She gave birth to him, loved him, and took care of him. And he, in turn, poured his love onto her, making it almost impossible for him to escape her and live independently, truly loving another woman.
—— "Sons and Lovers"
If you have appreciated most of Hayao Miyazaki's animated works, it is not difficult to find that the thematic relationships in his designs mainly fall into three categories: the relationship between humans and war, humans and nature, and humans and humans.
An artist's work often reflects the emotional connections deep within their hearts, which are often closely related to their upbringing. In Miyazaki's creations, the depiction of humans and war can be traced back to his experiences growing up during the post-war reconstruction period and the influence of his family's aircraft component factory; the theme of humans and nature reflects the pure natural environment he was immersed in during the Showa era, as well as the profound impression of polytheistic nature worship among the Japanese people. This article will focus on exploring the theme of "humans and humans" in Miyazaki's works, particularly his Oedipus complex (mother complex).
These three themes run through many of Miyazaki's works, and sometimes a single film encompasses multiple themes, making this classification somewhat subjective, aiming to highlight the main focus of each work. The relationship between humans is a universally present theme that permeates all of Miyazaki's works, especially prominent when exploring emotional interactions between characters.
When analyzing interpersonal relationships in Miyazaki's works, one must first pay attention to the various character forms he creates, including children, teenagers, adults, and the elderly. Notably, female characters often play the leading or significant roles, rather than male ones. The character portrayals in the artist's works often reflect projections of his own life. In Miyazaki's creations, the most significant self-projection is his connection to the image of his mother, which is profoundly reflected in his works.
Miyazaki's Two Feelings Towards His Mother#
When Miyazaki was six years old, his mother fell ill and passed away while he was immersed in creating "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind." Due to this experience, his animated works often reflect some of his inner complexes. In the character of Hiya, we can also analyze his Oedipus complex.
Miyazaki himself mentioned in an interview that he harbors many complex feelings towards his mother, Miyazaki Yoshiko, which is why he repeatedly brings his mother "back to life" in his films—living as a lovely girl, a strong woman, and a kind old lady. Correspondingly, he himself is sometimes a child and sometimes a teenager.
The two projections of his mother in Miyazaki's works can be summarized into two types of feelings: one is the child's attachment to the mother, and the other is the man's admiration for women. The former is generally accepted by society, while the latter is viewed as "incest," which is frowned upon in conventional ethics. According to Freud's theory, men tend to have some degree of Oedipus complex, harboring extraordinary feelings for the first woman with whom they form an intimate relationship, which directly influences their views and opinions about women.
Self-Character Projection in Miyazaki's Films#
In many of Miyazaki's films, his own personality traits are projected onto the protagonists, most of which stem from his experiences from youth to adulthood:
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Miyazaki was physically weak and sickly during his childhood, had poor athletic ability, was introverted and self-deprecating, and was always filled with fantasies in his mind.
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Miyazaki had a deep attachment to his mother and did not hide his feminist tendencies as he grew older, but due to the busy nature of his work in the animation industry, he was unable to provide sufficient care when his mother was bedridden for a long time due to illness.
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In his youth, Miyazaki aspired to break into the comic industry, but due to being unable to step out of the shadow of his predecessors' works, he "abandoned comics for animation" and transitioned into animation production.
These experiences can form three character images in animation:
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An immature child in need of growth or care. For example, the character Chihiro in "Spirited Away" is an ordinary girl in urgent need of growth.
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A male figure who protects women. For example, the young boy Sosuke in "Ponyo" is determined to protect Ponyo and ultimately falls in love with her.
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A persistent young figure pursuing ideals. For example, Jiro Horikoshi in "The Wind Rises" designs and builds airplanes on his own.
