評論

Anime inspired previews from the “Kung Fu Theatre" art show, opening November 14th, 2014, at the Hero Complex Gallery / Facebook. 

For many fans of Japanese animation, the name Studio Ghibli has become synonymous with the fantastic worlds and deeply felt emotions of director Hayao Miyazaki. This is, in part, because Miyazaki’s founding partner in the studio, Isao Takahata, went 14 years without making a feature film.

With "The Tale of the Princess Kaguya," Takahata, who turns 79 on Oct. 29, has returned with a film both light and heavy, with its delicate, painterly look supporting an emotional intensity.

The look of the film has generated just as much talk as the storytelling, with an organic flowing quality that is for many reminiscent of the soft colors and fluid, impressionistic images of watercolor painting.

"I wanted to give life to the line," Takahata said regarding the film’s distinctively ephemeral look, an extension of techniques he first explored with his previous feature, 1999’s "My Neighbors the Yamadas."

"Well, certainly I have no word to describe the style that I use. I don’t have a name for it," he added. "Even with watercolors, there are many styles, so I wouldn’t want to label it as watercolor.

"So in this film of ours, we used lines and forms that are not maybe completely finished, but my whole intent was to really convey the feeling of that moment, of that story."

Though Miyazaki, 73, declared “The Wind Rises” his last film, the older Takahata feels no such compulsion. Their differing approaches to the twilight of their careers underscore how, even though the pair may be great friends and colleagues — they have known each other more than 50 years — they are very different as filmmakers. Takahata’s work is marked by a moodiness that is in contrast to Miyazaki’s sense of wonder. There is also perhaps some sense of competition fueling their work.