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Time Out's 50 greatest animated films: part 6
In celebration of the release of both Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's beautiful stop-motion rendering of Roald Dahl's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', Time Out ushers in the help of master animator Terry Gilliam – whose own partially animated 'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus' opens in cinemas this month – to run down 50 of the greatest animated features of all time
1. My Neighbour Totoro (1988)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
A hushed modern masterpiece.
If, hypothetically speaking, the late Yazujiro Ozu were ever
inclined to experiment with the animated medium, one feels that Miyazaki's
timeless hymn to the innocence of childhood, ‘My Neighbour Totoro', is the type
of film he'd have created. It's a work that provides heart-rending and
miraculously acute insight into the subtle, silent psychological interactions
of a family on the precipice of tragedy and it's a story told through the curious eyes
(and minds) of excitable pre-teen sisters, Satsuki and Mei.
Like much of Ozu's oeuvre (specifically films like 1932's ‘I Was
Born, But... ' and 1953's ‘Tokyo Story'), it's a film which recognises that
real life does not consist of neat dramatic arcs, and in telling its miniature
tale of how Satsuki and Mei deal with relocating to the countryside to be near
their mother (who is bedridden in a nearby hospital), it never exploits the
situation in search of cheap pathos or undue narrative contrivance. Tragedy?
Death? Ozu? Yes, it's a film of profoundly serious intention, but the masterly,
feather-light fashion in which the story is unravelled and the delightfully
constructive and level-headed conclusions it draws over a faultless 83 minutes
will leave you with a beaming smile and, in all probability, a tear of
exasperated joy.
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Already an institution in its native Japan and a surefire
favourite of anyone faintly familiar with the Ghibli oeuvre, there was a chance
in the mid-'80s when it was doubtful that ‘Totoro' was ever going to see the
light of day. At the time, Studio Ghibli was not financially self-sufficient,
and thus had to convince independent backers that their upcoming projects were
worthy of bankrolling. So when Miyazaki originally proposed the outline for a
film about two small girls retreating into their imaginations to come to terms
with the responsibilities of the real world, the money men (perhaps
understandably) kept their wallets tightly shut. It was only when the studio agreed to simultaneously make ‘Grave of
the Fireflies' (see number 13), directed by Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata, that funds were eventually released and Miyazaki was able to start work on this
deeply idiosyncratic and personal project.
Effortlessly fusing the delicately forged imagined kingdoms
of Lewis Carroll with the lackadaisical whimsy of AA Milne, the eponymous
Totoro is revealed as a giant, waddling ball of fur who charmingly ushers the
girls through their period of grief. The minimalism of Totoro's character
represents a seam of restraint and sensitivity which runs though all aspects of
the film: Instead of using animation to merely recreate the imagination (and
unleash a colourful panoply of garish monsters), ‘Totoro' is a film about
imagination, one which feels uniquely attuned to the type of creatures that
girls of such a young age would really dream up – the Soot Spirits are little
black balls, their mode of transport is a contraption which is half bus, half
cat. Indeed, Miyazaki is just as enthralled by real creatures – such as
tadpoles – as he is in the fantastical beasts of the forest.
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Though told predominantly from the perspective of children,
the film also offers sagely musings on the subconscious ways in which adults
attempt to withdraw their children from the realities of death. There's
something curious about the girls' protective father as you feel that his eerily
tactile mode of parenting masks a
desperate ploy to make them forget about their mother's problems. Yet, slowly
they become ever more alert to the potential gravity of the situation which
culminates in one of the film's most heartbreaking scenes where
Mei runs off in an effort to present her mother with an ear of corn in order speed up her recovery.
As usual with Ghibli's output, the story is brought to life
with exquisite hand-drawn visuals that exude the artisanal lustre of classic
Disney while being totally fresh, unique and engaging in their own right. There
isn't a single inch of a single frame where you feel an effort hasn't been made
to pull you into this world and to place you next to these characters. The lush
backdrops of rural Japan – ponds, fields and woodland clearings – recall the
soothing landscapes painted by Monet, while the uncomplicated designs of the
monsters and humans strive (and largely achieve) to make the story and the
feelings as rich and relatable as possible.
But I'm only piercing the surface of what ‘Totoro' is
really ‘about', as among all of the above it provides an authentic portrait of
burgeoning teenage love, a investigation into the mechanics of making new
friends and a urgent call for us to safeguard the natural world. Ultimately,
though, it's a film which says that all you need to be happy is love and
imagination. How life affirming is that? DJ
Watch the US trailer here
Read the Time Out review of 'My Neighbour Totoro'
Explore the list: | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-2 |
Author: Derek Adams, Dave Calhoun, Adam Lee Davies, Paul Fairclough, Tom Huddleston, David Jenkins & Ossian Ward
User comments on this story
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- tom huddleston said...
- mark, michael, Ghost in the Shell is most certainly on the list. Posted on Nov 19 2009 10:02
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- Bob A said...
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_mark, Micheal. Ghost in the shell is number 34.
Impressive film but the graphic novel is better(like Akira). Posted on Nov 19 2009 10:02 - Report as inappropriate
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- Michael said...
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_mark ... Ninja Scrolls is rubbish. It falls into the crux of many anime blockbusters, it doesn't know how to pace itself at all. Thank god it wasn't on this list! I do agree with Ghost in the Shell though. If Akira is on the list, GITS should be too.
Animatrix is hardly a film... Posted on Nov 19 2009 06:25 - Report as inappropriate
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- Rob F said...
