The Tale Of Princess Kaguya
Finally got around to watching the Studio Ghibli movie “Tale of Princess Kaguya” this afternoon and MAN was it one of the most strangely sad and melancholy movies ever!There are some movies that tell a story that is sad, and then there are those that only really hit you how poignant they are when the movie is over and you’ve a chance to mull things over in your head, Princess Kaguya was both- a really sad and touching tale while I was watching it, and when I got a chance to sum up the story in my head, it was so achingly bittersweet that I found myself sobbing big old girlyman tears while the end credits ran.
The tale of Princess Kaguya (Kaguya-hime no Monogatari) is based on the Japanese folktale “The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter” and tells the story of a bamboo harvester who, when chopping down trees for his daily routine, is presented with a dazzling sight- a tiny princess within the shoots, all swaddled up in silk and no bigger than the palm of his hand.
He sees this a a gift from the heavens, and rushes home to show her to his wife. As the elderly couple swoon over the tiny princess, their touch turns her into a seemingly regular baby proper- and the couple delights in raising this child as their very own.
Though the baby has an unnatural habit of “growing” in size at odd spurts, she is a wonderful child, kind and loving with her new parents and wild and energetic when out with the neighborhood kids. The kids love her, especially eldest boy Sutemaru, who worries that she will grow out of her childish ways and leave the small bumpkin town. She assures him that that will never happen because she loves the people and village so much, and indeed, every day is filled with fun, laughter and wonder.
Meanwhile, the old Bamboo Cutter has continued to harvest his trees from the forest, and in the place where he once harvested his little daughter, the cut trees now give up gold pieces and even fine silks at his touch. They are truly rewarded, but the man sees this as a sign that his daughter is meant for riches and royalty and makes a decision they must use the silk and money to build her the life of a princess, full of mansions, servants and riches.
And so it was that the little girl who grew up happily in an impoverished neighborhood was suddenly plucked out of obscurity to a life of regal living in the big city, where she is groomed by a strict madame to get rid of her rough edges and give her some refinement.
Through trials and tribulations she does indeed succeed at mastering the role of royalty and wouuld become famous as Princess Kaguya, the woman whose mystique and beauty would go on to capture the desires of head lords all over Japan.
And yet, with all the attention and rising and rising into high society, a part of her always remained in the old town of hers, and looming even over that is the real mystery of who she really is and what her real purpose of being on earth is.
Aw MAN, this was such a beautifully told story- at first I was concerned that the very minimalistic style of artwork would be a distraction, but I was pleasantly surprised how lush and captivating it was- its style made it seemed like you’d stepped into an old traditional Japanese watercolor painting, and the MUSIC- Oh my GOSH, I haven’t had a score touch me as much since “The Road Home”- really had me misty-eyed from the beginning of the movie as soon as its first notes played!
