Movie No. 38 (2014): PONYO ON THE CLIFF BY THE SEA
Ponyo On The Cliff By The Sea (2008)
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
In Japanese, with English subtitles
Studio Ghibli presents the story of a five-year-old boy (Sozuke) who finds a goldfish on the shore by the cliff and adopts it. He names the fish Ponyo, who, he doesn't know, is a princess in the sea. And this princess longs to be human; her father objects.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
In Japanese, with English subtitles
Studio Ghibli presents the story of a five-year-old boy (Sozuke) who finds a goldfish on the shore by the cliff and adopts it. He names the fish Ponyo, who, he doesn't know, is a princess in the sea. And this princess longs to be human; her father objects.
The old-school, hand-drawn, colorful animation is typical of Studio Ghibli's or Hayao Miyazaki's. What I appreciate most in this movie are the images that I supposed to be a child's point of view (Sozuke's) (for example, the fish-shaped tsunami waves) and the symbolic actions (for example, Ponyo's father squeezing her to become baby again). There's more of such images. There's a scene that visually comments on ocean pollution; another on how the young treat the old; and a lot of scenes that suggest celebration of love, like love for the family, father's love for a child, and children's innocent love and affection.
This is a film that children and the 'child in every adult' will truly enjoy.
Rating: 4.0/4.0
Date seen: April 16, 2014
Comments