Review of 'Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron'
I am a huge fan of Studio Ghibli and it's director Hayao Miyazaki who has brought us animation masterpieces such as “Spirited Away”, “Princess Mononoke”, “Kiki's Delivery Service”, Ponyo, and, of course, his latest film The Boy and the Heron. In “Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron” over the course of two hours we follow the manic and chaotic creative process of the director as he creates this latest, and possibly most personal, work. It is a remarkably candid and much more revelatory viewpoint of the man offering a level of candour we have never seen before. It is clear this film is going to be different when it starts with a scene featuring the great man naked in a hot spring chatting away to the camera (of course, appropriately pixelated). The honesty continues throughout with little effort taken to filter anything out, capturing Miyazaki as he candidly talks to himself and others, very seldom even acknowledging the camera is there. Arakawa makes a huge effort to capture as much of the real Miyazaki as possible which results in a frank and, I feel, realistic view of the master director.
The documentary shows us a man who wrings his very soul in the creation of his films – These are what he has committed his entire life to and still compel him now at the age of 85. He is well known for repeatedly resigning from directing only to go away and create another film. At one point here he admits that he will never retire but, true to his nature, at another point states he will retire. What is nice to witness is his relationship with the local school children who he never fails to greet as he passes by their school every day and shamelessly spoils demonstrating that he has at least a modicum of life outside of making films…but it is a small modicum.
The main story is of Miyazaki simply trying to complete the semi-autobiographical “The Boy and the Heron”, struggling with his personal demons including doubt of his talent as he tries to create a film that lives up to the extremely high standards he sets for himself. At one point we see him repeatedly trying to get the face of a character correct as he erases it over and over again, never quite happy with the result (he eventually hands it over, somewhat reluctantly, to another animator). His age, of course, is becoming yet another obstacle to his creative process as we can see his physical stamina is declining despite insisting on pressing himself. We see how Miyazaki struggles with the sudden loss of long-time friend, mentor and co-worker Isao Takahata (“Paku-san”). He tries to set this aside but finds his thoughts continually turning to memories he has of the two with flashbacks of earlier times the two were together. Other losses follow shortly after, each one adding further emotional weight as he struggles to come to grips with them.
One theme is that Miyazaki often makes no differentiation between reality and fantasy which is very much in evidence and shown on the screen with frequent flashbacks to his great works. For Miyazaki, imagination is not an escape from reality but an extension of it – and the documentary captures that porous boundary beautifully. What is abundantly clear is that he is man of contradictions and yet, somehow, he finds a way to muddle through and deliver amazing films with the final minutes of this documentary paying tribute to that as the accolades come in for “The Boy and the Heron” following its eventual release.
I have to say that the film does feel a bit over-long and repetitious over the two hour running time but at the same time it is captivating to watch. Fans of Japanese animation or film-making in general will find this an interesting insight into the man behind the best animated films of all time. This is a portrait of a man who can’t stop creating, even when creation hurts him — and that tension is what makes this documentary essential viewing.
Rating: “Nearly perfect, but not quite”
Review Date: 2026-04-25
Directed by: Kaku Arakawa
Studio: NHK
Year: 2024
Length: 120 minutes
Genre: Documentary
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32408421/