Seeing with Eyes Unclouded: Representations of Creativity in the Works of Hayao Miyazaki Jonathan R

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Seeing with Eyes Unclouded: Representations of Creativity in the Works of Hayao Miyazaki Jonathan R University of Colorado, Boulder CU Scholar Undergraduate Honors Theses Honors Program Fall 2014 Seeing With Eyes Unclouded: Representations of Creativity in the Works of Hayao Miyazaki Jonathan R. Lack University of Colorado Boulder, Jonathan.Lack@Colorado.EDU Follow this and additional works at: http://scholar.colorado.edu/honr_theses Part of the Other Film and Media Studies Commons, and the Visual Studies Commons Recommended Citation Lack, Jonathan R., "Seeing With Eyes Unclouded: Representations of Creativity in the Works of Hayao Miyazaki" (2014). Undergraduate Honors Theses. Paper 726. This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Honors Program at CU Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Undergraduate Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of CU Scholar. For more information, please contact cuscholaradmin@colorado.edu. Seeing With Eyes Unclouded Representations of Creativity in the Works of Hayao Miyazaki By Jonathan R. Lack Examination Committee Melinda Barlow Advisor and Honors Council Representative Film Studies Ernesto Acevedo-Muñoz Film Studies Paul Strom Honors Date of Defense: November 3 rd , 2014 Table of Contents Abstract 3 Prologue: To See With Eyes Unclouded Charting a path of creative reflexivity in the films of Hayao Miyazaki 5 Endnotes 22 Chapter One: Enveloped in Tenderness Kiki’s Delivery Service and the journey towards a creative spirit 26 Endnotes 48 Chapter Two: Country Roads Whisper of the Heart and the search for home 52 Endnotes 79 Chapter Three: Vapor Trail Rectifying the kingdom of cursed dreams in The Wind Rises 84 Endnotes 122 Epilogue: Always With Me Applying the lessons of Hayao Miyazaki’s creative reflection 133 Bibliography 142 Abstract Though Japanese animation director Hayao Miyazaki is best known for creating imaginative fantasy and adventure features, he has also, on multiple occasions, directly engaged with realistic, contemporary, or historical settings in films that examine everyday human issues and present reflexive musings on the nature of creativity. This study explores how Miyazaki represents creativity in relation to fundamental aspects of the human condition through close analysis of three of these films: Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989), Whisper of the Heart (1995, Dir. Yoshifumi Kondo, written by Hayao Miyazaki), and The Wind Rises (2013). Each of these works explores creativity as a dynamic and multifaceted force, and gives way to larger discussions of how individuals find, define, and maintain their personal voice or talent in a world that is complex, demanding, and imbalanced. This study examines how Miyazaki intertwines creative or artistic expression with the trials of adolescence and the harsh realities of adulthood, while also focusing on the political, social, and philosophical implications of how these works represent the creative spirit. Several thematic through-lines are traced between the three films, starting with Kiki’s Delivery Service, which, while not focused on creativity directly, nevertheless draws connections between talent, identity, and self-sufficiency to explore how our passions define and empower us. Whisper of the Heart then applies these themes to contemporary Japanese society, and tells its story about an individual finding her voice and place in the world through the specific lens of artistic expression. The Wind Rises, finally, explores these ideas on a much more intense and challenging historical scale, set in the years leading up to World War II and telling a fictionalized narrative about the life of Jiro Horikoshi, designer of Japan’s deadly Zero Fighter. Exploring creativity and compromise in the real world, the film is also about the dualities of life and art, 3 L a c k | 4 and ties together the themes of these three works – as well as the major recurring ideas of all Miyazaki’s films – in a highly emotional conclusion centered around the beauty and melancholy of transience. Taken together, these three films not only illustrate an insightful and inspiring theory of creativity, but illuminate the overall arc of Miyazaki’s career, with each work signifying a major evolution in his thematic development, and, in the case of Kiki and Whisper, directly anticipating his most successful and acclaimed films. Prologue: To See With Eyes Unclouded Charting a path of creative reflexivity in the films of Hayao Miyazaki As for the ‘power of fantasy,’ that was my own personal experience. When I was younger I was filled with anxiety and lacked self-confidence, and was no good at expressing myself. The few times I truly felt free were times when, for example, I read [Osamu] Tezuka’s manga, or read books that I had borrowed from someone. Nowadays people say you should face reality and not flinch from it, but I think the power of fantasy is that it provides a space for