Film contributor Charlie Vogelsang discusses why Yoshifumi Kondō's classic anime is still one of Studio Ghibli's finest films, even a quarter of a century later.
When you think of Studio Ghibli films, images of Totoro and No-Face come to mind. It’s known that Hayao Miyazaki is the whimsical creator while Isao Takahata was the auteur unafraid to cover the difficult topics.
But what about the other directors at the studio? Yoshifumi Kondō worked at the studio as an animation director and sadly only directed one film due to his premature death in 1998. This year marks the 25th anniversary of his film Whisper of the Heart and to honour his legacy we’re going to review his debut title.
The premise of the film is simple, as it’s a love story between a girl who loves reading and a boy who loves creating violins. Don’t let this fool you into thinking that it’s a cliché teen romance, though, as it’s a Ghibli film after all. Whisper of the Heart is a remarkably honest and heartfelt look into the life of a 14-year-old girl as she struggles at school, balances friends and falls in love.
It has cats, fantasy and young people chasing their dreams, what’s not to love?
While the surface of the film is about a young girl growing up, the core of it is about the search for inspiration and creativity. The young girl, Shizuku, yearns to express her feelings through her art and writing but it’s a long process that’s exhausting. Her dreams are challenged by the world and the limitations we have as humans. Through the film she realises that dreams are hard and no one can get it right the first time but she still yearns for her dream. It’s a genuine moment that everyone can relate to and is executed perfectly.
It’s a tragedy that Kondō died as he showed the qualities of being a master of animation and a worthy successor to Miyazaki and Takahata. The animation is beautiful, blending the mystical and real elements of the story to create something unique to a Ghibli film. There are no other films from the studio that combine these two so well.
The screenplay was written by Miyazaki, but the delivery by Kondō makes the film free from false melodrama and gives us well-written characters that feel real to the audience. One of the only things that felt off in the film was perhaps the ending which, without giving too much away, feels forced and out of character. Despite this, it’s a solid film that is thoroughly enjoyable.
It has cats, fantasy and follows young people chasing their dreams, what’s not to love? You’ll be surprised at this hidden gem stored away in Ghibli’s vast collection. Seek out Whisper of the Heart for a refreshing film full of depth, soul and heart.