Forum - View topicThe Power of Family: Mamoru Hosoda's Narrative Driving Force
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Ralph Snackshi
Posts: 23 |
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This is a great article! Glad to see Hosoda’s work getting this kind of analysis.
I remember reading an interview Hosoda did when ‘Mirai’ was released, where he said he made ‘Wolf Children’ after his mother passed away and that he deliberately made it as a bittersweet, nostalgic ode to her. He said something like “it’s the mother/childhood I want to remember.” I can definitely feel it every time I watch it; there’s a sadness and wistfulness that runs through the entire film even in the moments of joy and beauty. I can't think of any movie that has had as strong an emotional impact on me as that. Also, I always felt like you could read ‘Wolf,’ ‘Boy and the Beast’ and ‘Mirai’ as a trilogy showing Hosoda’s growth and understanding of parenthood. With ‘Wolf Children’ you have Hosoda remembering/saying goodbye to his childhood, internalizing what he learned from his mother and looking to the future. Then with ‘Boy and the Beast’, which came out after his first child was born, I’ve always read as Hosoda saying “I hope I don’t screw this up, I will try not to.”. As you say, its dealing with boys who are let down by their fathers and learning to forgive them as well as men not knowing how to express their emotions. Finally you have ‘Mirai’ which realistically depicts the struggle of raising kids; here you get the fights, the tantrums, the balance of child-rearing and work and the passing of knowledge onto the next generation. Again, great job on this! |
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kiddtic
 Posts: 309 Location: Kitwe, Zambia |
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Thank you so much.
The Trilogy analysis is quite accurate and a really good way of looking at those films. I will certainly be recommending them as a trifecta. |
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Alestal
 Posts: 605 Location: Dallas, Texas |
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Fantastic article. This was a very throughout and well written analysis of these incredible movies.
I liked how you brought up the comparison between raising special needs children and the struggles the mother in Wolf Children goes through. I often thought of it when I have watched the film, but never put that into words. The scenes where the children are throwing tantrums and struggling to fit into "normal" society are certainly heart wrenching moments. Mirai is definitely my favorite of all of Mamoru Hosoda's films. I saw this movie in theatres (with my twin brother and my sister) and added it to my collection as soon as it was released.
This sequence makes me tear up every time I watch it, or even when I think about it sometimes. I never had the opportunity to get to know any of my grandparents (they passed early) and I have often wondered what it would've been like to have had the chance to learn from them. I think that "desire" was perfectly fulfilled and brought to life in this scene. The idea that you can draw motivation from your ancestors to overcome the struggles in life is a beautiful thing. I've mentioned this before, but I find this scene to be reminiscent of the works of Satoshi Kon... specifically Millennium Actress. The ways in which the directors draw an emotional connection from the viewer and incorporate action/movement are very similar. It makes me think of the scene where Chiyoko is riding a bike as she moves through different eras of her life. |
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kiddtic
Posts: 309 Location: Kitwe, Zambia |
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Thank you so much. Yes that sequence in Millennium Actress resonated with me as well. That movie has a special place in my heart for very similar reasons. |
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