Foreword: Studio Ghibli, which represents the highest artistic standard of traditional animation, was founded by Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki, who have distinct personalities and very different styles. Takahata can be regarded as Miyazaki's Bole, mentor and friend, but his name is often hidden behind the dazzling Miyazaki Hayao, and his honor and appreciation are never contested and indifferent. Compared with Miyazaki's ability to unfold grand narratives and interpret far-reaching philosophical propositions in the fantasy magical world, Takahata focuses more on the trickles of daily life, presenting the poetry and relief of ordinary life with a delicate and calm prose poetry-like technique of literati temperament, which is quiet and intriguing under the light of Miyazaki Hayao.
"The Fairy Tale of the Years" is an animated film directed by Takahata, which continues his usual style - simple and ordinary, Takahata is good at digging out the true meaning of life hidden in the plain and idyllic daily life. The film grossed 1.87 billion yen after its completion in 1991, making it the highest-grossing animated film of the year in the region.
The heroine, Myoko, a 27-year-old newspaper clerk, applied to the newspaper for a 10-day leave to visit relatives in the countryside. On the train, Myoko feels the beauty of going back in time from the fleeting scenery, evoking her memories of her childhood.
Upon arrival, Myoko is greeted by her brother-in-law's cousin, Toshio. With toshio's help, Myoko, who grew up in the city, quickly became acquainted with country life. In the process of her intimate relationship with the peasants, she could not help but be attracted by the simple and primitive life atmosphere of the countryside. On the eve of Myoko's return to Tokyo, Toshio's grandmother suddenly reconciles her with Toshio, and Myoko makes a choice about her future after much deliberation.
In my opinion, this is a film about women releasing themselves and finding their true selves, and it is also a youth memoir that awakens our positive energy in the context of anime.
In the narrative of parallel time and space, the film delicately tells the growth and rebirth brought by her childhood past to Myoko. This article will interpret the search and reshaping of the protagonist Myoko's self-identity in the process of adulthood from the three aspects of "narrative structure, theme connotation, and style performance", as well as the practical significance of human identity and construction:
● Narrative Structure: The film adopts a prose-poetic two-line parallel narrative structure that is rarely tried in commercial animation to present the complexity of life
● Theme connotation: With the theme of spiritual growth, it shows the growth process of Myoko "from silkworm pupa to beautiful butterfly"
● Style performance: A surreal mirror scene juxtaposed with reality and memory, which resonates with the audience and inspires a deep sense of empathy for finding the true self
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" >01, presentation of narrative structure</h1>
Instead of adopting a traditional dramatic structure, the film adopts a prose-poetic two-line parallel narrative structure.
The narrative structure of prose poetry has neither strong dramatic conflicts nor binary opposing characters or judgments of right and wrong. The course of the film is to synthesize many phenomena and problems of equal importance into a whole to show the complexity of life, and the drama is not condensed together, but is led into rivers, scattered into many streams and ditches.
(1) The film's prose poetic narrative is parallel in two lines, and the event scene presents a living space with two parallel relationships
A clue tells the story of Myoko in the city who uses her vacation to return to the countryside to enjoy the pastoral life. In the countryside, she meets Toshio, a young man who has given up his superior job in a big city and devoted himself to agricultural development, and the two meet and develop a good feeling for each other. Inspired by Toshio and driven by her own heart, Myoko finally chose to stay in the countryside she had always longed for. Another clue shows Myoko's memories of her fifth grade in elementary school during the holidays.
With a rustic and soothing tone, the film vividly renders the tranquility and longevity of rural life, and also conveys a strong emotional charm about the memories of the past. Whether it is "departure, arrival, flower picking and rouge making, short travel, courtship" in the real time and space, or "first taste of pineapple, bathing event, picky eating, first love, physiological event, score problem" in the past time and space, each thing is a juxtaposition and regardless of the weight of the "creek and ditch", with the open state of life and myoko's inner emotional changes to carry out a series structure.
This natural and random structure makes the film present the original appearance and flow characteristics of life, leading the audience to swim in the two time and space where Myoko's present and past alternate with each other, feel the multi-angle beauty of life at different time levels, and then deeply appreciate the interpretation of Real Life by Myoko's childhood memories. At the same time, when the audience fully savors Myoko's past, it is also led by the film into its own past and participates in the thinking brought by the film.
(2) The prose poetic structure is expensive in "scattered form and god is not scattered", the external form seems to be random and loose, and the spiritual core is strongly condensed
The film does not cling to the dramatic mode of narrative, does not pay attention to the viewing effect with contradictions and conflicts as the core, but creates an aesthetic tension around the theme, and the display and release of this tension is a gradual artistic effect, emphasizing the process of gradual completion.
