reportertriada.blogg.se

I have an academic background and always wanted to be a translator (of poetry and novels). I was determined that the translations of the films of Studio Ghibli would be done properly. They are far more tolerant of linguistic errors than a native speaker would be. Another problem is that Japanese people love English and are too comfortable with their version of it. The main problem in the film industry is that no one checks the translations. Books have been written illustrating the biggest bloopers. In this excerpt from the book, he writes about the challenges of translation, and the hurdles that author Neil Gaiman faced while writing the English-language screenplay for Princess Mononoke. In his new memoir, Sharing a House with the Never-Ending Man: 15 Years at Studio Ghibli, Alpert details his experiences working with Miyazaki, dealing with Hollywood executives (including the notorious Harvey Weinstein), and bridging his own cultural gaps in order to properly preserve the films. Working closely with founders Hayao Miyazaki, Toshio Suzuki, and Yasuyoshi Tokuma, the “resident foreigner” played a key role in making the studio a known entity around the globe. In 1996, Studio Ghibli and its parent company Tokuma Shoten hired an American, Steve Alpert, as the head of the animation company’s international division. For more, head to our Studio Ghibli guide page. So it’s relatively easy, even for those who object to dubbing on general principle, to put aside any qualms and embrace “Princess Mononoke” for what it is, a savage and beautiful episode in the ongoing battle between man and nature.Ĭoming in the wake of the summer’s domination by “Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace,” “Princess Mononoke” demonstrates that George Lucas has something to learn from Miyazaki about the graceful and organic use of myths and legends set during the tumultuous Muromachi era (1392-1573) on the cusp of the Iron Age, the story deftly makes use of ecological and technological themes and evokes a period of rapid change to connect with contempo sensibilities.Īlso gratifying is the way good and evil are not placed in simplistic opposition, but are intriguingly and realistically parceled out among virtually all the characters, human and animal.To celebrate the arrival of Studio Ghibli’s library on digital and streaming services, we’ve surveyed the studio’s history, impact, and biggest themes. But the fact remains that dubbing, while robbing any film of its intrinsic aural personality, does much less egregious damage to an animated film than it does to a live-action piece. Some may regret the loss of the fey, more childlike quality of the original voicings, which were in line with general Japanese practice. Delay of nearly a year and a half was occasioned by the decision to have DC Comics writer Neil Gaiman prep an English-language script to be performed by an array of name thesps. Miramax acquired the picture and initially planned to release it in the summer of 1998.

Though set in the 14th century, its ecological bias and feminist slant provide a modern resonance.” That review praised “Mononoke” as “a rich cartoon fable of bygone gods locking horns with man and with industry, which threatens to unbalance the forces of nature. 2, 1998, on the eve of its international premiere at the Berlin Film Festival. The first film from any source to gross more than $150 million at the domestic Japanese box office (“Titanic” was the second), this 1997 production from Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli was reviewed by Variety in its original version on Feb. Nevertheless, it will take all of Miramax’s legendary marketing prowess to secure sure footing anywhere beyond the specialized circuit, as the PG-13 film, while mainstream in its appeal, is too violent and, at 133 minutes, too long for small fry, and departs from the anthropomorphic and musical Disney conventions in so many creative, exciting ways.