Hayao Miyazaki waxes philosophical in a rare interview in the Guardian. He lets slip that he liked Lauren Bacall as the Witch of the Wastes:
This is fine, says Miyazaki, because Bacall is “a fabulous woman” who brought something to the role that home-grown actors couldn’t. “All the Japanese female voice actors have voices that are very coquettish and wanting male attention, which was not what we wanted at all.”
Take that, you subtitling purists! And this!
In any case, he adds, who is to say that a subtitled print is any more authentic? “When you watch the subtitled version you are probably missing just as many things. There is a layer and a nuance you’re not going to get. Film crosses so many borders these days. Of course it is going to be distorted.”
Having watched a lot of American films subtitled in French, I’d have to agree.
Miyazake reveals that he is not a total purist about hand-drawing; he allows a little bit of computer generated imagery in his films. And he’s philosophical about the fact that he’s really good at a dying art:
Civilisation moves on. Where are all the fresco painters now? Where are the landscape artists?
Working on the backgrounds of his films would be my guess.
But Miyazake remains resolutely old-fashioned about merchandising. No “coordinating all aspects of brand development through a property’s lifecycle” for this guy. The Spirited Away lunchbox and Totoro dust mop remain but a dream (although Totoro plushies don’t seem to offend his sensibilities).
Then the interview veers off into children-are-the-hope-of-the-future and gee, look at the time, (yawn) gotta go…
