Learning from Our Failures (In This Case, a Really BIG One)
Ghibli Month — Chapter 16: Tales from Earthsea
Director — Gorō Miyazaki
Year of Release — 2006
Language — English
How Many Times Watched? — 1 time (too many)
Rating — ★½
This is Barely Even For the Ghibli Completionist. Tales from Earthsea is a real slog to get through. It’s tough to watch, even for a Ghibli diehard.
My oh my. Forgive me for talking bad about Ocean Waves. I barely knew what it meant to be a stinker all those weeks ago. I gladly would have rewatched Ocean Waves if it meant I wouldn’t have to endure what was to come. I’m speaking of Gorō Miyazaki’s Tales from Earthsea, a Studio Ghibli film by name only.
The film is loosely based on the high fantasy book series called ‘The Earthsea Cycle’ by Ursula K. Le Guin. A collection of five novels and many short stories offers quite a bit of content to work with when making a film adaptation. I was not familiar with Le Guin’s work before this film, but it seems like a very interesting series that is ripe for a solid film adaptation (at least from what I could tell while reading about it during this awful film).
The series was popular enough to have many directors approach Le Guin asking to make a film adaptation, only to be declined by Le Guin over fears of the filmmaker not getting it right (little did she know what she was getting into). Hayao Miyazaki was one of those directors and was initially turned down because the author thought all animation was just like Disney. After Spirited Away won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, Le Guin realised that Miyazaki was the man for the job and decided to give him her blessing for a film adaptation. Le Guin probably should have been more specific. She did get Miyazaki, but not the one she thought.
Hayao Miyazaki was busy directing Howl’s Moving Castle and did not have the time to develop an Earthsea film as well. Toshio Suzuki, one of the co-founders of Studio Ghibli, decided that Gorō Miyazaki, Hayao’s son, would direct it (sorry Le Guin). Hayao did not think Gorō had the proper experience to direct something of this magnitude and was upset that he would be leading the film. Apparently, they did not speak to each other during the entire production.
During the first preview of the film, Hayao left the theater about an hour in for a cigarette break, saying “It feels like I was sitting there for about three hours,” a feeling I wholeheartedly agree with. He then returned and finished the movie.
When it was over he said, “I saw my own child. He hasn’t become an adult. That’s all.” He paused then continued, “It’s good that he made one movie. With that, he should stop.”
Thay may sound harsh but take a look back at the rest of Studio Ghibli’s filmography. They haven’t put out a single bad film. The calibre of their work is impressive. Not every film is incredible, but they are all solid in their own right. This is in part due to Hayao Miyazaki and crew holding true to their vision. They are a studio of excellence. Their employees prove themselves before being given more responsibility. That’s why first-time directors make good films. Whisper of the Heart was done by a first-time director, Yoshifumi Kondō, and was spectacular. But it was because of the hard work he put in with the studio prior. He proved himself.
Gorō didn’t have any animation experience before directing Tales from Earthsea. He was unproven and had no idea what he was doing. In fact, he worked in landscaping before coming to work with his father. That’s why Hayao was so hard on his son. Gorō didn’t have what it takes and was ultimately set up for failure.
The final product ends up a film for no one, failing on every front. Being part of Studio Ghibli, it was cast out as the one failure of the group. As a book adaptation, it strays so far from the author’s original intent that Le Guin went so far as to say that she was “watching an entirely different story, confusingly enacted by people with the same names as in my story.” Not a good sign when the author doesn’t even recognise her own characters. For fans of high fantasy, the film fails to build an extraordinary world with anything remotely interesting.
I don’t think hating on a film is generally a good use of time, especially considering the amount of work that goes into creating them. Frankly, it’s a miracle that movies are even possible as an artistic medium. Pointing out every fault in a film is generally a futile gesture. I find it is better to discuss a film wholly, its merits and faults simultaneously, to gain a greater appreciation and/or understanding for what you just watched.
Though I will always hate on Green Book. Oh my god, I hate that movie.
That being said, Tales from Earthsea doesn’t really do much of anything. It is a bad film with bad direction. The characters are weak and lack any clear motive for any of their actions. Why does Arren kill his father and run away at the start of the film? Because he gets angry sometimes? (I don’t even know. It was so dumb.) The plot drags on and never really leads anywhere. The villain is incredibly dull and one-sided. It is rare that I say this, but I could not wait for the film to be over.
But there’s a lesson in all this: failure is inevitable. Very few people are perfect on their first try. Hayao Miyazaki’s first film wasn’t Spirited Away. It took him decades of work and experience until he crafted his magnum opus, his near-perfect film.
Gorō’s first film was unlikely to be up to the standard and precedent set by Studio Ghibli. He did not have past failures help him grow as an artist and creator. It makes sense that his next film, From Up on Poppy Hill, was a much better movie on par with the studio’s other work. He learned from his failure in Tales from Earthsea and grew as a person. His work reflects his growth.
Too often, I feel that I can’t create something until I have the perfect idea. The idea that will have me called a prodigy. The idea that will cement me as one of the greats. But very rarely is our first attempt to best. Life is about growth and learning from your past. If you’re perfect immediately, where else is there to go?
Stop dragging your feet and just do something already. You’ll never be able to create your magnum opus if you never try. That’s what is great about Tales from Earthsea. Gorō made a bad film. But he moved on and now, fourteen years later, he is directing Studio Ghibli’s first fully 3D CG animated film, Aya and the Witch.
Shortly after Tales from Earthsea premiered, Gorō Miyazaki wrote on his blog talking about the launch party for the film. His words speak volumes.
And then, in the middle of the party, the colour designer Ms Yasuda relayed a message from Hayao Miyazaki.
“It was made honestly, so it was good”.
These few words brought tears to my eyes.Of all the things he has said until now,
those words of my father’s brought the most joy to me.
Suddenly a positive feeling of resolve to keep doing my best welled up in me.
Pick yourself up. Keep doing your best. Never stop creating.
