Thank you to Beck and Jon for hosting the last Moofie club of 2010. This Moofie club was special as it was also the venue for the 2010 Moscars Awards. The awards write up will follow separately in another entry, so straight into it, the two films for the final session of 2010 were Spirited Away, our first animation, and the atmospheric sci-fi classic, Bladerunner.
Spirited Away (2002)
Spirited Away is the story of 10 year old Chihiro who is in the process of moving away to a new neighbourhood. As she travels with her parents, they get lost and wonder into an abandoned theme park. The park however is enchanted and as the sunsets, her parents are transformed into pigs and a scary world of spirits and monsters awakens around her. Chihiro is trapped in the grounds of what turns out to be the bathhouse to the spiritworld, run by a tyranical old witch, Yubaba. Nearing despair she is rescued by a strangely familiar boy Haku, who helps her to the boiler room, where she finds a job and a place to stay within the servant house. Meanwhile Haku promises to help rescue her parents.
The witch Yubaba holds all the servants captive through their memories. She steals their real names and gives them her own names. The servants soon forget their own identities outside of the enchanted bathhouse. Yubaba has renamed Chihiro, Sen, and the memories of her real name, her parents and her life in the real world are fading. Haku also cannot remember his name but if Sen and Haku can discover who they really are and why they are so familiar to one another, then Yubaba’s spell would be broken and they would be able to escape with Sen’s parents.
Spirited Away is a charming, whimsical fairytale in the tradition of Alice in Wonderland. It’s well paced, very fun, often a little unnerving, and always captivating. There is an idealisation of childhood which only mature audiences could appreciate. Like most Japanese anime features, this is a film for adults rather than children. There are elements of the supernatural which are rather creepy if you think about it too long so this is not a ‘cartoon’ to park the kids in front of before bedtime!
While there is plenty to enjoy as it is, I suspect that to fully appreciate the film requires a deeper understanding of the Japanese culture and psyche than most non-Japanese would have. I feel like there is a whole Shinto subtext to this that I am oblivious to. Miyazaki is from a bridging generation who would remember and rever the ‘old’ Japan prior to its great westernisation in the 50s. This may be why the Ghibli films in particular always have that strong sense of nostalgia, and even Shamanistic elements. Things that Miyazaki perhaps longs for from his childhood, and misses in modern Japan.
I’m reluctant to call Spirited Away “anime” at all. Ghibli is in stark contrast to most other Japanese anime which are usually preoccupied with post–apocalyptic, ultra–modern tech, robotics & mecha. Of the two reviewed films in this Moofie session, it is actually the aesthetics and moodiness of Bladerunner that more closely resembles typical Japanese anime (compare Bladerunner to Ghost in the Shell). This is not to be misunderstood, as if I were accusing Ghibli films of “not being true anime” or somehow detracting from the genre – on the contrary, they have created a whole new sub-genre for themselves. It just needs a new name. Perhaps its already got one. It’s a ‘Ghibli Film‘.
Scores
- Andy: 5
- Beck: abstain
- CJ: 4
- Jayne: abstain
- Paul: 4
- Sylvia: 5
- Wendy: 5
Memorable Quotes:
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Sylvia on Chihiro and the Boiler Room man: She meets that fabulous man with the seven arms.
Andy: Jamie Hyneman from Mythbusters!
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Andy: The three heads look like Gattuso!
<Gatusso?, judge for yourself!>
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Sylvia with a long and concise analysis on: …the dichotomy of the characters
Wendy continuing the analysis: …that people aren’t who you think they are.
Andy: yeah…. it’s very… yeah
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Bladerunner (1982)
In futuristic Los Angeles, robotic technology has developed to the point where the latest ‘replicants’, the Nexus-6, are virtually indistinguishable from humans. They are built stronger and tougher than humans and so they’re put to work as expendable off-world labour. Replicants however are now also more intelligent than humans. The only thing they lack are the lifetime of memories that real humans have. It is the ultimate AI nightmare when the servant becomes more powerful than the master. The Nexus-6 are now on the verge of exactly this.
All replicants are banned from Earth. Those discovered are summarily judged and executed by special police agents, one of which is Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a Bladerunner. The tool of the trade for the Bladerunner is the Voight-Kampff machine which tests the subject for ‘human-like’ physiological responses to emotionally provocative interrogation. “Capillary dilation, or the so-called blush response. Fluctuation of the pupil, involuntary dilation of the iris…” says the genius inventor of the replicants clinically, the head of the Tyrell Corporation, Eldon Tyrell. Is this how humanity is to be determined? Will we allow corporations to decide the definition of ‘humanity’ for us? “Have you ever ‘retired’ a human by mistake?” asks Rachael, Tyrell’s ‘niece’. When the replicants are as sentient as humans are, should they remain the property of humans? Isn’t this slavery?
The film also explores the conflicts between science (genetic engineering) and religion. Do we need God any more when we can become our own makers? The film drips with religious symbolism. When the lead replicant Roy Batty finally confronts Eldon Tyrell he is literally experiencing a biblical-style reckoning in the throne room of his god and maker. What would you say if you met your God? What would you do if you knew you had surpassed your God? The exchange is sublime:
Tyrell: “I’m surprised you didn’t come here sooner”
Batty: “It’s not an easy thing to meet your maker”
Tyrell: “You’re the prodigal son”
Batty: “I’ve done questionable things”
Tyrell: “..also extraordinary things. Revel in your time”
Batty: “Nothing the God of Biomechanics wouldn’t let you into heaven for“, after which Batty plants a kiss on the lips and then commits deicide on Tyrell.
For a 1982 film, aesthetically it still looks very futuristic when compared to all the new CGI films out now. The cinematography is still as stunning and gorgeous as when it was first released. The music by Vangelis was always a little questionable, but I think it has now been accepted by film buffs as indispensable to this films ambience. The track “Tales of the Future” is the perfect aural compliment to the film.
There are minor quibbles to be sure, the acting in general could be considered rather wooden, especially that of Harrison Ford. There is the somewhat questionable chemistry between Harrison Ford and Sean Young [see 5:27-6:40 in this scene]. Luckily this moofie is so strongly driven by the storyline and the philosophical dilemmas, rather than the actor’s performances that it doesn’t seem to matter that much. I cannot recall another sci-fi film with as much depth and eloquence as this one. I cannot recall another sci-fi film with such aesthetic beauty as this one. For all the above and so much more, Bladerunner is my favourite sci-fi film of all time.
Scores
- Andy: 2
- Beck: abstain
- CJ: 5
- Jayne: 5
- Paul: 4
- Sylvia: 4
- Wendy: 5
Memorable Quotes:
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Jayne on the aesthetics of certain languages: Cantonese sounds like cats fighting in a back alley. It’s a really ugly language.
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Re: using Tom Cruise instead of Harrison Ford for the lead role:
Andy: I would buy this guy.
Jayne: Would you buy him when he’s jumping on Oprah’s sofa?
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So that concludes the year in Moofies for 2010! While you’re here, why don’t you also check out Paul’s amazing film streak for 2010! Lastly, the Moscars are just around the corner so please come back soon to find out for what happens in the rest of the night and who were the Winners and Losers for 2010!
In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed the year they made contact, and see you on the flip side – 2011!
cj
Club Moofie 