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REVIEW
Oct. 16, 2023
The Boy and the Heron
Hayao Miyazaki’s movie employed a bold marketing approach. Studio Ghibli chose not to release any trailers or still images, leaving the audience with scarce information about what to anticipate. A single poster was released, as they believe that Miyazaki’s name was all the selling point they needed. Their faith paid off. The weekend box office for The Boy and The Heron was the largest the studio has ever seen, even surpassing the record for Howl’s Moving Castle. Review By: Wee Yan Ling
Genres: Drama, Anime, Adventure
Distributor: GKIDS
https://gkids.com/
Length: 124 minutes
Producer: Toshio Suzuki
Production companies: Studio Ghibli, Toho Company, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, Nippon Television Network
Description
Hayao Miyazaki’s movie employed a bold marketing approach. Studio Ghibli chose not to release any trailers or still images, leaving the audience with scarce information about what to anticipate. A single poster was released, as they believe that Miyazaki’s name was all the selling point they needed. Their faith paid off. The weekend box office for The Boy and The Heron was the largest the studio has ever seen, even surpassing the record for Howl’s Moving Castle.
Derived from the literary novel How Do You Live? By Genzaburo Yoshino, the story tells the story of Mahito Maki, a young child grappling with the tragic loss of his mother in a Tokyo fire during World War 2. His father relocates them to his wife’s hometown, where the boy is introduced to his stepmother. In the face of overwhelming grief and life filled with changes, Mahito finds solace in the enigmatic heron and an intriguing tower that harbours the rumours of being cursed.
Transitioning the internal battle with grief into an external conflict, Miyazaki thrusts his youthful protagonist into a surreal realm of fantasy and terror. Within this domain, Mahito faces the daunting task of saving his mother from her grim fate. It becomes an epic quest with Mahito assuming the role of a valiant knight, exhibiting a greater willingness to risk everything in the pursuit of fantastical adventures rather than facing the cruel realities that linger back home.
The Boy and The Heron is a profound examination of grief and the journey towards acceptance. Although the title may suggest a varying narrative, mirroring the novel’s original name in the Japanese release, this adaptation delves deeper than the mere story of a boy and a heron. The synergy between the two elements serves as an exceptional starting point for a film that is intricately crafted, visually captivating and unflinchingly sincere.
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