Director: Mizuho Nishikubo.
Cast: Kota Yokoyama, Polina Ilyushenko, Junya Taniai, Tatsuya Nakadai.
Running Time: 102 minutes.
Synopsis: Although the second world war has come to an end, a small Japanese island finds itself inhabited by Soviet Soldiers who soon begin to claim property and land for themselves.
The world of war is something that Japan has no fear translating into the animated medium. Most will be familiar with GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES, one of the most stunning and draining films ever created, and now we have GIOVANNI’S ISLAND, another war time film that focuses on two young siblings. That’s pretty much where the similarities end though, as Nishikubo brings an ever so slightly more hopeful outlook and rough around the edges classical art styles.
Set on a small island, we see a quiet and humble landscape that is yet to see the introduction of electricity. The war has been more of a distant and detached event for the people that live there, and in many respects the local pride for the island outweighs national pride. In this respect, we’re allowed to distance ourselves from the politics of war and focus more on the important emotional impact and individual characters. Our two leads Junpei (Yokoyama) and Kanta, are brothers who love a good toy train to play with and generally lead innocent and uncomplex lives. Once the soviets arrive they meet a young girl named Tanya (Ilyusehenko), whose family take their home, relegating Junpei, Kanta, their father, grandfather, and uncle to the barn. The script avoids much maliciousness, and instead focuses on a sweet and endearing friendship that evolves. The first instance of such is demonstrated by a beautiful sequence in which a toy train travels through the barn and into the house.
The film gradually becomes darker, which is represented in the art style that gradually loses colour. The animation is rougher and simpler than the most polished of anime, but it works to create a world of effortless uncomplication, similar to the world of a child’s mind. Expressive faces are complimented with sketched style backgrounds. There are slight flourishes of CG, as well as gorgeous fantasy sequences inspired by Night On The Galactic Railroad.
Vocally the film is subtle and succinct, with every voice perfectly matching their onscreen animated persona. Like the best vocal work, no effort has been made to exaggerate for cheap effects. Even the painful tearjerker sections are kept close to reality. The child actors are most impressive, each enthusing their character with naievty and heart.
GIOVANNI’S ISLAND will inevitably be compared to the Studio Ghibli classic, but it deserves to be seen and judged on its own merits. Avoiding politics and searching for the humanity within us all, this seemingly gentle film confidently explores ideas of death and risk. Nishikubo fearlessly translates a story that shows how the end of war is never the end of conflict. Brave, beautiful, and bold, this is a gorgeous animated film in terms of looks, and even sweeter in terms of content.
[usr=4] GUOVANNI’S ISLAND shows today at 1:00pm at LFF. Buy tickets here. It will also see a release in the UK soon.
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