《輝夜姬物語》：竹取之光，年度最美
動漫後援會
作者：Sam Byford 翻譯:思葦
找了一個周末下午將《輝夜姬物語》看完，最讓我印象深刻、大概很多年以後都不會忘記的，就是剛開始那幾分鍾的作畫--就像一個有聲音、動起來的水彩繪本似的，四季在久石讓的音樂中變幻更迭，每個分鏡都美得讓人窒息。或許我們不能在這部電影中重拾《再見螢火蟲》的虐心深刻，也找不回《百變狸貓》的逗趣詼諧，但“鳥兒蟲兒和野獸，青草和花朵”的歌聲千回百轉，靜下心來仔細品味吧，你也許會感受到什麼……
Much was made of animation legend Hayao Miyazaki’s decision to retire last year， but a new movie out today from his Studio Ghibli comes from the mind of no less great a talent. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya was directed by 78-year-old Isao Takahata注， a co-founder of the studio， and you won’t see a more gorgeous[極好的] movie in 2014.
Princess Kaguya is based on a 10th-century Japanese folk story called The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter， which tells of a poor couple that discover a mystical[神秘的] girl in a forest and take it upon themselves to raise her as a princess. Takahata takes this narrative[故事] and runs with it， exploring the transient[瞬變現象的] nature of life， the shallowness[膚淺的] we play along the way. But Princess Kaguya’s plot is a simple one at first—most viewers will be more immediately grabbed by the astonishing[驚人的] artistic style.
Princess Kaguya is like an old Japanese painting come to life. The fluid[流暢的] animation is drawn in minimalist[極簡抽象派藝術家] yet memorable[難忘的] watercolors， with charcoal[炭筆] strokes[筆畫] that reminded me a little of the Raymond Briggs adaptation[改編] The Snowman. A core[核心] theme of the film—how simple years spent among nature can offer more happiness than city life and social progression[前進]—is one shared by other Ghibli works， but the painterly[畫家的] style helps make a more convincing[有說服力] case here. In one amazing scene， the princess Kaguya’s angry fantasies[幻想] of escaping her caged environment are shown in dazzling[眼花繚亂的] motion as the character takes flight.
Princess Kaguya’s simple plot perhaps doesn’t quite justify[證明……是正當的] its two hours and 17 minutes running time， and viewers unfamiliar with[不熟悉] the original story might be thrown sideways by a cosmic[宇宙的] twist in the third act. The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter is often described as proto[最初的]-science fiction， making Princess Kaguya more than your average Japanese folk tale. And despite some strong scenes， I didn’t find it quite as moving or emotional[感動人的] overall as some of Takahata’s best work， which often has the power to touch your heart. But I never felt that Princess Kaguya dragged[拖遝]—even at its slowest， the film is never less than stunning， and it’s hard not to be swept away by its charms.