Still as enchanting and imaginative as ever, even if Miyazaki’s work had to overcome some pacing issues and an anything-goes narrative.

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I find myself leaning towards a less celebratory perspective on this one. Hayao Miyazaki has been a lifelong inspiration, a constant presence in my cinematic revisits, and a creator whose work has left a lasting impact on me.

However, my experience with The Boy and the Heron left me slightly underwhelmed and less emotionally attached compared to his other films.

Meant to be a swansong and a parting gift to his grandson—and to humanity who learnt more about themselves through his works—Heron does feel like a highlight reel of some of the loose conceptual and artistic ideas that have laid the groundwork for the director’s visual style and thematic preoccupations, only that it feels more fragmented and less cogent than usual.

I believe that the more contemplative The Wind Rises (2013) was much more adept in expressing Miyazaki’s cumulative wisdom than Heron did. 

Setting aside the top-class animation, which remains as enchanting and imaginative as ever, Heron grapples with its primary issue—the anything-goes narrative and some pacing problems.

“She’s awaiting your rescue.”

The film begins with a tragic prologue where a boy named Mahito loses his mother in a fire, arguably one of the most heart-wrenching starts for a Studio Ghibli picture. The story then moves to the countryside, where Mahito, now with his father and a new stepmother, encounters a talking heron urging him to rescue his late mother.

Miyazaki takes us into a vibrant fantasy, marked by an assortment of oneiric worlds that seem to operate in the liminal spaces between life and death, and where even more species of talking birds reside. 

The problem is that this ‘dream logic’ where there are no rules, and the animators could casually conjure up anything and characters conveniently explain anything, imbues Heron with less consequentiality and permanence. 

I recognise that the ‘airy-fairy-ness’ of it all could also be Miyazaki’s intention as the film is about letting go and charting one’s own path, though I am not particularly convinced by how these themes have been expressed.  The film also takes a tad too long to kick into gear and feels rather frenzied in its storytelling in the latter half. 

Heron is doing very well at the box-office worldwide, and if this motivates Miyazaki to come out of retirement once again, it would be as pure a blessing as any.

Grade: B

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Trailer:

Music:

https://youtu.be/McbAapn1HX8?si=e_UDMYSpLsZZtIN7