Note: Eight years ago, I collaborated with my nine-year-old daughter Sarah on a brief review of an animated film starring Clifford the Big Red Dog. It seems like yesterday, yet here Sarah is about to be a college student. In fact, she's leaving us this week. Her writing and her critical insights have matured a great deal in the last eight years, and over the years she's tried her hand at a few more movie reviews. This one, an essay on the Studio Ghibli coming-of-age tale Whisper of the Heart, is, I think, one of her best; certainly the first review I wrote as a college graduate (for the Warren Beatty film Dick Tracy, as I recall) doesn't hold a candle to this. Sarah captures this film so well that I have nothing to add. Scratch one title from the list of movies I hope to review someday.
Whisper of the Heart
Reviewed by Sarah E. Greydanus
The animated films of Studio Ghibli have long been admired for their wild imagination, for the fantastic worlds and images they present. Examples include the exotic, staggering jungles and isolated cultures of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, the elaborate da Vinci-esque technology of Castle in the Sky, and the surreal, haunting spirit world of Spirited Away, along with others that are less than masterpieces (the whimsical loopiness of Ponyo, the beautiful ruins of Tales from Earthsea).
Yet even at their most stunningly far-fetched, Ghibli films also have a history of celebrating the details of everyday life: cooking, cleaning, planting, studying, mending, become important and precious functions, worthy of devoted attention. Most recently, The Secret World of Arrietty infused the commonplace with probably unprecedented magic and wonder.
Director Yoshifumi Kondo's Whisper of the Heart may represent the studio’s simplest gesture of this honoring of everyday life. It moves and delights, not in another world or even a hidden magical corner, but amid the streets of Tokyo. Its heroine, a junior high school student named Shizuku (Brittany Snow), never actually stumbles into a fantastic adventure, but often feels as if she has. Perhaps a film like this, amid Hollywood’s current drive for blockbusters and spectacular epics, offers American viewers something they’ve been missing.
It’s another ultra-gentle Ghibli family film, along with My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Ponyo and The Secret World of Arrietty, but it may be more from an adolescent perspective than any of those. It is, however, quite an innocent, wholesome adolescent perspective; Shizuku and the other young characters are not “teenyboppers” nor has adolescence made them obnoxious, frivolous, stuck-up or any such thing. That alone is refreshing, on the screen or in reality.
Shizuku is yet another engaging Ghibli protagonist: bookish, impulsive, absentminded, imaginative, striving to find and develop her talents. She devotes a great deal of her free time to reading books, but also takes an interest in writing; in an early scene, she shows her lyrics to her best friend, Yuko (Ashley Tisdale). Shizuku sometimes suffers from doubts about whether her writing is really any good, but her rewrites of John Denver’s Country Road are among the things that make the film so memorable.
Besides being well-rounded, her character enables the filmmakers to continue some common Ghibli themes, notably that of wonder. Shizuku’s imagination is quick to be fascinated; when she notices a cat commuting on a city train by itself, she curiously runs after it, and her silent fascination at the place where it finally leads her is almost reminiscent of Lucy stepping through the wardrobe.
But Shizuku is also leaving childhood behind, and like many young people she struggles with the transition. “Why do we change?” she quietly laments. The little joys of earlier, simpler years are fading, and she’s trying to find a new inner balance.
With this growing-up period often comes youthful romance (though the romantic theme is as innocently handled as everything else). It first figures in Shizuku’s life when her friend Yuko confides that she “likes” one of their classmates; later on, despite her initial vigorous denials, Shizuku begins to be in love herself, and both girls go through some mental and emotional pains because of their affections.
Shizuku’s love interest, as it turns out, is similarly passionate and perfectionistic. His “dream” is to make violins, and not just learn the art but master it, a purpose for which he means to go and train in Cremona, Italy. Stirred by his ambition and commitment, Shizuku soon concludes that she, too, should try to achieve something beyond reading books and writing those lyrics that she still feels are inferior. Driven by both a desire to create something worthwhile and a need to prove herself worthy of someone more accomplished, she puts her imagination to work and again starts writing, this time to write her magnum opus of a fantasy novel.
Through all of this, Whisper of the Heart is frank about the weight of emotion that often comes with the loves of youth, whether of inspired creation or of another person, while also gently pointing to the most prudent ways of responding to…well, the whisper of the heart. Like the kindly old man who first appraises Shizuku’s novel, it is wisely understanding of young tides of enthusiasm or depression, of the delight of creation and the mistakes so easy to make when full of one thought or feeling.
