New verdict: Memories vs Whisper of the Heart
Memories, Katsuhiro Otomo/Koji Morimoto/Tensai Okamura, 1995, Japan
Memories consists of three separate films, Magnetic Rose, Stink Bomb and Cannon Fodder presented together. Each deals with a different situation, has a different look and was directed by a different director, and, in a way, this worked against it from the beginning.
Magnetic Rose, the first part, is easily the most impressive. In fact, if all three parts were this good, there would definitely be an upset here. It tells the story of a space freighter that goes to investigate a distress signal. When they arrive, they find an abandoned... something. They discover eventually that it hold the memory/essence/spirit of an opera diva who has created this structure to relieve the memories she has of her lover. The section cleverly deals with philosophical issues as only anime can. The nature of memory, the loss of love, respecting the past vs being consumed by it, as well as many other issues. It is very fine indeed, and I could have watched this story for a feature length.
The second story, Stink Bomb tells of a young man who works at a research facility. He goes in sick one day, after getting a shot at the doctor, and a colleague tells him to take a certain pill. This pill turns out not to be for fever at all, but rather turns him into a biological weapon, knocking out any one who gets within a certain distance with his smell. It’s a simple comedy, but overall rather ineffective.
Finally, Cannon Fodder is about a family who live in a town made of cannons. They fire each and every day at an elusive target. Children are trained to aim and load the cannons. This is the story with the potential for the most meaning and impact, and is perhaps the most important story, but loses something in the telling.
Whisper of the Heart, Yoshifumi Kondo, 1995, Japan
Whisper of the Heart is the story of a young girl who is, one might say, obsessed with reading. She notices one day that many of the books she reads have already been read by an unknown man. One day, when riding a train, she sees a cat, and when she follows the cat, she finds an antiques store that is full of strange articles, and a beautiful old clock. She later discovers the store is owned by the grandfather of the young man who has read all the same books.
This is a beautifully told story, and I enjoyed seeing an anime that was fairly grounded in reality, unlike a lot of anime which has a sci-fi/fantasy bent. The characters are well drawn, and the story progresses really well.
All that said, I walked away feeling a little like this was nothing special. While there were parts I loved (the recurring motif of “Take Me Home, Country Road” I really enjoyed, and loved that she was trying to decipher a suitable translation (the catalyst for my question about Subs v Dubs)), I thought, as a whole, the story was very... soap-operatic/melodramatic, and I don’t know that it worked.
Adam often mentions how animation makes what would otherwise be unbearable bearable in Grave of the Fireflies, and I believe it does something similar in this film. If this was live action, I cannot imagine any circumstance it which it would not be overly saccharine or melodramatic. I think subtitles may also help to lessen this affect.
The ending had aspects that I both liked and disliked. I won’t go into too many details here, but I will say that I found the final moments entirely childish and annoying, and whilst they may work for a 14-year-girl, the second the audience has an inch of cynicism, it falls apart.
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I don’t know that I feel entirely happy with the above reviews, but they cover, for the most part, the way I feel about the films I saw as part of my matchup. I’m glad I saw both, but for me, the greatest response I had was to Magnetic Rose. However, as I’ve already suggested, the other two stories in Memories let Magnetic Rose down, and on its own, can’t progress past Whisper of the Heart, which works better as a whole film.
Whisper of the Heart moves on.