuses on the mannerisms, quirks, and what drives Miyazaki to do what he does as both an artist and a storyboard creator. The ideal audience for this film would obviously be fans of the works of Hayao Miyazaki, but even if you are not familiar with his works you could still watch it and get full enjoyment out of it. Before you watch this film I do recommend watching other films by Miyazaki such as Spirited Away, The Wind Rises, and My Neighbor Totoro, so as to gain understanding of his style. While watching this film you may notice the great detail Miyazaki goes into in each aspect of his life, both professional and personal. Notice the way he writes his storyboards diligently every day, or watches the sunset every evening. Miyazaki is not one to leave others to do his work for him while he sits idly by. The documentary focuses on the struggles he has pushed through to be as successful as he currently is, though I doubt he would own up to his success due to his humility. Miyazaki writes more than stories, he writes metaphors and wisdom. If you watch this film with an open eye you will see the symbolism that seems to be prevalent throughout his movies. The way the camera will focus on the sunset or close in on a phrase seen on the wall all have inverse meanings. Keep your eyes open and you will see between the blurred lines of the camera lens. A main point Miyazaki pushes is to not lose focus on the deeper meaning of his grand tales because they are animated and supposedly for children. This film notes that in his youth Miyazaki lived through an air raid that left him with an awe and appreciation towards flight. Specifically in the A6M3 Zero or just Zero aircraft which he has had an addiction to draw perfectly for many years now. During the film Miyazaki follows the life of Jiro Horikoshi, the creator of the Zero and notes that all of men's dreams are cursed. He believes that no matter what you do or create, it will eventually be used for evil. Miyazaki even believes that philosophy about his own works. Miyazaki feels that the government has become too restrictive of what he can and cannot write about which makes him even more militant to what he wants to write. Though he is vigorous, his vigor will one day run out and he fears there will not be anyone to take his place. In my humble opinion I would say this film is very informative and exciting to the audience it is trying to reach. Others may find it dragging in some places, but may still find it intriguing.

THE KINGDOM OF DREAMS AND MADNESS is a documentary exploring the dying days of Studio Ghibli and in particular lead animator Hayao Miyazaki. Set during the making of THE WIND RISES, this is a reflective journey, tinged with sadness and nostalgia, that sees the famed cartoonist looking back over his life and work as well as discussing the challenges of both present and future.Needless to say, this is a must see for anybody who considers themselves a fan of Studio Ghibli. Unlike western-made documentaries, this takes the straightforward approach of simply grabbing a camera, following Miyazaki and his crew around, and asking the occasional question. The unobtrusive approach works well, somehow getting you into the heart and soul of the studio, and it feels refreshing for there to be no talking head interviews, no movie clips interspersed into the narrative. Somehow, THE KINGDOM OF DREAMS AND MADNESS manages to capture a little of the Studio Ghibli magic itself.

A very impressive and honest portrayal of the great Japanese animation creator/director Hayao Miyazaki. Documentary director Mami Sunada shadowed the animation director as he created his latest work – When the Wind Rises. Sunada seemed to have full access to the studio and home of the director, taping company meetings, interviewing and recording some of the 400 employees at work at the Ghibli Studio in west Tokyo. Interspersed in the latest development of the script and creation process were the complicated relationship, partnership and friendship between Miyazaki and Isao Takahada, who bought Miyazaki into the field of animation years ago. He was directing the animation The Tale of Princess Kaguya which was scheduled to show in Japan the same year as When the Wind Rises. Never to be missed was the portrayal of micro- managing producer Toshio Suzuki who had been working between the two giants for more than half of a century. It is moving watching archive footages of these three young men working closely for and dedicated more than half of their lives to this field. Long terms friends and work partners, they have gradually grown into three graceful yet a little stubborn artists. You cannot help but admire their respect for their passion. Also valuable was how candid Miyazaki was in front of the camera, revealing his philosophy, emotions, contradiction, hesitation and imagination. At 72, he is still lively and fun as a child and dreams of all kind of crazy ideas. Excellent editing here to insert clips of the animation which made his dreams come true. We also see his deepest respect for life and ordinary things around him. In many ways, he reminds me of the grandfather in Heidi: A Girl from the Alps, directed by Takahata in 1974, particularly when Miyazaki has his apron on almost all the time.I watched this after visiting the exhibition on Studio Ghibli Layout Designs: Understanding the secrets of Takahata and Miyazaki Animation at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum. It was much less interesting than the visit to the Ghibli Studio in Tokyo but the exhibit offered a closer look at some of the tediously detailed hand-drawn artwork which I later saw in this film. Similar to Miyazaki's animation work, the studio was warm and filled with natural light. The work style is informal, fun and loving though Miyazaki can be hard to work with at times. It looks like a fun place to work. Now, having learned more about how Miyazaki created his various animation works, I would sure watch his work again in new lights.

Wonderful and insightful movie about Hayao Miyazaki's life and work at the famous Studio Ghibli, responsible for animation classics such as "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Spirited Away", during the making of Oscar-nominated "The Wind Rises", his most personal work to date and presumably the last. The documentary offers many personal views from the director, with plenty of photographs and archive footage, and also incredible shots of the strenuous process of making traditional hand-draw animation. At 72 years old, and facing a possible retirement, Miyazaki still manages to instill hope for more to come. Beautifully done.