Hayao Miyazaki is one of the highest acclaimed animated film directors of all time, and rightfully so. He has made intricate, beautifully animated, thought-provoking films that will satisfy and entice viewers of all age groups. He is personally, my second favorite director (just behind Stanley Kubrick), and his films have been a very influential part of my life from a young age. I would be wrong to say that his utilization of strong female leads did not in one way or another shape who am I today. Additionally, his repeated themes regarding the coexistence between humankind and nature carry a special importance in my mind because of such films as "Princess Mononoke" and "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind." On that note, I have compiled a hierarchical list of Miyazaki's best (in my opinion) ten movies. Here they are in all their glory:
10. "Porco Rosso"
"Porco Rosso" follows a WW1 fighter pilot veteran who has been cursed to resemble a pig. Stellar commentary on war right off the bat from Miyazaki, who has made his feelings regarding war painfully clear throughout his film career. This movie shamelessly shames war and has a remorseful, bitter, pig protagonist to exemplify it. It is beautifully animated, and culminates with a comical rivalry between Porco and Curtis, a movie star pilot, over the lovely Gina. Overall it's a delightful film, and one of Miyazaki's funniest.
9. "Kiki's Delivery Service"
"Kiki's Delivery Service" is one of Miyazaki's quintessential children's movies. It follows Kiki, a young witch, as she leaves home to find herself, and runs a delivery-by-broomstick business. This movie is wonderful because it portrays a young girl as a human being; she isn't a fearless warrior princess, rather, she is young, scared, alone, and struggling to find out who she is as a witch and a person. The plain humanity of Kiki's character, and of many other female characters in Miyazaki's films, really allows young girls (such as myself) to connect with on-screen heroes, which is extremely important for empowering women to be strong and independent as well as full of heart and emotion.
8. "My Neighbor Totoro"
Easily the most hailed children's movie by Miyazaki, "My Neighbor Totoro" follows sisters Mei and Satsuki as they adjust to a new home, an ailing mother, and a giant, fluffy, forest god in their backyard. It's an adorable film about the beauty and fleetingness of childhood, with some serious undertones regarding human's attention to nature. According to the film, only children can see Totoro, the God of the Forest. One could equate that to only children seeing the value, importance, and fragility of nature.
7. "Ponyo"
"Ponyo" focuses on the special relationship between a young boy, Sôsuke, and a goldfish princess named Ponyo. Based on "The Little Mermaid," young Ponyo falls in love with Sôsuke and transforms herself into a quasi-human to exist with him (although the concept of love in Miyazaki's films is very different from the kind of love seen in Disney's "The Little Mermaid"). Love in Miyazaki's films is more concerning companionship than romance; in that each person is there for the other unconditionally, lending support and care, rather than getting married within three days of meeting.
6. "The Wind Rises"
"The Wind Rises" was, sadly, Miyazaki's last film. It was a doozy though. It was stunningly animated, and the plot mirrored, beautifully and tragically, Miyazaki's own artistic journey. The film follows Jiro Horikoshi, who designed Japanese fighter planes during World War II. An interesting contrast from Miyazaki, who designed revolutionary films against war. The film traces the artistic process, from birth to the end of the "fifteen minutes of fame." My heart ached watching it, as I saw Miyazaki's quiet message that his fifteen minutes were over.
5. "Howl's Moving Castle"
"Howl's Moving Castle," one of my personal favorites, is probably Miyazaki's most blatantly anti-war movie to date. In this fictional realm, there is a war going on, and although the war drives the majority of the plot, it is never clarified or given any form or detail. In fact, it is almost treated as a scornful afterthought. Instead, Miyazaki chooses to flesh out the more human story of love, trust, and pain between Sophie, who was cursed to become an old woman, Howl, a bratty wizard with no heart, Calcifer, an affectionate and hardworking fire demon, and Turniphead, a perpetually sideways scarecrow.
4. "Castle in the Sky"
"Castle in the Sky" is, shockingly, about a floating castle called Laputa. It is intricately told, rich with complex characters such as strangely affectionate sky pirates, and ripe with commentary on the balance between mankind and nature. Pazu, a young orphan boy, spies a young girl falling out of the sky one day, and kindly catches her. Sheeta, the girl, then turns out to be the key to a long lost civilization that made its home high above the clouds. Pazu and Sheeta race to protect Laputa from the appropriately, negatively portrayed army and a greedy band of pirates.
3. "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind"
"Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind" is hands down my favorite Hayao Miyazaki movie ever. Nausicaä, a pacifistic heroine princess, was extremely crucial in my younger years in my personal development. Nausicaä is the princess of a small peaceful kingdom in a post-apocalyptic wasteland of a world, where humankind has destroyed its balance with nature and poisoned the entire earth. Nausicaä seeks to peacefully restore this balance, all the while struggling against a warring nation that has invaded her own kingdom and imposed a violent presence. The resilience and kind-hearted nature of the female protagonist is amazing to me, in that she does need to be hyper-sexualized or overtly violent to drastically affect the direction of the whole world.
2. "Spirited Away"
"Spirited Away" is probably Miyazaki's most well known film. It follows a young girl, Chihiro, as she is trapped in the spirit world and forced to mature a lot faster than intended. It is a simply gorgeous film; the animation is absolutely amazing. Additionally, the characters in "Spirited Away" are extremely intricate and multi-faceted. Chihiro is strong yet fragile, Haku is cold but tragically compassionate, and Yubaba is greedy but honest. It definitely deserves all the acclaim it has received over the years.
1. "Princess Mononoke"
"Princess Mononoke" is probably Miyazaki's most powerful film ever made. The balance between humankind and nature is central to this movie. Although it is more violent than any of Miyazaki's other movies, the gore serves a purpose. Humans have ruined a forest to mine iron, and it has enraged the gods of the forest and killed countless animals. Ashitaka, a young prince, is cursed by a dying boar god and is banished to go find a cure for his ailment. On his journeys, he finds the Iron Town, and attempts to restore the balance between humans and nature. San, the adopted daughter of Moro, a wolf god, represents the clash between humans and nature, as she is torn between the two worlds. This movie is a flawless combination of Miyazaki's signature animation style and his thematic elements regarding the coexistence between man and nature, the importance of a companionate love, and strong female characters. It is truly a masterpiece.