people to become heroes, even if they lack confidence when trying to face reality. It doesn’t have to be just manga or animation, it could even be myths and stories from much longer ago; I just think that humans have always brought with them stories that make them feel they can cope somehow, that things will turn out all right. Hayao Miyazaki, 2001 1 In Hayao Miyazaki’s 1997 period epic Princess Mononoke, the protagonist, Prince Ashitaka, is beset by a mysterious affliction after defending his village from an accursed boar god. The boar, which the village elder reveals had been wounded by a great iron bullet, was infected with the hatred of man, the poison of industrial society turning the once-majestic beast into a rampaging, vengeful monster. In killing the boar, both to protect his people and put the fallen god to rest, Ashitaka has inherited this hatred, its toxicity subsumed into his flesh as a powerful and deadly curse just as it was for the boar. The elder, in revealing the path Ashitaka must now walk, tells 5 L a c k | 6 him that there is no way to change his fate – only the opportunity to rise and meet it. Striving to find and rectify the source of this hatred is the only way to abate the curse’s spread. “Calamity has befallen the land of the west,” she explains to him. “Journey there, and see with eyes unclouded. There might be a way to lift the curse.”2 It might as well be the mission statement for Miyazaki’s entire career. There are countless qualities that contribute to Hayao Miyazaki’s status as the world’s greatest living animator, and will continue to bear weight when history remembers him as cinema’s most significant and accomplished director of animated feature films: His intoxicatingly beautiful art style and meticulous attention to detail, with breathtaking, painterly backgrounds and rich, dynamic uses of color (no animator has ever incorporated the unique aesthetics of watercolor so completely into their work); his vibrant and relatable characters, three-dimensional human figures of each gender and all ages who are designed with striking, oftentimes iconic simple power, and animated with rigorous attention to both personality and physicality; and, of course, the incredible worlds these characters populate, realms of both fantasy and reality brought brilliantly to life with what friend and colleague Isao Takahata describes as “an imagination so vivid it verges on a hallucinatory vision.” 3 Yet the talent that matters most in the creation of Miyazaki’s masterful motion pictures is the one he asks of Prince Ashitaka: the ability ‘to see with eyes unclouded,’ to observe and comment upon our world and its many faults and triumphs with calm clarity and reason. To cut through the noise and chaos of human existence – and, indeed, the empty spectacle and overwrought action of modern commercial cinema – to probe at the emotional and intellectual core of what makes us fallible, what inspires our goodness, and what challenges, amazes, and inspires us in the time we walk this earth. In the realms of live-action and animated filmmaking L a c k | 7 alike, Miyazaki is one of the most accomplished purveyors of the human condition, a natural successor to the great line of Japanese directors who also dedicated their careers to exploring universal human issues in culturally or narratively specific stories and settings, and whose work resonates around the world today as a result: Yasujiro Ozu, Mikio Naruse, Akira Kurosawa, Kenji Mizoguchi, Masaki Kobayashi, and many more. Miyazaki differs greatly from these filmmakers in many ways, just as each of them stands out distinctly from one another (in fact, with his calm editing and frequently still, visually dense compositions, Miyazaki’s prime stylistic differentiation from these directors may not be his use of the animated medium so much as his employment of fantasy). But he belongs in the lineup just the same, his passionate yet level- headed explorations of the senselessness of war, the processes of grief, the nature of maturity, the power of human relationships, the structure and imperfections of human societies, and, especially, mankind’s connection to ecology – few directors have ever given such intense focus to how humans impact and are shaped by the environment – making his films deeply and universally resonant with rich intellectual and emotional power, a quality shared by the great masterworks of Japan’s cinematic golden age. This capacity to tell stories and craft art ‘with eyes unclouded’ is therefore key to Miyazaki’s creative genius. It is also, not coincidentally, a core tenant of his own conception of creative thinking, a topic that has come to the forefront of his work on three separate films, and which always represents a shift or evolution in his perception of human nature and other thematic issues. Differing from Miyazaki’s period epics like Princess Mononoke, fantasy narratives like Spirited Away (2001), or adventure films like Laputa: Castle in the Sky (1986), these three films – namely, Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989), Whisper of the Heart (1995; Dir.
