The same folklore story, the same exquisite hand-painted works of art in every frame, the same poignant story of search and parting, the interpretation of beauty in the East and the West is ultimately the same. The interpretation of beauty in the East and the West is ultimately the same way, the end of the poignant parting and the song of the cut will be able to penetrate the hearts of humans in different cultural circles, from the most primitive and ancient emotions, care for the hearts of modern people, this common beauty from nostalgia can not help but make me wonder, the Tower of Babel really exists!
Song of the Sea” and “The Tale of Kaguya” have several cultural cores in common, the most striking being the “nostalgia” quality between the two connotations, the nostalgia of “Song of the Sea” is in the sea, while the nostalgia of “The Tale of Kaguya” is in the mountains and forests. Song of the Sea” has a clear anti-industrial color, the film’s two young protagonists from the sea to the gray city, but the heart has always been attached to the island in the sea, the whole story are centered around the two young protagonists through a thousand dangers to return to the island, this yearning for the sea is also the return of freedom, while in contrast, “Kaguya Hime Monogatari” is more of an anti-mundane temperament, the film’s Kaguya-hime also grew up in the mountains, but was eventually forced to come to Kyoto, Japan, but her heart has always been attached to the mountains where she grew up, even in the final days, the spirit and body to wade back to the mountains where she first grew up, this yearning for the mountains with the traditional oriental “reclusive” temperament in their bones. The desire to say goodbye to the mundane world and convert to the South Mountain is the pursuit of inner freedom that has been pursued by Easterners for thousands of years. The main characters in the two films are not in their normal identities, the Kaguya-hime in “The Tale of Kaguya-hime” is a fairy growing in bamboo, while the seal fairy in “Song of the Sea” is a fairy in the ocean. The limited land and the vast ocean also determine the different interpretations of freedom between the two cultures, the gods always have to leave, Kaguya Ji can not choose not to, but in the transcendence to forget the mundane world and leave, but the seal fairy can choose to stay, the different expression of the role of the individual will in the myths and legends of Eastern and Western cultures can also let people feel the significant differences between the cultural temperament, but this difference is based on aesthetics, and aesthetics this language, which is common to all human beings. But why is it necessary to resort to myth to convey the metaphors of the present? Myth is still social in nature, but its primitive power undoubtedly amplifies its artistry, and in myth, whether it is the vast and turbulent ocean or the vibrant mountains, the primordial power of the life force is immortal.
In addition, both films are about the search. Kaguya-hime, under the shackles of the world around her, hopes to find peace of mind in nature, which is an inward pursuit of freedom, while the search for freedom in “Song of the Sea” is more intense and fervent, what they liberate is not only themselves, but also contains the traditional culture of the nation and the rescue of nature. These visible differences are not divisive, but they point to the same thing. What they carry is the indefinable nostalgia of all peoples, and the pursuit of freedom and the return to nature and simplicity are not the common trust of all human beings.
The painting of “Song of the Sea” inherits the essence of European animation works, away from the industrial assembly line animation, hand-painted simplicity is obviously closer to the attitude of the film itself, and the European animation unconventional and unrestrained temperament so that each frame can become an independent exquisite works of art, these exquisite hand-painted images remind us at all times, this is not a commodity on the assembly line, it is a handmade artwork, is In the yearning and reverence for the sea, the film finally chose to return to this mother topic, combined with the interpretation of traditional mythology, the film’s own strong sense of national self-identity can still break through the geographical and linguistic restrictions, allowing people to feel a high degree of unity of understanding of beauty around the world. The Japanese Kaguya Hime no Monogatari, naturally, is also a purely hand-painted animation works, and European animation works in the image of the strong bright colors, compared to the exquisite content, the oriental aesthetics of the ancient temperament will seem more light, a lot of white space and simple lines can still let people feel the fine composition of the painting and pouring. The different techniques of both paintings ultimately serve a common aesthetic theme, and the high degree of consistency in temperament, connotation and means of expression between the two is unforgettable, and it is not too much to say that they share the same path.
No matter how rough the waves are or how vast the mountains are, nostalgia is always sad and beautiful, it is the evidence of the non-existence of the Tower of Babel, and it is also our common return, but the meaning of its existence is to tell us that it is hard to go back.