- Though impossible to make a list of this nature that everyone would agree with (Incredibles deserves more!) does seem rounded. Most pleasing, though, is to see the top slot go to a Studio Ghibli film; all of which are fantastic! Posted on Nov 17 2009 18:08
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- Katie said...
- Any list that ranks Robin Hood over Bambi and Transformers: the Movie over Sleeping Beauty is doing it wrong. (And Lord of the Rings is included over Beauty and the Beast? Whatever.) Posted on Nov 14 2009 16:55
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- Altec said...
- wow, this list was surprisingly poor and insufficient. Posted on Nov 07 2009 15:16
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- t said...
- What about "The Phantom Tollbooth"? Posted on Nov 03 2009 18:29
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- Sandman said...
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Not to instigate an argument on movie tastes, but as you can see, I am not a fan of Spielberg, who I think, the key word here being I, is a highly talented director and technician, but a limited storyteller....he tends to depend highly on melodrama and regional sentiments (Schindler's list, Saving Private Ryan, Munich, Amistad etc) in his movies....while Jurassic Park and Close Encounters are excellent technically, pretty much launching CGI to astonishing new levels, the human element was missing in Jurassic Park, and was not gripping enough in Close Encounters. I have not watched The Colour Purple, 1941, Empire of the Sun, so cant really comment on those, but as far as all the other Spielberg movies go, I have only enjoyed Jaws 1.
And I did say that Disney does good 3D films.....I absolutely love most of the Pixar movies, but I am a bigger fan of the themes Miyazaki portrays in his films. Again this is not a personal attack on anyone on the forum, it is 'my' opinion, and I am open to other peoples views and opinions too or criticism of my choices, just would prefer that people didn't take my choices as a personal insult. Posted on Oct 31 2009 06:03 - Report as inappropriate
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- _mark said...
- Yes, of course.. 'Lion King'! and 'Finding Nemo'! .. there's at least 10 'No Brainers' left off the list. Posted on Oct 31 2009 04:59
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- Mike said...
- Spielberg has never made a masterpiece from start to finish? REALLY? Umm besides Jaws, how about Jaws 2, Close Encounters, Shindler's List, Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan, The Color Purple, E.T.? yeah those movies are just hollywood fluff I guess, according to this post. and as for Disney movies not being for "adults", I'm 32 and i thought UP was one of the most emotional movies I have seen in a long time for the ADULT themes in the movie, and I recently saw the rerelease of TOY STORY 1 and 2 in 3D and they are both STILL in my top ten movies of all time. At first I thought this list was written by someone who just had different tastes in film as I and I can respect that, but I think I see now it was written by someone who really doesnt have all that great taste in movies at all. Or possibly someone that just wants to see people argue back and forth, and if so your work here is done my friend! Posted on Oct 31 2009 03:32
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- _mark said...
- what??? No 'Chicken Run' or 'Ninja Scroll' or 'Animatrix' or 'Ghost in the Shell' or 'Horton hears Who?'??? Posted on Oct 30 2009 08:22
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- Sandman said...
- A best of list, which does list anime movies should not pick 15 movies from the studios that churn out the most movies and then just sprinkle random stuff in beteen....And Disney's repertoire of movies is nowhere even close to being the 'best' by any stretch of the word, the same way that Spielberg has not made a single movie that can be considered a masterpiece from start to finish ( except Jaws, the rest of his movies are pure cheese with some exceptionally brilliant set pieces), the same as Disney. More movies, less soul, and actually Miyazaki has made a large number of films most of which are considered masterpieces. Also there are some other brilliant movies that have been left out, like 'Waltz with Bashir'. I have predominantly watched the Hollywood and Anime movies, and I cant really say much about anime from other parts of the world. Anyway...my point is Disney has made 'some' good films, and are actually doing better with 3D animation than traditional animation, but most of the movies here don't deserve to be on the list, and defenitely not this high up. Also I assume this is a list for adults, in which case all Disney movies blow. Posted on Oct 30 2009 05:50
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- Mike said...
- You know another great movie that was left off this list? THE LION KING...... Posted on Oct 30 2009 00:37
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- bok said...
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WHAT ABOUT LION KING!?!?!?!
Best animated movie ever made! No doubt. Posted on Oct 29 2009 22:29 - Report as inappropriate
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- Mike said...
- Im a little confused why the term "Disney minions" seems to keep popping up, as if lovers of Disney films are inferior. I am a true movie buff because I can enjoy any genre of film no matter what, if its a good movie. But the fact of the matter is that Disney has simply made alot more animated films than most other studios, and they are responsible for starting the animation explosion. yeah they have made alot of crap (i.e., HOME ON THE RANGE) but they have a HUGE library of animated films and just by the numbers obviously there will be alot of great Disney films. As far as anime and Hayao Miyazaki, I myself love Japanese animation, but comparing Miyazaki to Disney is like comparing Spielbergs library to Tarentinos. Both are tremendous filmmakers in their own right but Spielbergs library is considerably larger than Tarentinos so obviously he has alot more great films. Hence why Disney always comes up from so many people, and should because they literally changed the face of animation MANY TIMES OVER; first animated feature length film, first full length computer animated film, first animated film to be nominated for a best picture Oscar, and ROGER RABBIT which was one of the most brilliant films I have ever seen. As i said previously I understand that this list is simply the OPINION of one individual HOWEVER enough with the Disneyphile bashing because lets face it, Disney is still king with animation. Posted on Oct 29 2009 19:20
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