Recommended publications
  • PERFORMED IDENTITIES: HEAVY METAL MUSICIANS BETWEEN 1984 and 1991 Bradley C. Klypchak a Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate
    PERFORMED IDENTITIES: HEAVY METAL MUSICIANS BETWEEN 1984 AND 1991 Bradley C. Klypchak A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY May 2007 Committee: Dr. Jeffrey A. Brown, Advisor Dr. John Makay Graduate Faculty Representative Dr. Ron E. Shields Dr. Don McQuarie © 2007 Bradley C. Klypchak All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Dr. Jeffrey A. Brown, Advisor Between 1984 and 1991, heavy metal became one of the most publicly popular and commercially successful rock music subgenres. The focus of this dissertation is to explore the following research questions: How did the subculture of heavy metal music between 1984 and 1991 evolve and what meanings can be derived from this ongoing process? How did the contextual circumstances surrounding heavy metal music during this period impact the performative choices exhibited by artists, and from a position of retrospection, what lasting significance does this particular era of heavy metal merit today? A textual analysis of metal- related materials fostered the development of themes relating to the selective choices made and performances enacted by metal artists. These themes were then considered in terms of gender, sexuality, race, and age constructions as well as the ongoing negotiations of the metal artist within multiple performative realms. Occurring at the juncture of art and commerce, heavy metal music is a purposeful construction. Metal musicians made performative choices for serving particular aims, be it fame, wealth, or art. These same individuals worked within a greater system of influence. Metal bands were the contracted employees of record labels whose own corporate aims needed to be recognized.
    [Show full text]
  • The Significance of Anime As a Novel Animation Form, Referencing Selected Works by Hayao Miyazaki, Satoshi Kon and Mamoru Oshii
    The significance of anime as a novel animation form, referencing selected works by Hayao Miyazaki, Satoshi Kon and Mamoru Oshii Ywain Tomos submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Aberystwyth University Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies, September 2013 DECLARATION This work has not previously been accepted in substance for any degree and is not being concurrently submitted in candidature for any degree. Signed………………………………………………………(candidate) Date …………………………………………………. STATEMENT 1 This dissertation is the result of my own independent work/investigation, except where otherwise stated. Other sources are acknowledged explicit references. A bibliography is appended. Signed………………………………………………………(candidate) Date …………………………………………………. STATEMENT 2 I hereby give consent for my dissertation, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter-library loan, and for the title and summary to be made available to outside organisations. Signed………………………………………………………(candidate) Date …………………………………………………. 2 Acknowledgements I would to take this opportunity to sincerely thank my supervisors, Elin Haf Gruffydd Jones and Dr Dafydd Sills-Jones for all their help and support during this research study. Thanks are also due to my colleagues in the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies, Aberystwyth University for their friendship during my time at Aberystwyth. I would also like to thank Prof Josephine Berndt and Dr Sheuo Gan, Kyoto Seiko University, Kyoto for their valuable insights during my visit in 2011. In addition, I would like to express my thanks to the Coleg Cenedlaethol for the scholarship and the opportunity to develop research skills in the Welsh language. Finally I would like to thank my wife Tomoko for her support, patience and tolerance over the last four years – diolch o’r galon Tomoko, ありがとう 智子.
