Tales from Earthsea
November 13th 2007 02:21
Category: Movies
Director: Goro Miyazaki.
Screenplay: Goro Miyazaki & Keiko Niwa.
Producer: Toshio Suzuki.
Starring: Timothy Dalton (Sparrowhawk), Willem Dafoe (Cob), Cheech Marin (Hare), Matt Levin (Arren), Blaise Restaneo (Therru) and Mariska Hargitay (Tenar).
Produced by: 2006 Studio Ghibli.
Released by: Madman Entertainment.
Running Time: 115 minutes. Rating: M.
Years ago as a kid in high school I remember reading the story A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin and it was an enjoyable read. It was a tale of ancient sorceries, shadows, true names, self discovery and strange exotic locales with unusual names as well its own unique ancient language known as Hardic that all existed in a world called Earthsea. And there were dragons, lean sleek creatures with hypnotic gazes and an innate ability to wield magic as well as breathe fire. All in the entire world was as detailed as that of some of Tolkien’s Middle Earth or Howard’s Hyboria and it had a certain unique charm. So one day when I was perusing the shelves at the local video store and I came across this DVD I picked it up handed over the money for rental then took it home to watch.
Now apparently someone did do a live action version of A Wizard of Earthsea that aired on the local pay TV networks here in Australia but not being a big fan of pay TV I never actually saw this particular version. As far as know this is the first anime version of Earthsea that I have come across produced by one of the major Japanese anime studios, Studio Ghibli ,who have produced such works as the award winning Spirited Away. So with such a noted anime studio working on a project like this expectations would naturally be high, especially with some big name actors such as Timothy Dalton and Willem Dafoe playing the main characters in the tale. It can be said with some certainty that Studio Ghibli has definitely come up trumps with this anime, crafting in what my opinion can be called an elegant masterpiece.
The tale begins with a ship on a storm tossed ocean; the captain is baffled by the fact that this sudden storm has occurred it’s not natural to say the least. He calls upon his weather worker to try and quell things and smooth their passage. He stands on the deck of the ship and then turns to his captain and tells him that he has forgotten the names of the waves and of the wind, he cannot work the magic that is his art. Names are an all important aspect of the magic of Earthsea and without them a wizard is effectively powerless. As if this revelation isn’t enough the lookout suddenly spots something in the distance; a dragon. Then another dragon suddenly appears and the two commence fighting with one of them eventually plummeting dead into the ocean. This is a bad omen by anyone’s measure for dragons are not noted for fighting amongst themselves.
It seems that this is not the only unusual occurrence that is happening throughout the various island realms of Earthsea. It seems that wizards and sorceresses have lost their power all over Earthsea, crops are failing, animals are dying and in some cases people are going mad. Dragons fighting are just one more indication that something is wrong with the Balance, the force that is behind the ebb and flow of existence. The King of Enlad and his advisors are attempting to do what they can for the people in this trying time but their secular power is not what will resolve the crisis that is sweeping Earthsea. It can alleviate the suffering of the people and lessen the impact upon society but only someone versed in the nature of the Balance and in the arts magical can resolve this situation. Enter Sparrowhawk, the Archmage of Earthsea and the one man who has some suspicion of what might be occurring to cause the disruptions and chaos in the world.
This movie is an affirmation of the great cycle of being and life, it is a moral tale that tells us by hanging onto something obsessively we loose what we cherish anyway and gain nothing. This is not to say that we should simply passively sit by and let life just walk all over you that is simply apathy, instead one must live in harmony with life and accept its rhythms and make what you can from them. The other major aspect is the idea of responsibility, Sparrowhawk as the Archmage of Earthsea has tremendous command of the magical arts and can do truly amazing things yet he only uses his magic when necessary. Magic is something that is to be used with responsibility, not just at the whim of an individual for something trifling and petty. Lack of responsibility when wielding magic can only lead to tragedy and depending on the circumstance involved the tragedy cannot not only involve the wielder but can shift the very Balance itself, causing all manner of calamity such as the forgetting of names, fighting dragons and the failure of crops.