The delight aspect is important too, and sometimes as energetically merry as anything from, say, Ponyo or My Neighbor Totoro. About halfway through the film, Shizuku’s lyrics and the boy’s violin skills converge into a lively, spontaneous second-act emotional climax, starting out awkward and hesitant, but blossoming out into joy and freedom and a strong shared enthusiasm. It’s the only major musical scene I’ve encountered in a Ghibli film, but it easily surpasses most of the scads of songs in Hollywood animation, for both cleverness and spiritedness.
Family doesn’t play as big a role as in some of the studio’s other above-mentioned films, but Shizuku’s parents, Asako (Jean Smart) and Seiya (James Sikking) are both present and entirely sympathetic. The story is not primarily about their family life, so they get comparatively little screen time, but the film does clearly affirm the importance of their place in their daughter’s life—a place that, ultimately, friends can’t fill—and the importance of the family being together. This is especially clear when Shizuku begins to fall into some problematic habits; when was the last animated film in which a young protagonist “followed her heart” in a misguided way and the parents’ intervention was necessary and right?
Of course the animation is exquisite. Part of the joy of the film is that the details of each setting—from Shizuku’s apartment to the school to the little antique shop—look like they could be right from the real world; in fact, a few magnificent images could almost be live action. Watch closely for two splendid shots involving reflections in the windows of moving vehicles; the smooth, natural capture of light and movement is almost unbelievable.
The realism of the animation echoes the realism of the story. Perhaps the most compelling aspect of the film is that characters and situations all ring so true, making the struggles and joys of a schoolgirl-writer vividly felt to the attentive viewer—especially those who are or remember searching for their own inspiration. In fact, when Shizuku and the young violin maker start to contemplate future achievements, one wonders if this is, to some degree, the story of where Studio Ghibli came from in the first place.
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Excellent job, Sarah, and good luck in college.
I am embarassed to admit that I’ve only seen three Studio Ghibli films (all of which were very good). Thanks for the additional recommendations.
Great review. I would say it’s one of the better Studio Ghibli reviews written by a Greydanus. That’s saying quite a bit, as imaginative family films are one of the areas where SDG tends to do his best work. A casual reader who didn’t read the byline or introduction might easily accept it as an SDG review, but there are passages that I feel SDG wouldn’t quite have written, and that’s all to the good. I get the impression that the film and the reviewer are well matched. If Sarah starts a film blog, please be sure to let us know!
Of course, this may be a film scratched off the list for you, but it’s a film added to an already too long list for me! But I guess that’s what happens when you spend too much time reading movie reviews.
What a lovely review of one of the loveliest movies I’ve ever seen. I hope Miss Greydanus keeps writing.
(The spam verification reads ‘truth38’. Obviously it agrees with me.)
An excellent review of an excellent movie. “Whisper” is one of my fave Ghibli movies. Hopefully, this review will encourage others to give it a shot.
Thank you all so much for your very kind input. Pachyderminator, I’d be immensely honored to think that this little piece is one of the better Ghibli reviews from this family, or that someone might have mistaken my review for my father’s. I think it goes without saying that I owe him a great deal of what I know about writing. Jason Morehead, I hope very much that my review would encourage people to try the film; film critics are always thrilled to make a difference (I think Papa will back me up on that). Thank you, Evan and Maggie, for your good wishes; I hope my education will serve my future writing. May God multiply Register readers and Studio Ghibli viewers!
This review really captures what is so special about the Studio Ghibli films: that they elevate the more mundane aspects of human existence and transigure it into something magical. In a sense, that’s what good film criticism does, too (though it’s taken me years to fully appreciate this, and why film criticism is even necessary): it takes the most ordinary experience there is (watching a movie on TV) and amplifies the significance and importance of that experience, showing how it can be truly meaningful. This review does all of that in a very clear and unpretentious fashion and makes me want to watch the film again. I don’t know what you have planned for your future, but I hope writing is a big part of it!
And I totally forgot that Ashley Tisdale (Candace Flynn) was in this film. I’m so there!
Sarah, this review bears the twin marks of a standout piece of film criticism: It inspires a finicky, time-strapped movie fan to seek out a show in which he or she would otherwise have had zero interest, and it holds up as a beautifully crafted composition in its own right. In fact, whatever else you do with your college career – wow, where have the years gone? – I really hope you make writing a major part of it.
Props to your dad, that master craftsman of composition whose every writing combines God-given talent with heartfelt passion and a tireless work ethic, for mentoring you in this part of your life.
Bravos to you both!
*in first line, insert “positive” between “of” and “film.” (Sarah, if you truly take after your dad, you’re equally adept at steering busy folks away from lousy movies!)
Sarah:
Very fine piece of work! The world needs more perceptive writers like you! You do your old man proud!
Whisper of the Heart is possibly my favorite Studio Ghibli film, and I think you captured the reasons that make it so special - an interesting heroine, a whimsical feel, and a pure presentation of adolescence.
