The Boy and the Heron (2023), an animated Japanese fantasy, is a Hayao Miyazaki classic which portrays the cruelty of reality with the wildest of imaginations. Still, it is deeper and more difficult than most of his previous work. At the age of 82, Miyazaki sincerely asks his audience with his hand-drawn animation: ‘How do you live? What kind of person do you want to be?’
★★★★★
The Boy and the Heron is set in Japan during the Second World War, similar to The Wind Rises (2013). The protagonist, a 12-year-old boy called Mahito, loses his mother to a bomb explosion. One year later, his father, who runs an aircraft factory, marries a new wife. Mohito evacuates from Tokyo and lives with his stepmother in the countryside. There, a heron tells Mahito that his mother is in fact still alive. The heron leads him into a forbidden tower nearby, where Mohito embarks on an unexpected adventure. He enters a mysterious realm, where he encounters many terrifying birds and meets everyone he every truly loved once more. There are spoilers in the following review.
War is always a central theme of Miyazaki’s films as he believed that children should understand that “the world they have been born into is not a blessed world”. Like the bathhouse in Spirited Away (2003), the magical world in The Boy and the Heron is a blend of fantasy and reality. The bizarre characters depict different social groups in the war. For example, the dream world is populated by whimsy parrots who worship the king and hunt Mahito. Yet, they return to normality after escaping the tower. Here, it could be interpreted that the parrots are Japanese civilians, blindly following the cruel militarist government. In truth, it is likely that they were merely innocent, and were just deceived by propaganda. Himi, a lady who saves lives by killing, symbolises the authority that rescued people through deadly means, such as the US and the use of the atomic bomb. Meanwhile, the anonymous men competing for scarce food could be the dead souls in war who could not rest in peace.
Human beings kill and save at the same time, while civilians standing for the Japanese government might not support the militaristic ideal. Similarly, Mahito’s father has a dual-identity of being a loving dad and a selfish businessman. Thanks to the aircraft business, he and his family grow richer as the war continues. He indirectly supports the war, but at the same time is just trying to earn money for his family. Miyazaki not only shows his long-standing concern with humanitarian crises, but also profoundly examines how war reveals the complexity of human nature. Humans are born to be selfish for the sake of survival, and there is no clear cut of black and white. It is only a matter of choice to be good or bad.
The film is moderately paced, whilst the visuals are as magically immersive as other Studio Ghibli productions. Joe Hisaishi’s soundtrack is filled with elegant orchestral rhythms, creating a strong sense of adventure and the purity of youth. The audience can temporarily escape from their own life and digest these complex messages through this sensual immersion.
In the second half of the film, the identity of Mahito’s grand-uncle is revealed. He is the guardian of the tower, maintaining the balance of kindness and evilness in the world. Ironically, he does such an important task by building blocks like toys for kids. Characterised by killing, scarcity, and monarchy, the magical world inside the tower is just an extension of reality. Even the heron, who takes Mahito to the tower and gives him hope that his mum still lives, is pronounced as ‘lying’ in Japanese. The dream-like realm brutally reminds the audience that there is no mighty saviour who can remove all the suffering; there is no ivory tower for us to get away from all the hardships. Although we can choose to be ignorant of all the news and injustice, inequality will invade our lives eventually.
‘How do you live?’ is not just a book that Mahito’s mum gives him. Featured as the film’s original title, it is also the key question Miyazaki raises to audiences. ‘How Do You Live?’ is a 1937 Japanese novel following the spiritual growth and poverty of a 15-year-old boy whose father passes away. We cannot escape from reality, but we can choose how to live in a world so infused with inhumanity. How can we remain hopeful? How can we fight against atrocity? How can we move on with overwhelming sadness?
As one of the greatest Japanese animators, Miyazaki has probably asked himself such questions countless times. He was born during WW2 and his father was also the manager of an aeroplane factory. Technologies like CGI and even AI have since transformed the film industry. Struggling to retire and give up his passion for art, he spent ten years drawing on paper with paint and pencil to create The Boy and the Heron. He revisits his life with the characters, whilst Ghbili’s visual hallmarks complement the imaginative drawing and the alternative world depicted. On the other hand, he looks at the future, asking the audience to become the person they want to be. The world may not turn better in 2024, but we can stay kind and hopeful.
The Verdict
The Boy and the Heron is not a simple animation about a boy’s adventure. It is not just a typical Miyazaki production that presents human suffering and the complexity of humanity imaginatively. It is a moving piece provoking autobiographical resonance for the director, leading the audience to reflect on how to live like a human in such a seemingly hopeless world. Impressively animated and visually-compelling, The Boy And The Heron is a cinematic delight.
Words by Angel Sun
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