What Mamoru Oshii Thinks of Hayao Miyazaki?
September 3, 2008
Oshii’s Sky Crawlers is far behind Miyazaki’s latest film Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea in domestic ticket sales. However, Oshii is confident in his victory against Miyazaki at Venice this Saturday. This is what he said:
“I am confident I can beat Miyazaki. Of course he is known to argue he is the best.”
Comparing his work with Miyazaki’s: “If you see Miyazaki movies, I just think it is pleasant, it is joyful, it’s eye candy and it is a pleasure to watch his movies, of course. But you have to realize that that’s not reality.”
“If you see the dog fight air battle scenes in his movies, people don’t die there, so they are nice to watch but there is no realism in his movies. This is exactly the opposite approach to mine.”
“WAR WILL NEVER DISAPPEAR”
“As long as men are as they are, war will never disappear,” he told a press briefing in Venice.
“It’s unfortunately something that we can’t eliminate from our very nature. We’ll never achieve a state of perfect peace, and from my point of view this is just linked to human nature and is something we can’t free ourselves from.”
Source: Bleak Japanese animation film brings war to screen (Reuters)
Oshii is a good director who produced many interesting films, but he fails at critique of Miyazaki’s work. While many Miyazaki’s films are set in fantasy world, they explore very real and relevant issues. Since such themes are often expressed indirectly, some viewers might miss them, observing only the story at superficial level. As for the air battle scenes… look at this excerpt from Porco Rosso.
I also have to disagree with Oshii.
Miyazaki uses a lot of realism in his films if you just pay attention. They may not be about war, but that isn’t the only thing importance when you talk about realism, many of his films revolve around environmental issues and even social issues to some extent.
It’s ridiculous to say that people in his films don’t die in battle because just off the top of my head, I can remember some of his films such as: Nausicaa, Princess Mononoke and Porco Rosso where you see some characters die almost gruesome deaths. Such as in Princess Mononoke, I remember some characters having there arms and heads shot off by an arrow.
Anyway, Miyazaki’s attempt to address issues to the world is probable even more efficient than Oshii’s idea, simply because Miyazaki’s films are able to attract a wider range of audiences.
Well, enough of me ranting in your comments section. Sorry, when it comes Miyazaki, I just don’t know when to stop talking X)
Oh, please don’t hesitate and say everything what is on your mind
Indeed, Miyazaki’s films are different, but their messages are powerful and relevant.
Miyazaki is one of my favorite artists also