    [Show full text]
  • Racial Justice in Engineering the Road Ahead for Mckelvey Engineering
    mckelvey engineering Across Disciplines. Across the World® // spring 2021 Racial justice in Engineering The road ahead for McKelvey Engineering inside Neal Patwari 18 // Virtual becomes reality 22 // Libby Allman 26 From the dean // The Long Road Ahead I write this letter as we are wrapping up what will be remembered as the most unusual academic year in living memory. The COVID-19 pandemic, which last spring was a crisis requiring an immediate response to launch online learning, grew into an ever-present constraint that impacted teaching, research and all aspects of operations across the university. For the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters, McKelvey Engineering needed to embrace new paradigms of teaching and learning, to develop new modes of managing and sharing research spaces, and to conduct business operations almost exclusively through remote interactions. In the pages of this issue of Engineering Momentum, you will read about some of the efforts it took to rise to the occasion. Given the enormity of the task, one might expect responding to COVID-19 to be the cover story of this issue of the magazine. It is not. Instead, the summer of last year saw the emergence of an awareness of a challenge that has been with us for centuries and whose destructive power is not amenable to being controlled by a vaccine. While the most visible event of the summer was the video-captured death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers, there was a washu photo litany of such tragedies and travesties. These incidents energized a Black Lives Matter Aaron F.
    [Show full text]
  • How the Filmography of Hayao Miyazaki Subverts Nation Branding and Soft Power
    View metadata, citation and similarbrought COREpapers to youat core.ac.ukby provided by University of Tasmania Open Access Repository 1 Wings and Freedom, Spirit and Self: How the Filmography of Hayao Miyazaki Subverts Nation Branding and Soft Power Shadow (BA Hons) 195408 Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters of Journalism, Media and Communications University of Tasmania June, 2015 2 Declaration of Originality: This thesis contains no material which has been accepted for a degree or diploma by the University or any other institution, except by way of background information and duly acknowledged in the thesis, and to the best of the my knowledge and belief no material previously published or written by another person except where due acknowledgement is made in the text of the thesis, nor does the thesis contain any material that infringes copyright. X Shadow Date: 6/10/2015 Authority of Access: This thesis may be made available for loan and limited copying and communication in accordance with the Copyright Act 1968. X Shadow Date: 6/10/2015 3 Declaration of Copy Editing: Professional copy was provided by Walter Leggett to amend issues with consistency, spelling and grammar. No other content was altered by Mr Leggett and editing was undertaken under the consent and recommendation of candidate’s supervisors. X Shadow Date: 6/10/2015 4 Contents Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... 7 CHAPTER 1 .............................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Wind Rises: a Swirling Controversy
    16 The Wind Rises: A Swirling Controversy Sean Mowry ‘16 HST 401: World War II in Cinema Professor Alan Allport In the summer of 2013, Japanese recent history, and its messages are director Hayao Miyazaki released his final important to examine. This is especially the movie as a writer and director, The Wind case in the current context of Japanese Rises.55 Miyazaki is a legend in Japanese desires to remilitarize under its cinema, and is often referred to as the “Walt conservative leadership. 56 Disney of Japan.” He is a founder, and the The Wind Rises tells the story of Jiro most famous member of the Tokyo-based Horikoshi, the real life designer of the animation studio, Studio Ghibli, which has Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter plane, the produced 5 of the 15 highest grossing most famous airplane in Japanese history 57 anime movies in Japanese history. In fact, and an icon of the Pacific War. The film The Wind Rises takes the tenth spot on that begins in Jiro’s childhood dreams as he list, and it also is the highest grossing flies acrobatically in a plane, but above him 58 Japanese film from 2013. This makes the he sees dark clouds hiding aircraft all influence of this movie very prominent in marked with the Nazi Iron Cross. Jiro’s 55 Roy Akagawa, “Excerpts of Hayao Miyazaki’s 57 “Top Grossing Anime,”Box Office Mojo, News Conference Announcing His Retirement,” Accessed December 16, 2015 The Asahi Shimbun , September 6, 2013 http://www.boxofficemojo.com/genres/chart/?id=a http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/people/A nime.htm J201309060087.