Thanks for the wonderful review!
What a masterfully crafted review. I can see Miss Greydanus has inherited her father’s knack for prose. Keep up the good work, both of you!
Great review of film I love! I started reading at decentfilms.com and didn’t realize it wasn’t your dad until I clicked over to read the rest. Great job!
This is movie I like to watch whenever starting a big writing project. It depicts both the joys and the difficulties of writing so truthfully and so well…the sacrifice of time, the fear of revealing oneself to others, the sublime moment of joy when someone not only likes your story but is moved by it. I love the exterior shot of the apartment building at night: all the lights out except one, and it’s easy to guess whose room that is.
I’ve never seen the English dub, but the thing I love about the musical scene in the Japanese version is its joyous imperfection. I hope the English version managed to convey this by not being too perfect a performance.
This movie is also a great companion piece for “Kiki’s Delivery Service,” I think, since both deal with themes of inspiration, art, and hard work.
What are your thoughts on the ending? My wife and I really enjoyed this film until literally the last minute. The last few lines were tonally…off, and for my wife, at least, it really wrecked the whole film.
Gavin, can you tell Sarah and me more about how you felt the last lines were off, or what you would have preferred?
This is the end of the movie, so *spoilers*.
The proposal at the very end was like whiplash. It seemed like an extraordinary jump for what was the beginning of a first romance. I recall reading that it’s not in the source manga—that Miyazaki himself suggested the ending because he’s such a hopeless romantic. My wife and I went back and reread it with the subtitles (which are apparently translated straight from the Japanese), and Shizuku’s response is less “That’s what I always wanted” and more like “We’ll wait and see.”
The proposal totally ruined the film for my wife. I’m too much of a Studio Ghibli fanboy to not enjoy the film, but even a slight retooling of the last lines would have been better. Otherwise, it’s my favorite of the “quiet” Studio Ghibli films (unless Grave of the Fireflies counts).
Hope that helps.
Re. the ending, Miyazaki did indeed change it from the original manga. His reasoning: “I wanted to make a conclusion, a definite sense of ending. Too many young people now are afraid of commitment, and stay on moratorium forever. I wanted these two to just commit to something, not just ‘well, we’ll see what will happen’.”
FYI, you can find more “behind the scenes” details about the film here (contains spoilers):
http://www.nausicaa.net/wiki/Whisper_of_the_Heart_(FAQ)
I liked the ending. It was weird, but I like what Miyazaki said about commitment, and I found it a satisfying, if strange, ending.
Beautifully done review!! :) I love Studio Ghibli and my favorite movie is Kiki’s Delivery Service! I so want to see “Whisper of the Heart”.
What? Ponyo less than a masterpiece? Does not… compute.
Fionnuala: We love Ponyo, but a masterpiece it’s not. It’s utterly beguiling, but also slapdash and haphazard, with a seemingly random, anticlimactic resolution (Sosuke is supposed to be “tested,” but it doesn’t amount to much). I’m also a little disappointed that the father figures don’t fare as well as the mother figures (Koichi is likable but absent, and of course Fujimoto is just odd and a bit sinister).
Gavin: Adding to Jason Morehead’s helpful comments above regarding Miyazaki’s intent for the climax, Sarah tells me via text that she finds the ending plausible and true to the characters, even if it’s a little strange. It’s certainly unexpected, but not hard to imagine real young people making such a leap. Sarah also finds the characterization of Miyazaki as a “hopeless romantic” implausible, since none of his other films have so overt and central a romantic theme, or end in this way.
Sarah is right that none of Miyazaki’s own films hinge on a romantic relationship (though I maintain he’s a romantic in other ways, more romanticism than romance). That absence in his films underscores the strangeness of the ending here. Although I agree with Miyazaki’s sentiments on commitment, I’m not sure that an effusion of love was the best way of illustrating that theme. Considering the characters’ ages, it seems a little immature.
I don’t want to seem like I’m knocking the film, which I like very much. I greatly appreciated Sarah’s review as well!
Nice review of an adorable movie. Two things I’d like to add to the paragraph about the animation, the care for details, “the smooth, natural capture of light and movement”. One: the strong, touchable, presence of two “sensual” protagonists: the city (after the rural idilyc setting of “Totoro”, Miyazaki wanted Ghibli to depict people living in a “common” urban environment, and depict it with passion) and the climate (wind, sunlight, rain, heat, cold; for example, the rain and wind in the delicate scene in the school roof, and the chilling dawn when Shizuku gets from bed near the end). Two, the animation of those little human gestures and little rough edges of the real world that surround us, wholly ignored by conventional stilized animation (Disney): eg, when Shizuku tries to turn off the bedlight and she doesn’t reach it an must get up. Ghibli only.
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