《輝夜姬物語》：竹取之光，年度最美

找了一個周末下午將《輝夜姬物語》看完，最讓我印象深刻、大概很多年以后都不會忘記的，就是剛開始那幾分鐘的作畫--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《百變貍貓》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，你也許會感受到什么……

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[拖沓]—even at its slowest， the film is never less than stunning， and it’s hard not to be swept away by its charms.

That Takahata’s work is often held up next to Miyazaki’s， despite drastic[極端] differences in style and tone， is an example of the diversity[多樣性] of Ghibli’s work and the talent of its two biggest names. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya might be the last chance to see a new Takahata film as it comes out in cinemas； I would say it’s a chance not to be missed.

眾所周知，動畫泰斗宮崎駿去年決定退休，不過他的吉卜力工作室在今天（2014年10月17日）又推出了一部全新電影，同樣出自一位不遑多讓的天才之手。電影《輝夜姬物語》由吉卜力的創始人之一、現年78歲的高畑勛執導，你在2014年不會看到比它更漂亮精美的片子了。

《輝夜姬物語》根據十世紀的日本民間傳說《竹取物語》改編而成，講述了一對貧窮的夫婦在樹林里發現了一個神秘的女孩，便自告奮勇收養了她，要將這孩子養育成一位公主。高畑勛在這個故事的基礎上加以發揮，探討生命的易逝無常，財富與物質的膚淺無用，以及我們一路以來所扮演的社會角色是多么缺乏意義。不過，《輝夜姬物語》剛開始的劇情還是很一目了然的——大多數觀眾會被那驚人的藝術風格一下抓住眼球呢。