In the film's two-line narrative, the driving force of the development of the plot is transformed from the contradictions of the traditional dramatic structure to the generation, development, climax and resolution, and transforms into changes in the emotions and emotions of the characters. The film downplays the conflict between the reality of myoko on the surface and the ideal of myoko, and the external narrative tension is replaced by the inner psychological tension of myoko.
The real-life Myoko's memories of the childhood Myoko's "Little Five" are all foreshadowing and explaining her life in reality. If the emotional journey of the adult Myoko from reality to dream is the explicit narrative line, then the growth process of the childhood little five assumes the function of invisible driving force, and between the developments, every detail is interacted with each other, focusing on the growth process of breaking the cocoon into a butterfly that life must go through, and gradually promoting the development of the plot.
In my opinion, it is the actions of the childhood Xiao Wu that promote the emotional development of the adult Myoko: The curiosity and fascination of the little five for the country life is the psychological root of the real Myoko's yearning for the countryside; the preference of the little five for composition indicates her unique experience of nature when she grows up; the emotional experience of the young and young in the little five years also hints at the love results of the real myoko; finally, the childhood parents' criticism of the wayward stubbornness of the little five also makes the real myoko grow and mature.
The film's subtle expression in delicate nature, the style of seeing the big in the small and seeing the whole in the scattered, just like the small stream, although there is no frightening wave, but its real and vivid character emotional changes, rich and specific details and rich life atmosphere, can also deeply attract and impress the audience's heart.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" >02, the display of the theme connotation</h1>
Director Takahata Hoon tells the theme of growth in this film, as the heroine of the film Myoko said: growth is the process of changing from an ugly silkworm pupa to a beautiful butterfly, and the process is full of flavors.
The theme of growth has always been favored by film and television creators, and the difference in life background and attention angle often makes different creators have their own unique way of showing growth: such as Jiang Wen's brilliant youth in the special era of passion burning and wanton behavior in "Sunny Days"; such as Wang Xiaoshuai's scarred growth time of marginal teenagers in "17-year-old bicycle".
This "Fairy Tale of Time" focuses on the multi-dimensional experience of ordinary ordinary people, while the era and social background become a pure substrate, and the theme of growth is presented with a very simple warmth and a sense of popular familiarity.
Myoko's childhood experience was unremarkable, quiet and leisurely, and in her, almost every one of us can see her own shadow: the child living in the reinforced concrete jungle has a longing for the natural countryside field; the hard-won pineapple is not good or even difficult to swallow, but it is still patient to eat; desperately drink the hard-to-drink milk, just to become a child who is good at writing in his mother's mouth and not picky eaters. Naïve and willful, stubborn and childlike, it is countless people who have been full of curiosity, eager to be recognized by their parents, with childish and ridiculous.
In my opinion, the director has picked up the memories that have been forgotten since we became adults, and has selected several fragments from them, allowing us to see our long-lost youth. Perhaps it is precisely because it is so ordinary and ordinary that this kind of flower picking up meaning makes us feel so familiar and beautiful.
The film does not stop at the level of reminiscing about the good old days, but also conveys the theme of a person's growth, maturity and self-recognition through myoko's personal experience.
Myoko believes that the fifth grade of elementary school is her cocoon period, experiencing many unforgettable firsts, mixed with disappointment, sadness, pain and embarrassment and many other not-so-pleasant experiences, it seems that after paying the price of growth, she became vivid and lively, and only then did she have the power to take off. However, now it seems that this kind of take-off may just be an effort to wave its wings selflessly, and it is not a real flight.
Although the real Myoko is an adult and has a stable job in a big city, she has not yet found a suitable marriage partner when she is older, and she has not yet practiced her ideal life. When Myoko steps on the train to her hometown, she realizes that her cocoon era has arrived again. The little memories of her childhood are like the guardian angels of Myoko at this moment, allowing Myoko to let go of all her worries and make up her mind to devote herself to the long-awaited rural life.
If myoko in the fifth grade of primary school experienced a physiological growth, then this trip back to her hometown is myoko's psychological growth, and this growth truly shows the beauty of breaking the cocoon into a butterfly spreading its wings and flying.
Have we ever found that in the urban growth environment, we are losing more and more of ourselves, full of brave and persistent spirit when we were teenagers, and in the wear and tear of time, we may have become more and more timid and cowardly, facing the conflict between survival problems and personal ideals, always unable to find a trade-off point and difficult to choose. When we hesitate, time has flown away mercilessly, leaving only our own remorseful figure, which is exactly what the film conveys and deserves our real reflection and experience.
In my opinion, the ending part reflects the director's painstaking handling of the ending of the story, and the returning Myoko makes a major decision in life on the train, turning to the train in the opposite direction and bravely chasing her true love. Myoko's choice is full of love for life and sincere feelings for the pursuit of a better life, such a decision may not follow the trend, but it is full of hope. Although bland, it is deeply moving.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" >03, mirror style performance</h1>
This film uses real and fine pictures to show the fragmentary cuts in life, conveying the true smell of life, which is easy to resonate with the audience and stimulate a sense of identity in the audience's heart.
