Film and TV
Underappreciated: My Neighbour Totoro
Underappreciated casts its appreciative eye on the whimsically charming children’s film My Neighbour Totoro.
"To-to-ro? You're Totoro!... I bet you're Totoro..."
Director and animator Hayao Miyazaki, along with his production company Studio Ghibli, became a household name in Britain and America with the Oscar-winning Spirited Away, but by no means was it their first great film. In fact, there are almost too many to choose from. Many people would recommend Princess Mononoke as Miyazaki’s masterpiece but this already has a huge cult following, and some of his smaller films are much more engaging and lovable. My Neighbour Totoro was released in Japan in 1988 and so is probably older than the majority of you, but the film does not feel at all dated. It is, essentially, a children’s film and can easily match the brilliance of anything Disney has produced, and just as adults can enjoy Disney and Pixar’s offerings Miyazaki’s film can capture the hearts of big kids of all ages.
Centred on the adventures of two young sisters called Satsuki and Mei, My Neighbour Totoro is a simple film about growing up, sisterly love, nature, and the imagination. At the beginning of the film Satsuki and Mei move to a ramshackle new house in the countryside with their father whilst their mother is in hospital with an unspecified long-term illness. They explore their new home and encounter soot spirits (who also make an appearance in Spirited Away) in the property, which some of the local people tell them is haunted. One day, Mei spots and follows a small pointy-eared creature through the woods to encounter a giant fluffy monster she names Totoro. At first Satsuki does not believe that Totoro exists but she later meets him and the two girls enjoy their adventures with the forest spirits, whom the adults seemingly cannot see. When Mei goes missing in an attempt to visit their mother in hospital a distraught Satsuki has to enlist the help of Totoro in order to find her.
The hand-drawn animation in this film is absolutely stunning, as is with all of Miyazaki’s work. The colours and the natural scenery create a vivid depiction of the world that the girls are exploring and the various spirit creatures are wonderfully crazy. Totoro, now the mascot for Studio Ghibli on account of being just so cute, is simply lovable, especially in the scene where Satsuki shows him how to use an umbrella. And the Many- Legged Cat-Bus (for that is the only way it can be described) bears more than a passing resemblance to John Tenniel’s drawings of the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland, which the film references more than once. It is just about the weirdest form of public transport you can imagine.
Miyazaki also carefully avoids many of the clichés often found in abundance in American children’s films and manages to preserve a sense of childish wonder at the same time as dealing with serious themes. Totoro confronts the difficulties of living away from a sick parent and the stresses this puts on a family. This works especially well in the character of Satsuki, who feels she has to look after her little sister and her father in her mother’s absence. The magical Totoro offers her a way of retaining her youthful innocence and wonder at a moment when she is feeling enormous pressure to grow up. The film is aimed principally at children but it would be a shame to dismiss Miyazaki’s superbly crafted film for this reason alone, because it is just too good to be missed. A story that is lovingly told and beautifully drawn, Totoro is a treat for all but those with a heart of stone.
Topics: Culture, Film, Underappreciated
