Directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
Starring Noriko Hidaka and Chika Sakamoto.
Starring Noriko Hidaka and Chika Sakamoto.
In a Nutshell: Two girls discover a hidden world of benevolent forest spirits.
My Neighbor Totoro is Hayao Miyazaki at his most gentle and melancholy, with deep respect towards nature and family. It acts on a smaller scale than his later work, but no less delightful. Miyazaki’s work acts as a fine contrast to the standard Disney film; Totoro has no villains, heartless adults, or manufactured plot contrivances. It is still a fantasy, but uses those elements lightly to complement its human story. Here, fantasy is an escape and a place of innocence for its two main characters; sisters Satsuki and Mei. They move with their father to the country in order to be closer to the hospital where their mother is ill. With their mother’s condition an ever-haunting presence, they discover a host of benign spirits that act as protectors of the forest.
My Neighbor Totoro is Hayao Miyazaki at his most gentle and melancholy, with deep respect towards nature and family. It acts on a smaller scale than his later work, but no less delightful. Miyazaki’s work acts as a fine contrast to the standard Disney film; Totoro has no villains, heartless adults, or manufactured plot contrivances. It is still a fantasy, but uses those elements lightly to complement its human story. Here, fantasy is an escape and a place of innocence for its two main characters; sisters Satsuki and Mei. They move with their father to the country in order to be closer to the hospital where their mother is ill. With their mother’s condition an ever-haunting presence, they discover a host of benign spirits that act as protectors of the forest.
Miyazaki’s dream world is one built on the comforts of nature and the thrill of discovery. The mere act of planting one of Totoro’s acorns becomes a celebration and a hope for the future. Both Satsuki and Mei are wonderfully characterized. Satsuki has been forced into an adult role to cope with her mother’s absence and it is a joy to watch her rediscover herself through Totoro and company. Mei’s wide-eyed exuberance never falters and we share in her infectious childish bliss. A family crisis presents itself (the girls’ mother is unable to see visitors), but is handled with a respectable realism. The girls’ concern for their mother speaks to every child’s fear of death, particularly to the ones we love. Miyazaki skirts an easy resolution, instead accepting the occasional hardships of life with strong optimism.
Totoro diverts the girls from their sadness, but the film achieves far more. My Neighbor Totoro is a heartfelt experience bringing the delights of imagination and the challenges that usher us into adulthood. Miyazaki is only too happy to welcome us into his world of sensible, trusting adults and wondrous landscapes. It understands the heartaches of life while longing to bring us into a warm embrace. A masterpiece of animation.
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