Recently I rewatched my favorite movie: My Neighbor Totoro by Miyazaki. I think he is a master storyteller. The animation is so detailed and the shots are all composed as if they could be paintings in themselves. There is a definite artist's consciousness going on in the movie's composition. The story is about 2 sisters who move to a new house, their mother is sick and in the hospital. Strange things go on in their new house and they encounter a number of magical creatures. They meet the king of the forest. His name is Totoro and he is above in the photo. They show him kindness and in return he gives them an adventure and they make the trees and flowers grow which is what he does as king of the forest. All of Miyazaki's films seem to have a theme of environmental preservation and harmony between humans and the land that they inhabit. I think this is such a worthwhile message and think the way that it is incorporated into the film is beautiful. The film is also descriptive of Japanese culture and the landscape that rural Japan has to offer. It made me want to visit. This movie is a masterful and creative animated film. I would highly recommend it. I grew up watching this move and I think that it has influenced my work in that I pay high attention to detail. I also think that this may be the start of me feeling a magical sense of nature. I don't like to paint landscapes but I feel like my art does have a very natural and organic element to it.
