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The Boy and the Heron — Review: Complex and Compelling
by KJ Proulx
It has been ten years since director Hayao Miyazaki made a film and many people believed he was truly retired. I’m very happy he came out of retirement for one last film though because I thought his latest work, The Boy and the Heron, was great. I’ll admit I’ve only seen about half of his films, but this viewing experience made me want to get back down to watching his entire filmography. While the visuals and subject matter won’t be for everyone, as most of his films are, this story was still very satisfying to me. Here’s why I recommend The Boy and the Heron.
Okay, I’ll do my best to explain this one simply. A young boy in Mahito Maki is coping with the loss of his mother. After this event, he, his father, and a new mother figure travel to a new place to live. While there, Mahito discovers a Grey Heron that leads him to a hidden world, where the dead may or may not still have life. It’s almost like purgatory, but not. In my opinion, this was more like a second chance at life portion of our world. Where the story goes from there though is fascinating and it has a satisfying ending as I said.
Miyazaki has always known how to tell a great story with an emotional backbone; this one was no exception. Also, as always, The Boy and the Heron is visually striking. The animation from Studio Ghibli…
