When Marnie Was There
When Marnie Was There was an adaptation of a children novel written by Joan G. Robinson. Being included as one of Hayao Miyazaki's recommended children books, it lives up to its name. While directed not by Miyazaki but his protege and alleged successor, Hiromasa Yonebayashi, the film itself emanates aura that shrouds the whole work in mystery and doesn't immediately tell us its secrets. From the first time I saw the trailer, I was drawn to it because of its visual narrative. Let's take a thorough look into the mystical apparition of When Marnie Was There.
Details
- Japanese: 思い出のマーニー
- Hepburn: Omoide no Mānī
- Literally: Marnie of [my] Memories
- Directed by: Hiromasa Yonebayashi
- Produced by: Yoshiaki Nishimura, Toshio Suzuki
- Written by: Masashi Andō, Keiko Niwa, Hiromasa Yonebayashi
- Based on: When Marnie Was There by Joan G. Robinson
- Music by: Takatsugu Muramatsu
- Cinematography: Atsushi Okuo
- Edited by: Rie Matsubara
- Production company: Studio Ghibli
- Distributed by: Toho
- Release date: 19 July 2014
- Running time: 103 minutes
- Country: Japan
- Language: Japanese
Synopsis
From MyAnimeList.net:Suffering from frequent asthma attacks, young Anna Sasaki is quiet, unsociable, and isolated from her peers, causing her foster parent endless worry. Upon recommendation by the doctor, Anna is sent to the countryside, in hope that the cleaner air and more relaxing lifestyle will improve her health and help clear her mind. Engaging in her passion for sketching, Anna spends her summer days living with her aunt and uncle in a small town near the sea.
One day while wandering outside, Anna discovers an abandoned mansion known as the Marsh House. However, she soon finds that the residence isn't as vacant as it appears to be, running into a mysterious girl named Marnie. Marnie's bubbly demeanor slowly begins to draw Anna out of her shell as she returns night after night to meet with her new friend. But it seems there is more to the strange girl than meets the eye—as her time in the town nears its end, Anna begins to discover the truth behind the walls of the Marsh House.
Omoide no Marnie tells the touching story of a young girl's journey through self-discovery and friendship, and the summer that she will remember for the rest of her life.
Story
Two words to describe this whole thing: hauntingly beautiful. When Marnie Was There catches me off guard, toying with my feelings and clouding my judgement. Its slow start and pacing conceal its powerful story that forces you to think about the distant past. A recurring theme in almost all of Ghibli's films, most of which are targeted towards younger audience.There is one thing that Hiromasa excels in, and it is curating emotions. At first, the film is kind of slow even on the verge of boring. The plot progression can be so blurred that you can't really see if Anna is actually dreaming or it happens in the reality, making the scenes seem stretched. However, towards the end, it accelerates faster and more thrilling. I become even more curious and intrigued with its puzzles and conundrums. What is that thing? Who is that person? What is the connection? All these questions keep on popping out of nowhere in my mind along the way.
When the climax hits that highest note, I am shattered. Tears flowing from my eyes as the details of the eponymous Marnie are revealed. It's not that the whole film is depressing or sad, but because of the reasons why things happen in certain way. In the wake of that eye-opening realization, I just can't help to feel pity for the main characters. Their lives are full of tragedies and misfortunes, a similar theme to 5 cm/s in that regards, aside from its milder themes such as friendship and family.
However, certain scenes can be gloomy and melancholic to the point of kind of cringe. Self-discovery and realization of one's past are displayed quite spectacularly. They are very much accomplished through meticulous details. Even the suspicions and mysteries are solved splendidly, leaving no plot holes or even contradictory points. I love the story although it looks to be boring at first. But, the real gems of the film itself is not the story, but the whole other aspects.
Visual
You see, in the countryside, time seems to flow slower than usual. When Marnie Was There manages to capture that feeling so you can really imagine yourself being there. Enchanting, captivating, and enthralling are accurate to describe the visual aspect that pulls us into the enigma. Beautifully drawn backgrounds and objects serve to even enhance this out of body experience. While the film itself has an underlying supernatural theme, the sceneries and locations give somewhat naturally occureing mystical feeling to the scenes. Bold, engulfing mist and the seemingly vast marsh are the concealer of many secrets in the film. In terms of aesthetics, I can say the film is closer to Shinkai's level than any other Ghibli's films because of its capability to suck our soul and bring us to our knees.Audio
The acting is surprisingly terrific. So much signals and emotions overflow from the characters. I can sense both longing and yearning from Marnie and Anna. The soundtrack is also there to straighten things out. The brilliance of When Marnie Was There is shown by its seemingly graceful music that really ties the scenes together. I don't think there's much to say other than its compelling casts. It is hauntingly beautiful, just like the story.Characters
There are differences in the characters with the novel because of the adapted setting, but they are more or less the same with little to no changes. While I admit the development and characterization can be somewhat shallow, I am genuinely interested to the film characters. Their designs are very robust and crafted skillfully. The style leans more on the realistic side rather than the usual cartoonish side. Anna's design in particular can be refreshing after seeing so many scantily clad heroine.Marnie is simply alluring. Her somewhat omnipresence combined with her manners emit cryptic and mystifying aura. There is just something about her that I can't put my hands on. I don't know what it is, but everytime she shows up, I get this feeling of regret. In the end, I'm proven right but it doesn't make me feel better. I even get this upsetting feeling in guts regarding her true story.
I have to say, at first I doubted Anna's characterization. She starts out as the pessimistic emo girl, with negative disposition towards everything. Along the journey, I began to notice her gradual transformation which is very subtle yet steady. Her outlooks on life and herself are rotated 180 degrees in the end. She begins to enjoy life and now can develop friendship, something which she couldn't afford to in the past. Although quite typical, I like how different she has become after meeting Marnie.
The relationship between Marnie and Anna can be confusing. They use words like "love" casually, implying their innocence and honesty. It feels weird to hear two girls saying "I love you" to each other. This kind of affection is what makes me think at first that When Marnie Was There is simply a shoujo-ai story. However, time has proven the mistake on my part. The dynamics between them can be quite empowering. It is best to think of their deep bond as siblings, rather than friends.
I would say, my favorite character is Toichi. In the original novel, he is actually called Winterman, quite a cool name. I thought he takes part in the past, but disappointingly he is only given one or two lines now, regarding the fact that he is surely not the talking type. Mr. and Mrs. Oiwa are entertaining and serve as the parental figures for Anna. Their kindheartedness gives me heartwarming feeling, a similar feeling I get from watching Ponyo.