Adapted by Hayao Miyazaki from the children’s book by Eiko Kadono, this was Studio Ghibli’s fourth feature film and yet, somewhat surprisingly, their first real box-office success.
Upon
turning thirteen, teenage witch Kiki must leave home in order to complete her
training. Accompanied on her broomstick by her sarcastic familiar black cat
Jiji, Kiki leaves her loving parents behind and clumsily flies off into the
starry night. A storm forces her to seek refuge on an overnight cattle train.
Awakened by the cows on board who are breakfasting on the straw Kiki and Jiji
have bedded down on, Kiki takes flight once more into a clear blue sky morning
and eventually comes to a picturesque city by the sea. Not possessing any
specific skills like potion-making or fortune-telling, Kiki is initially at a
loss as to what she can offer the city as their witch in residence. But she
soon utilises her broom-flying abilities to reunite an infant with its
“pacifier” (dummy to you and I) and
an idea begins to surface...
This is
a gentle coming-of-age tale set in an alternative 1950’s where world war hasn’t
occurred. Bi-planes and airships grace the blue skies over the fictional city
of Koriko (largely inspired by the cityscapes of Stockholm and specifically the
city of Visby on the island of Gotland). Beautifully detailed buildings and
streets are meticulously rendered and offer a breathtaking degree of realism.
The magic elements of the story are played very matter-of-fact and at its heart
we have a young teenage girl embarking on a journey of self-discovery (albeit
on a broomstick).
In
Miyazaki’s skilled hands he conjures up a potent charm which avoids falling
into saccharine sweetness by its genuine honesty and consummate craftsmanship.
Purists will no doubt insist on the original Japanese audio track (and I would never usually go against this point of view) Audio-wise, but the US dub is a fairly decent effort,
albeit tweaked for its targeted audience. Kirsten Dunst gives a reasonable account as
Kiki but Phil Hartman’s sub-Nathan Lane turn as JiJi the cat adds a welcome
touch of cynicism to the proceedings which plays more favourably to my ears than the harsher-sounding original (sacrilege I know but...)
*****(out of 5*)
Paul Worts
No comments:
Post a Comment