Mother Character Projection in Miyazaki's Films#
Miyazaki's projection of the "mother" character in his animations mainly stems from his own experiences and feelings:
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As a child, his observations of his mother. As mentioned earlier, when Miyazaki was six years old, his mother fell seriously ill and was bedridden for a long time. After being bullied at school, he returned home trying to hug his mother, but she refused because she couldn't turn over. Deep down, Miyazaki always craved love and hugs from his mother. Because of this, he often uses hugs to express feelings and love—just like in the third act of his latest film "The Boy and the Heron," where Mahito and Hiya embrace upon meeting again—this contrasts with the traditional Japanese culture that subtly expresses feelings with "the moonlight is beautiful."
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As a man, his observations and interactions with women. Born in 1941, Miyazaki experienced the shadows of war and post-war reconstruction. Post-war Japan was in ruins, and the country's expectations of women underwent significant changes; society began to admire strong and capable women, and the image of his mother in Miyazaki's mind perfectly fits this female archetype. A person's childhood and adolescence greatly influence their thoughts and values, and the admirable qualities of women during that era directly impacted Miyazaki's aesthetic appreciation of women. Therefore, in his works, although the characters vary in age, they all possess independent and strong characteristics.
Specifically, this projection in Miyazaki's animated works forms two character images:
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A cheerful, strong, yet gentle middle-aged or elderly woman. For example, the pirate Granny Dora in "Castle in the Sky" is straightforward, brave, and bold, with a stern exterior but a kind and gentle heart.
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A kind and independent young girl. For example, the strong, kind, and generous Nausicaä in "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind," and Hiya in "The Boy and the Heron."
Women at different stages reflect the admirable qualities of women in Miyazaki's values. In addition to general kindness, many female characters also possess strong combat abilities (Dora in "Castle in the Sky"), diligent work capabilities (Yubaba in "Spirited Away"), great love for people and the world (Mitsuki in "The Boy and the Heron"), and strong maternal traits (Hiya in "The Boy and the Heron").
Conclusion#
Artists are all undertakers; they repeatedly bury grief, despair, and trauma; then dig it up and bury it again.
—— Graham Greene
In order to commemorate his mother, Miyazaki repeatedly brings her back to life in his works, transforming into a girl, a woman, and a grandmother, sometimes healthy, sometimes afflicted by illness. Meanwhile, he continuously integrates himself into his works, becoming a child or a teenager, sometimes playful, sometimes protective. He realizes dreams in animation that can never be achieved in reality.
Many artists spend their lives expressing just one thing. Just as Stephen Chow's tearful smile in his films is always a self-reflection, Miyazaki's works may only have two protagonists: one is himself, and the other is his mother.
Sometimes he is a child, needing growth, companionship, and love. Other times he is a teenager, needing dreams, love, and protection. He is the playful Mei in the forest, the adventurous Kiki, the self-discovering Chihiro, the brave Ashitaka, the determined Seita, the kind Sosuke, the persistent Shun, and the dream-chasing Jiro Horikoshi...
His mother is sometimes an innocent girl, kind, strong, and independent. Other times she is a resilient woman, powerful, assertive, and persistent. Sometimes she is an old lady, sharp-tongued yet tender-hearted, impatient but full of love. She is the straightforward and fearless Dora, the gentle and sickly Mei's mother, the fierce Eboshi, the quirky and kind Granny, the stern yet kind Yubaba, the gentle and persistent Sheeta, the prematurely deceased Naoko Satomi, the nurturing Nausicaä, and the strong and kind San, and the resilient and loving Sophie...
In 1983, when Miyazaki's important work "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind" was still unfinished, Yoshiko Miyazaki passed away. When she died, her son was not by her side, and Miyazaki never received that missing hug until the very end. At that time, he had a full head of black hair, while his mother had already turned gray.
In 2023, Miyazaki's final work "The Boy and the Heron" was released, after which he announced his retirement. In seeking that hug from his mother, he spent a full forty years and finally found her in his own works. At this moment, he has white hair like snow, while his mother remains in his heart with her hair still dark.
This article is synchronized and updated to xLog by Mix Space
The original link is https://nishikori.tech/posts/review/2024-04-11