While expressing the fresh and rustic nostalgic atmosphere, director Takahata Hoon also places the adult Myoko and the childhood Myoko in the same picture many times, presenting a dreamlike surreal mirror image scene intertwined with reality and memory, which is quite meaningful to Lacan's mirror image theory.
(1) Illusory self-presentation in the mirror: The mirror stage is the most core part of Lacan's mirror image theory, at which the baby is able to recognize the image of his body in the mirror.
When the baby sees that the image in the mirror is completely in service to the action expressions made by himself in reality, he thinks that he has the power to completely control the mirror image, and equates his real body with the self in the mirror, but the fact is that the self presented in the mirror is only the illusory self.
This illusory self, what Lacan calls the "other," satisfies the infant's desire to be recognized by others and the outside world. Thus, the presence of the "other" in the mirror image causes the infant to mistakenly identify with the "self" and begins to develop a sense of self.
In the film, the childhood Myoko is willful and unreasonable in front of her parents, and she finds that repeated willfulness is not the satisfaction of desire but punishment and criticism, and when she is well-behaved and kind, she gets friendship and satisfaction. As a result, the image of the kind and well-behaved "other" in the mirror makes her self-identify, being a well-behaved and obedient child in front of her father will be recognized and satisfied, and being friendly with her classmates in school will get the friendship she wants. During this period, Myoko relied on the well-behaved image in the mirror image, believing that she had the ability to control herself, and enjoyed and satisfied the current state of self-consciousness, completely entrusting her actions to the consciousness to dominate.
(2) The Mirrored Self Struggling with the "Other": Lacan believes that the "Other" in the mirror of the infant in the mirror phase is equivalent to the self.
When the infant is obsessed with the perfect fantasy self, he will involuntarily want to touch the "self" in the mirror, and the result is that the infant does not find the existence of the "self" in the mirror, and the infant begins to doubt the accuracy of his judgment consciousness. Thus, an aggression is formed between the mirror "other" and the true self of the false identity.
At school, Myoko is disciplined and is a good student in the eyes of her teachers and classmates, but when she comes home with a math report card of only 25 points, what she hears is her sister and mother's doubts and denials about her IQ. The contrast between myoko in the eyes of her classmates and her sister's narration of herself is strong, and the difference between illusion and reality makes Myoko feel lost and confused.
The real "struggle" of the film arises from the appearance of Abe, the students are reluctant to approach Abe because of Abe's sloppy image, when Abe transfers to shake hands with the whole class to say goodbye, but the act of shaking hands with the same table Myoko stimulates the aggression between Myoko's true self and mirror self. The identity gap between the two leads to the alienation of Myoko's heart, causing Myoko to experience a sense of frustration that she has never experienced before.
In my opinion, Abe's refusal causes Myoko to discover the false identity of her true self and the mirror self, and she begins to reluctantly question the gap between the self-image of the "other" in the mirror and the behavior of the real self, and constantly struggles between the "other" and the real self in the mirror, expecting to find true self-identity in the struggle.
(3) Searching for the True Self in Growing Up: Lacan pointed out that when the subject is able to distinguish the self from others and confirm the true self in the mirror, it is successfully found to be the true self.
In the film, Myoko's family visit is actually to find the answer to the question that has always bothered her. In the countryside, she met Toshio, who wanted to benefit her hometown, and experienced the comfort and happiness of pastoral life; before she was about to return, Abe appeared in Myoko's memories again, and Myoko told Toshio about the past to express her guilt for Abe; and Toshio's answer to Myoko was deliberately used this method to attract her attention because Abe liked her. This interpretation finally enabled Myoko to untie the knots that had been in her heart for many years.
At the end of the film, after finding her true self, Myoko decides to give up her life in the big city and choose to stay in the warm and comfortable countryside. This time, she followed her own heart, no longer being a duplicitous and well-behaved woman, but recognizing herself to choose her true self's lifestyle and life attitude.
In my opinion, recalling the past times and praising the scenery of the fields are only tending to the perspective of appearances, and what really touches people's hearts is that through the state of leisurely and harmonious coexistence between man and nature that Myoko feels in the countryside, in a quiet and peaceful state of mind, bravely unloading baggage, releasing pressure, and opening the heart to rediscover the pursuit of true life.
< h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > concluding remarks </h1>
"The Fairy Tale of The Years" brings us not only an emotional journey to experience a good time, but also an opportunity to re-experience nature and find ourselves. Even if it depicts ordinary and trivial daily life, this film can still bring the audience, especially female friends, to the heart of resonance: to find the true meaning of life's relief and growth with a strong sense of identity and confirmation of the self.
The film brings us a moment of spiritual enjoyment and emotional comfort, and the real good life requires everyone to work hard to pursue and create in reality.