parley view parsnip... TOTORO !

TOTORO !


One of my favorite Totoro sitting on my lap top with a scene from the movie
My Neighbor Totoro.

For my birthday daughter and partner gave me tickets to an Hayao Miyazaki
Stuido Ghibli Retrospective at The Loft.
Held in the month of January, I can see two of his movie a week.
On the big screen with sub-titles. Outstanding !
It started on my birthday with Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind, followed by
Lapuita Castle In The Sky.  Reviews to follow but today I want to review
Totoro the third movie I have seen.

One of the first Hayo Miyazaki movie I ever saw when my children where little.
It is considered one of the five best films for children by many critics but I think there is so much more to this film. Besides the animation that surprises you at every turn, there is wisdom. The human relationship  to the earth, the wonder, beauty, mystery of the world around us. This is a main point to all Miyazaki movies.
It starts off as a simple story of a father who moves to the countryside with his two girls to be near their mother who is in hosiptal.
The girls soon discover that a family of Totoros, gentle but powerful creatures who live in the forest in a huge old Camphor tree but only children can see them.
As with all of Miyazaki movies the main character is a young girl (earth, mother ) who is strong and smart and with help from others does find her way or solve the problem.
Nature especially a huge tree, forest or ocean plays a proment part.
What I also like about his movies is the animation. Released in 1988 Totoro is not dated and holds up to new viewers.
I love that in his movies there are always clouds, massive beautiful wind sweep clouds, scenes with oceans teaming with fish. A view looking down or up  into water, boats cutting through waves leaving ripples to fan out.
A feast for the eye.
Of the many seperate parts of this movie that I love, there is a scene where the Totoro is is flying through through the air, over homes field and forest. You can see the blades of grass and leaves part with the wind.  I now can never stand outside in a breeze or wind and not think that Totoro has just passed by.
Even though as a adult I can not see him, I know he has just flown by.
At the end of the Totoro movie, besides the children laughing every adult in the theater clapped. You can't help feeling happy by this movie.

Tomorrow I will post a You Tube of one of the movies songs plus the stills.
I don't know how to post a You Tube and my photos on the same post.
As thehamish would say... yert !


Here are a few of my Totoro along with other characters from his other movies

Library

studio

studio
and I have more.... I could become the crazy cat lady who lives down the street.

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And here is your pretty to start the week.
If you are one of my UK reader you will laugh at this but it dropped below freezing last night in Tucson.
Way to early in the year for us,  it should be 10 to 15 dregrees warmer this time of the year.
My little fountain in the front yard froze over. A treat for us desert dwellers but every day
hassle for the cold, wet, rainy and snow overloaded UK.

 

Fountain is now bubbleing and ice will be melted soon.

Totoro. . . parsnip
music. . .  Kaza no Toorimichi (The Part Of The Wind),  Joe Hisaishi