Tales from Earthsea truly is a wonder and well worth watching. The animation is superb, watch for the scene where Sparrowhawk is riding across the countryside, his wizards staff alight, towards the castle of his nemesis, the wizard Cob. Its something truly amazing and reminded me of the scene in Akira where Kaneda and his friends are riding through the streets of Neo Tokyo on their bikes, their light leaving streams as the speed down the highways. The cast of voice actors also give the various characters that extra bit of feeling, you find yourself with the sensation that you are watching actual people than just animated characters. Tales of Earthsea also provokes various emotional highs and lows – there is sadness, loss, fear along with hope, joy and good humour. It truly is a masterpiece of a movie, a bona fide magical wonder.
Screenplay: Goro Miyazaki & Keiko Niwa.
Producer: Toshio Suzuki.
Starring: Timothy Dalton (Sparrowhawk), Willem Dafoe (Cob), Cheech Marin (Hare), Matt Levin (Arren), Blaise Restaneo (Therru) and Mariska Hargitay (Tenar).
Produced by: 2006 Studio Ghibli.
Released by: Madman Entertainment.
Running Time: 115 minutes. Rating: M.
Years ago as a kid in high school I remember reading the story A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin and it was an enjoyable read. It was a tale of ancient sorceries, shadows, true names, self discovery and strange exotic locales with unusual names as well its own unique ancient language known as Hardic that all existed in a world called Earthsea. And there were dragons, lean sleek creatures with hypnotic gazes and an innate ability to wield magic as well as breathe fire. All in the entire world was as detailed as that of some of Tolkien’s Middle Earth or Howard’s Hyboria and it had a certain unique charm. So one day when I was perusing the shelves at the local video store and I came across this DVD I picked it up handed over the money for rental then took it home to watch.
It seems that this is not the only unusual occurrence that is happening throughout the various island realms of Earthsea. It seems that wizards and sorceresses have lost their power all over Earthsea, crops are failing, animals are dying and in some cases people are going mad. Dragons fighting are just one more indication that something is wrong with the Balance, the force that is behind the ebb and flow of existence. The King of Enlad and his advisors are attempting to do what they can for the people in this trying time but their secular power is not what will resolve the crisis that is sweeping Earthsea. It can alleviate the suffering of the people and lessen the impact upon society but only someone versed in the nature of the Balance and in the arts magical can resolve this situation. Enter Sparrowhawk, the Archmage of Earthsea and the one man who has some suspicion of what might be occurring to cause the disruptions and chaos in the world.
This movie is an affirmation of the great cycle of being and life, it is a moral tale that tells us by hanging onto something obsessively we loose what we cherish anyway and gain nothing. This is not to say that we should simply passively sit by and let life just walk all over you that is simply apathy, instead one must live in harmony with life and accept its rhythms and make what you can from them. The other major aspect is the idea of responsibility, Sparrowhawk as the Archmage of Earthsea has tremendous command of the magical arts and can do truly amazing things yet he only uses his magic when necessary. Magic is something that is to be used with responsibility, not just at the whim of an individual for something trifling and petty. Lack of responsibility when wielding magic can only lead to tragedy and depending on the circumstance involved the tragedy cannot not only involve the wielder but can shift the very Balance itself, causing all manner of calamity such as the forgetting of names, fighting dragons and the failure of crops.
Tales from Earthsea truly is a wonder and well worth watching. The animation is superb, watch for the scene where Sparrowhawk is riding across the countryside, his wizards staff alight, towards the castle of his nemesis, the wizard Cob. Its something truly amazing and reminded me of the scene in Akira where Kaneda and his friends are riding through the streets of Neo Tokyo on their bikes, their light leaving streams as the speed down the highways. The cast of voice actors also give the various characters that extra bit of feeling, you find yourself with the sensation that you are watching actual people than just animated characters. Tales of Earthsea also provokes various emotional highs and lows – there is sadness, loss, fear along with hope, joy and good humour. It truly is a masterpiece of a movie, a bona fide magical wonder.
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