    [Show full text]
  • Manic Street Preachers Tornano Con Un Nuovo Disco, Intitolato Futurology, in Uscita L'8 Manic Street Preachers Luglio 2014
    LUNEDì 28 APRILE 2014 A soli nove mesi di distanza dall'acclamato Rewind The Film (top 5 nel Regno Unito), undicesimo album da studio della band, i Manic Street Preachers tornano con un nuovo disco, intitolato Futurology, in uscita l'8 Manic Street Preachers luglio 2014. Futurology, il nuovo album, in uscita l'8 luglio. Registrati ai leggendari Hansa Studios di Berlino e al Faster, lo studio dei In concerto in Italia il 2 giugno 2014 al RocK In Manics a Cardiff, i tredici brani che compongono l'album vedono la band Idro di Bologna gallese in forma smagliante, addirittura esplosiva. Uno stacco netto rispetto al disco precedente, ma sempre all'insegna di uno stile inconfondibile. LA REDAZIONE Il primo singolo estratto è "Walk Me To The Bridge", dalle chiare influenze europee. In una recente conversazione con John Doran di Quietus, Nicky Wire ha parlato del testo del brano, che ha cominciato a prendere forma qualche anno fa. "Qualcuno penserà che la canzone contenga tanti riferimenti a Richey Edwards, ma in realtà parla del ponte di Øresund che collega la Svezia alla Danimarca. Tanto tempo fa, quando redazione@spettacolinews.it attraversavamo quel ponte, stavo perdendo entusiasmo per le cose e SPETTACOLINEWS.IT pensavo di lasciare la band (il "fatal friend"). 'Walk Me To The Bridge' parla dei ponti che ti consentono di vivere un'esperienza extracorporea quando lasci un luogo per raggiungerne un altro". Secondo James Dean Bradfield, il brano è "una canzone ideale per i viaggi in auto, dal sapore squisitamente europeo e carica di tensione emotiva, con sintetizzatori in stile primi Simple Minds e un assolo di chitarra Ebow alla 'Heroes'".
    [Show full text]
  • A Voice Against War
    STOCKHOLMS UNIVERSITET Institutionen för Asien-, Mellanöstern- och Turkietstudier A Voice Against War Pacifism in the animated films of Miyazaki Hayao Kandidatuppsats i japanska VT 2018 Einar Schipperges Tjus Handledare: Ida Kirkegaard Innehållsförteckning Annotation ............................................................................................................................................... 3 1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 4 1.1 Aim of the study ............................................................................................................................ 5 1.2 Material ......................................................................................................................................... 5 1.3 Research question .......................................................................................................................... 5 1.4 Theory ........................................................................................................................................... 5 1.4.1 Textual analysis ...................................................................................................................... 5 1.4.2 Theory of animation, definition of animation ........................................................................ 6 1.5 Methodology ................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Masculinity in Children's Film
    Masculinity in Children’s Film The Academy Award Winners Author: Natalie Kauklija Supervisor: Mariah Larsson Examiner: Tommy Gustafsson Spring 2018 Film Studies Bachelor Thesis Course Code 2FV30E Abstract This study analyzes the evolution of how the male gender is portrayed in five Academy Award winning animated films, starting in the year 2002 when the category was created. Because there have been seventeen award winning films in the animated film category, and there is a limitation regarding the scope for this paper, the winner from every fourth year have been analyzed; resulting in five films. These films are: Shrek (2001), Wallace and Gromit (2005), Up (2009), Frozen (2013) and Coco (2017). The films selected by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the Animated Feature film category tend to be both critically and financially successful, and watched by