Let’s start by saying that this film is weird. Okay with that? Right…
Weird, but highly accessible. Unlike the themes of recent Ghibli output (Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away) – which can seem a bit lost in translation – those of Pom Poko are clear. The film is a lament for an older, more natural Japan; a time before Tokyo expansion destroyed much of its surrounding countryside. But it’s more than a lament, it’s an exposé. Just one that mixes sociological ideas with dancing racoons. As I said, it’s weird.
The story is about one racoon clan’s frustrated attempts to halt the destruction of what they see as their forest home. Their mission becomes one of sabotage, using their hilarious special powers – which can remain a delightful secret — to survive in a rapidly changing world, which they struggle to understand. Such difficult themes are well explored with emotional integrity, and a surprising amount of political understanding; unheard of from other animation studios. But the Ghibli team clearly have both comprehension of the lives of animals and a human understanding of the crisis – note, for example, the delicate depiction of the racoon’s self-enforced celibacy as a desperate attempt to keep their numbers down. It’s genuinely affecting.
Pom Poko’s structural style takes some getting used to. It’s a sort of historical fairytale, almost a documentary, with an emphasis on narration. An unusual method, especially for an animated film – yet it works well, despite the difficulty of moving between narrated sections and the conversations of the animals. The narration also assists the understanding of the racoon behaviour, reminding us that animals aren’t very self-analytical. It’s also very funny, and occasionally tongue-in-cheek.
Characteristic of Studio Ghibli, Pom Poko is rich with playful humour, and is drawn to a very high standard that shows genuine affectation for animation and for the natural world. It has been written and directed with both children and their weary parents in mind, and so needs to be both funny and informed, and succeeds on both fronts.
Unfortunately Pom Poko is likely to become a bit lost amongst the more frequently publicised Ghibli. It deserves more, as an animal rights film, and because it’s a truly unique experience.
9/10
p.s. Apparently, the film was made by the racoons themselves to show us humans the urgency of their problem. Okay it wasn’t. Well, maybe. But, anyway, who can resist fantasy racoon propaganda? Certainly not me.
