I Finally See Ringing Bell
I finally managed to watch Ringing Bell on video the other day, and I have to say that it lives up to my expectations - and more.
Some of the reviews about the movie aren’t 100% spot-on, though. It doesn’t start out as a happy-go-lucky film with that eventually darkens - there’re portents of the rather depressing outcome of the film right off the bat, with the show’s intro song, which is reminiscent of old folk hits from the likes of “The Brothers Four.” The animation, as I mentioned in my other post, is top-notch, for its day, with very few rehashed sequences, even in the scenes involving the wolf and Chirin’s training (and there were plenty of actions scenes there).
But the best part about the film is that it isn’t your regular kid’s movie. There are lessons to be learned, sure, but the morals are delivered with a harsh series of examples, from the importance of listening to your mother, to the deeper lessons about life and survival.
Given that, I’m pretty sure that kids will have a hard time relating to the film. Chirin’s transformation from a lamb who falls asleep in the oddest places into a bloodthirsty ram who can dispatch a pack of dogs with no trouble whatsoever can be a bit confusing too; it begs the question of why the hero would choose a violent path.
Of course, the reasons are given throughout the film, but kids might have a hard time getting it completely. Which is the film’s only bad point.
The film’s so starkingly Japanese despite the obvious Disney elements (in the design of the animals, especially the minor animals). The wolf is a samurai, while the young Chirin is the Japanese anime depiction of lively young boys filled with unsettling - if a bit uncertain - courage.
I’m glad I finally got to see this gem of a movie. It’s as unsettling as Grave of the Fireflies without the gritty parts, which makes it an entirely easier film to stomach. Be warned: some parts can make you cry.