The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness Documentary Review: A Calming Behind-The-Scenes Look At Studio Ghibli!
The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness is a documentary (currently on HBO Max) that takes you behind the scenes at Studio Ghibli in Japan, where the team is in the midst of finishing up two major films: The Wind Rises and The Tale of Princess Kaguya. The focal point of the documentary is on Hayao Miyazaki and his day to day life. The documentary filmmaker, Mami Sunada, also follows Toshio Suzuki, the lead producer at the studio. Isao Takahata is the third predominant figure at Studio Ghibli, but he almost exists like an enigma - everyone talks about him all the time but he doesn’t actually show up on screen until the very end. Overall, I thought this documentary was absolutely riveting and fantastic! In general, I love seeing behind-the-scenes clips of the filmmaking process, and to see a film like The Wind Rises come to life is extremely interesting. I also have a ton of respect for the storytelling prowess of Studio Ghibli, especially right now as I am eagerly watching every single one of their films with whatever free time I can muster.
I think that this film does a great job capturing the spirit of Studio Ghibli and its founders. Hayao Miyazaki is viewed as a genius and an amazing filmmaker to the world, but at his core, I think this documentary explores how he’s also just a regular Japanese grandpa who smokes a little too much and is eccentric. I remember there was one scene I absolutely loved where some members of the staff were gathered in a conference room discussing how they were unable to cast the right person for the main character, Jiro, in The Wind Rises. And then a random name is thrown out, “Hideaki Anno,” and what starts out as a ridiculous joke turns into something Miyazaki starts to seriously consider. The rest of the staff in the room sit there almost waiting to see whether he’s actually serious or still joking. Little moments like that make the magic of the creative process so interesting!
I also really loved watching the staff members, especially Miyazaki, draw storyboards. It almost seems like a process from a bygone era because of how so many things are computer animated nowadays. But seeing the attention to detail and the hand-drawn animations come to life really capture the spirit of Studio Ghibli, where their movies are defined by a certain style and movement that hand-drawn animation captures best. There are so many little moments in this documentary that have become really memorable for me and I had a really great time watching it from beginning to end.
Having recently watched The Tale of Princess Kaguya myself, I also thought it was really funny how everyone seemed to be ripping in on Paku-san (Takahata) for his disregard for release deadlines. They kept joking (and seriously complaining) that it’s almost like he doesn’t want to finish the film at all. I wish that we got to see his creative process and behind-the-scenes of the making of Princess Kaguya. Maybe there were contractual rules about not being allowed to show scenes from the film in the documentary, or maybe Takahata did not want to be followed around by a documentary filmmaker. But regardless, I definitely would’ve loved to see how he worked!
In conclusion…
If you have an appreciation for Studio Ghibli movies, The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness is definitely a documentary for you to watch. You’ll see the brains behind the operation, the quirkiness of the directors, and almost a year-long process of filmmaking through the lens of a patient and observing camera. I really appreciated the opportunity to get in on the little quirks of the office (from the stretch routines to Miyazaki buying yakult drinks every day). This documentary also seemed like a farewell piece for Miyazaki because it was believed that The Wind Rises would be his last film. But as we all know, this isn’t actually the case, so I feel heartened by the fact that Miyazaki is still subverting his own rules and doing whatever the hell he wants when it comes to storytelling!