The
Kingdom Of Dreams and Madness (2014/Cinedigm DVD)
Picture:
B Sound: B Extras: B Documentary: B+
Take
a look into the world of Studio Ghibli, the people who gave you My
Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke
and many more. Meet the creative staff of directors, animators as
they rush to complete Miyazaki's final works, The Wing Rises
and The Tale of Princess Kaguya. It is an unfettered look
into into the studio's staff to what inspires them, their dreams,
love and passion for anime in Mami Sunada's The Kingdom Of Dreams
and Madness (2014).
Studio
Ghibli is like America's Disney in many ways and Hayao Miyazaki is
Japan's Walt Disney, which is why Disney picked up his films for U.S.
distribution. This film is about the Miyazaki's final days with
Studio Ghibli before he retires. It takes a look rare look into what
a successful private animation studio looks like and works like.
Normally an animation studio is smaller and more crowded, the
animators are stressed out over deadlines with directors breathing
down their backs, but when you are famous, the studio is able to care
more about their staff and their creative potential. The main and
most responsible man for Studio Ghibli is Miyazaki, with his ideas
and inspiration you can see how he love Japanese anime and represents
Japanese values through his film. Through his characters, he created
touching and heartwarming films that reached across millions reminded
what living is and reminds us that we must try to do the same.
There
is no one who loves anime who doesn't know about Studio Ghibli, but
few has been able to see what the studio is like behind close doors
until now. Miyazaki shows what the studio is like and describes his
vision of what his Studio is like. If felt like he wanted to at
least capture what he wanted show Studio Ghibli was before he left,
and if felt his final films were more rushed and lacked the
creativity of earlier films, but unlike Disney he realizes things all
things will end or at least change, but then ends are not really ends
...only new beginnings.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image and lossy Dolby Digital sound
are as good as they are going to get for this format. Extras include
Digest (a short film), Kingdom according to Ushiko, and trailers.
-
Ricky Chiang
