The Boy and the Heron

The Boy and the Heron

While the Second World War rages, the teenage Mahito, haunted by his mother's tragic death, is relocated from Tokyo to the serene rural home of his new stepmother Natsuko, a woman who bears a striking resemblance to the boy's mother. As he tries to adjust, this strange new world grows even stranger following the appearance of a persistent gray heron, who perplexes and bedevils Mahito, dubbing him the "long-awaited one."

  • Released: 2023-07-14
  • Runtime: 124 minutes
  • Genre: Adventure, Animation, Fantasy
  • Stars: Soma Santoki, Masaki Suda, Ko Shibasaki, Aimyon, Yoshino Kimura, Keiko Takeshita, Jun Fubuki, Sawako Agawa, Shinobu Otake, Karen Takizawa, Jun Kunimura, Kaoru Kobayashi, Shōhei Hino, Takuya Kimura, Robert Pattinson
  • Director: Hayao Miyazaki
 Comments
  • Anurag-Shetty - 1 July 2024
    Stunning, both in its visuals & story.
    The Boy and the Heron tells the story of a strong-willed boy, named Mahito Maki(Luca Padovan). When his mother dies & his father remarries, Mahito chances upon a fantastical world, that is inhabited by both the living and the dead.

    The Boy and the Heron is a phenomenal film. Writer-director Hayao Miyazaki has given us a movie that is jaw-droppingly beautiful, has several scenes that will make you guffaw uncontrollably & has several emotional scenes that will leave you teary-eyed. The animation is breathtakingly gorgeous. The vocal performances are a strongpoint of the film. Luca Padovan is brilliant as Mahito Maki. Robert Pattinson is awe-inspiring as The Grey Heron. Gemma Chan is amazing as Natsuko/Hisako. Christian Bale is excellent as Shoichi Maki. Florence Pugh is spectacular as Kiriko. Karen Fukuhara, Mark Hamill, Dave Bautista & Willem Dafoe are outstanding as Lady Himi, Granduncle, The Parakeet King & the Noble Pelican, respectively. The supporting cast is memorable. The Boy and the Heron is a must watch for Hayao Miyazaki fans & everyone else. Miyazaki can do no wrong & this is another unforgettable addition to his legendary filmography.
  • akoaytao1234 - 16 June 2024
    Finding Your Meaning as You lay Away to your Roots.
    Practically a film about a son trapped between the ongoing war in Japan AND his father choices: his move away after his mother death and a quick marriage after her mother's unceremonious death. Once they found themselves on the dead matriarch old's home, weird things starts to happen AND he must face his destiny or not.

    To be honest, Intensely slow start and I felt that the war portion is ungodly elaborate. It really took its time to pick details in that portion of the film. Another quirky observation about this film is metatextual to Spirited Away. It has the leaps of logic and callbacks to that film AND it will definitely improve the experience. Though I find that quite distracting to be honest, especially how I felt about its 'storytelling' earlier. It also makes this film for me a bit of a chore - since I was trying to remember stuff from that film when I should be focusing on this film alone.

    Also, the way this film presents Pans are VERY VERY migraine inducing. I think they should rethink that. I sometime have to look away how weird it looks on screen.

    I wish that it tried took more time in the world building the magical realm of the film. Its very underwritten and I think would definitely have worked better with a Haku-esque character explaining the logics of things. It can really get confusing at times. I found that sometimes kind of missed opportunity especially how elaborate the early part of the film.

    Not really the best BUT very watchable.
  • [email protected] - 3 May 2024
    Simply amazing
    This must be within top two of studio Ghibli movies. Gives me goosebumps every time I hear the theme song in the trailer. Cannot wait for it to be available on Bluray.

    It is a compelling tale in paralell with Miyazaki's life, might be even how he has felt his life was as a boy. The charaters, the underlying tensions, the mystery and the amazing world that lies beneath. The way Miyazaki enterprets his fantacy to his movies is unique and grips across nations, cultures, age and ages.

    The soundtrack is fitting and supports the story, the style of drawing used is recognizable and you will see familar faces throughout.

    Sit down, relaxe and see the movie more than once.
  • croissantwynn - 11 April 2024
    Hayao Miyazaki's Swan Song
    To label Hayao Miyazaki as one of the greatest filmmakers and animators of all time feels like an understatement, as his decade-spanning career has far outreached even the highest echelon of acclaim with the global success of Studio Ghibli. While Miyazaki has made claims of retiring from filmmaking and animation as early in his career as "Princess Mononoke," then with his Oscar-winning film "Spirited Away," and with his previous Oscar-nominated feature film "The Wind Rises," he is now presented with one of life's greatest blessings and challenges: growing old. At the age of 82, there is always the chance that Miyazaki may pass away soon, and he may not have the chance to un-retire in the way he's so familiar with. With his final claim of retirement comes Miyazaki's semi-autobiographical film, "The Boy and the Heron" -- otherwise known by its more aptly titled Japanese name, "How Do You Live?"

    "The Boy and the Heron" forgoes the traditional three-act structure in favor of a full commitment to what can only be described as a dreamlike structure. The film often feels one step too close to drifting away from its central story, only to slowly float back into place with grace. Reinforced by our protagonist, Mahito, who both dreams and daydreams often in the film, it raises the question as to what exactly this means in the context of the auteur's final film.

    Miyazaki has always been known for his bedtime story-esque films, the fantastical and often fable-inspired storytelling resonating with audiences of all ages who yearn for that whimsicality. All bedtime stories come with a bountiful period of rest afterward, and with that comes dreams. Imagination roams freely, and time becomes infinite. If Miyazaki's prior films are bedtime stories, "The Boy and the Heron" is the dream that comes afterward. In this case, the Japanese title of the film works best (and luckily the title is at least referenced in the film through the title of a book gifted to Mahito); this is a dream that asks with kindness, how do you live? Or in an even harder hitting past tense, how did you live?

    At the age of 82, one has to wonder how self-reflective life becomes. Life, death, and legacy all intertwine in the late stages of life. Maybe this is the dream after a bedtime story, or maybe it's life flashing before your eyes before you pass away. To those nearing the end of life we ask, how did you live? With "The Boy and the Heron" being semi-autobiographical, Hayao Miyazaki answers this question firmly, and he asks us to do the same when our time comes too.