The Kingdom Of Dreams & Madness hit DVD on January 27.
At first glance, this documentary doesn’t feel much different than a particularly robust Behind The Scenes feature one might find expect to find as a DVD extra on The Wind Rises, in which case I’d probably write a couple sentences about it without really giving it more thought. But here it is, fending for itself as a 2-hour DVD feature presentation with its own set of extras.
The Kingdom Of Dreams And Madness is an official Studio Ghibli release; take that as you will. I’m not sure to what extent this was independently produced, but the makers obviously had extensive, official access to the Studio and to its people, and at the end of the day the DVD box says “Studio Ghibli Presents” on it so one can assume this is the official story, with all the open and closed doors that might entail. How amazing, then, that it takes such an honest and vulnerable approach.
The documentary was shot over the course of a year during the creation of Hayao Miyazaki’s The Wind Rises and Isao Takahata’s The Tale Of Princess Kaguya, though Miyazaki is clearly the primary focus (when Takahata makes a late appearance, it almost feels like a cameo). The film doesn’t have a specific “plot” or narrative, beyond chronicling this period of time (and some previous history), but it does address several particular threads of thought: Miyazaki and Takahata’s history and present relationship, the likelihood that The Wind Rises will be Miya-San’s last film, his personal connection with the film’s story, his outlook on his films and the world, his daily routines in and out of the studio, his thoughts on what will happen to Studio Ghibli when he leaves, and the actual crafting of the film through storyboards, animation, and voice acting.
The film unwinds in a slow, relaxed fashion. Miyazaki-San himself is a bit of an enigma, and not really the imaginary kind-hearted, warm old man that one might envision from his works alone. He’s cantankerous and cynical, answering questions with blunt honesty while chain-smoking cigarettes. Yet at the same time, one can almost detect a twinkle in his eye as he gives his gruff responses. Is this all an act? It often feels as if he’s simply performing for the camera and having a joke on us. Yet at other times, he seems gravely serious as he laments the evaporation of creative freedom in modern filmmaking, and as he assesses human nature and even his own work, unconvinced of its value.
“You know, people who design airplanes and machines… no matter how much they believe that what they do is good, the winds of time eventually turn them into tools of industrial civilization. It’s never unscathed. They’re cursed dreams. … Today, all of humanity’s dreams are cursed somehow, beautiful yet cursed dreams. How do we even know movies are worthwhile?”
This surprising statement from Miya-San is clearly at the heart of The Wind Rises, in which lovable aeronautical engineer Jirô Horikoshi’s passionate life’s work of aircraft design become the basis for tools of destruction — the famed Japanese Zero fighter planes of World War II. It’s a highly personal tale, infused by Miya-san’s own history — his father sold aircraft parts, and he developed an early interest in planes. The film recognizes and embodies his own cognitive dissonance of being a man of peace with a fascination for the machines of war.
Another aspect of the documentary which I found especially compelling is the treatment of Isao Takahata, particularly since he’s barely in the film and pretty much everything we hear about him is second-hand. We learn of his personal history of working with Miyazaki for many years as a mentor and friend, and of how that relationship has changed — perhaps strained? — as they age and act in competition which may or may not be friendly. Miya-San has plenty of criticisms for his old friend, and it seems the throughout the studios there’s a general feeling that Takahata’s work has become too slow and unpredictable, and that his film almost certainly will not be ready by its scheduled time (this turned out to be true). Though it’s not in the film itself, on Chapter 5 of the “Ushiko Investigates” special feature, we learn that the producers even considered firing the famed studio patriarch.
The Kingdom Of Dreams & Madness is not a candy-coated peek at the magic of creation. As veteran documentary filmmaker Steve Zissou says in The Life Aquatic, “We’ll give them the reality this time.” The film isn’t shy about showing the conflict, cynicism, and struggles that assail the man who serves as its primary subject. In fact, I’m not entirely sure the film provides the answers to its own questions.
But that doesn’t mean those answers haven’t been provided. Both The Wind Rises and The Tale Of Princess Kaguya have been released and met with critical acclaim. Both films have been viewed by members of the Cinapse team, and we can testify, as we wipe away tears, that the efforts to create these amazing films, and the rest of Studio Ghibli’s immense body of work, were not expended in vain.
The Package
The Kingdom Of Dreams & Madness released on January 27 on DVD (not Blu-ray) from Cinedigm, via their GKids imprint. The video quality is good for DVD, and subtitles are included wherever applicable on both the feature and extras (which are in Japanese).
My package included a slipcover with artwork identical to the DVD case.
Special Features and Extras
Ushiko Investigates (32:23)
AKA “The Kingdom According to Ushiko”. This series of vignettes might be considered deleted or extended scenes, as they expand on some full chapters which were left out of the film. The title “Ushiko Investigates” refers to the opening which posits that these are the observances of Ushiko the studio cat, but once introduced this framework is dropped almost immediately. The feature has “burned-in” Japanese subtitles throughout, which causes some visual conflict as the English subs in the same color are superimposed right on top of them, making readability difficult.
Chapter 1 — Miyazaki-San and Lasseter-San
Chapter 2 — To Make A Movie, You Need All The Help You Can Get
Chapter 3 — Miya-San and Joe Hisaishi-Ssan
Chapter 4 — Night Of The Leica Reel
Chapter 5 — The Producer’s Thoughts On The Tale Of Princess Kaguya
Chapter 6 — Until The Wind Rises Is Finished
Chapter 7 — Inside A Dream Forever
Digest Short Film (2:13)
What is this? An alternate trailer? A 2-minute speed cut of the movie? A proof of concept? I’m really not sure. I’m guessing this was probably an EPK-type promo video.
Theatrical Trailer (1:32)
More From GKids
Trailers of Gkids Anime titles, including A Letter To Momo (2:03), From Up On Poppy Hill (2:25), Patema Inverted (1:47), and Welcome To The Space Show (2:00).
Verdict:
Despite its release on the GKids label, The Kingdom Of Dreams & Madness is hardly children’s fare. This bittersweet documentary is almost certainly of interest only to grown-ups.
Recommending this film is a tricky proposition. It’s certainly an amazing documentary, and lovers of film, particularly serious students of cinema — will appreciate its honest look at the creative process, but those who love the endearing beauty of Studio Ghibli’s films first and foremost simply may not want to see the curtain pulled back — sometimes it’s better to not know how the magic works.
A/V Out.
Get it at Amazon:
The Kingdom Of Dreams And Madness [DVD] | [Instant]