children, young adults, and adults worldwide. How male heroes are portrayed are generally believed to affect not only young boys who are forming their identities (especially ages 6-14), but also views on gender behavioral expectations in girls. Key words Children’s Film, Masculinity Portrayals, Hegemonic Masculinity, Masculinity, Film Analysis, Gender, Men, Boys, Animated Film, Kids Film, Kids Movies, Cinema, Movies, Films, Oscars, Ceremony, Film Award, Awards. Table of Contents Introduction __________________________________________________________ 1 Problem Statements ____________________________________________________ 2 Method and Material ____________________________________________________
    [Show full text]
  • Stories of Minjung Theology
    International Voices in Biblical Studies STORIES OF MINJUNG THEOLOGY STORIES This translation of Asian theologian Ahn Byung-Mu’s autobiography combines his personal story with the history of the Korean nation in light of the dramatic social, political, and cultural upheavals of the STORIES OF 1970s. The book records the history of minjung (the people’s) theology that emerged in Asia and Ahn’s involvement in it. Conversations MINJUNG THEOLOGY between Ahn and his students reveal his interpretations of major Christian doctrines such as God, sin, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit from The Theological Journey of Ahn Byung‑Mu the minjung perspective. The volume also contains an introductory essay that situates Ahn’s work in its context and discusses the place in His Own Words and purpose of minjung hermeneutics in a vastly different Korea. (1922–1996) was professor at Hanshin University, South Korea, and one of the pioneers of minjung theology. He was imprisonedAHN BYUNG-MU twice for his political views by the Korean military government. He published more than twenty books and contributed more than a thousand articles and essays in Korean. His extended work in English is Jesus of Galilee (2004). In/Park Electronic open access edition (ISBN 978-0-88414-410-6) available at http://ivbs.sbl-site.org/home.aspx Translated and edited by Hanna In and Wongi Park STORIES OF MINJUNG THEOLOGY INTERNATIONAL VOICES IN BIBLICAL STUDIES Jione Havea, General Editor Editorial Board: Jin Young Choi Musa W. Dube David Joy Aliou C. Niang Nasili Vaka’uta Gerald O. West Number 11 STORIES OF MINJUNG THEOLOGY The Theological Journey of Ahn Byung-Mu in His Own Words Translated by Hanna In.
    [Show full text]
  • Missing JSU Soccer Adds a New I J'ville Votes with Qilliorls of Assistant Coach to the I in ALABAIVIA Fold, Hiring England Native 1 Teen Found Andrew Swlft
    Basketball With seven losses in a row under their belts, the men's team can go no lower - literally. Page 5 --- thechanticleeronline.com ' c 1 r.'P'fX\"r"' I J -I *, . .. I 2008. FBS study INSIDE OC service The Organizational Counc~lsponsors a community service Meehan, Rayburn project with Valentine's Day in mind. against the idea ' Story on page 2 By Bethany Hitrbison News Editor FEATURES Lab fees, athletic fees. student recre- atlon fees, building usage fees, music fees, student activity fees . at colleges and universltles across the nation, the list You drones on and 011. But that hasn't been the case at Jack- sonville state llniversity - at least not of Trustees, Johnny Williams of Cre- ative Marketing Management presented a Football Bowl Subdlv~slon(FBS) fea- slbillty study The study recommended the creation of a five-year plan to help JSU become a top-tier Football Champi- onsh~pSubdlvls~on (FCS) program and also enhance ~tsposttron so that when the NCAA lifts the moratorium, JSU would Our faves be ready advance to the FBS. We select our favorite In the eyes of Williams, who, at press rjme was unavallablc for comment, JSU videos from America's has two ma~nareas In need of work favorite Internet pastime. - the school's marketing strategy and Story on page 5 -- - See "Fees," page 3 SPORTS Alabama Presidential Primary. Photo by Kev~nJeffers I The Chant~cleer Swift kick / Missing JSU soccer adds a new I J'ville votes with qilliorls of assistant coach to the I IN ALABAIVIA fold, hiring England native 1 teen found Andrew swlft.
    [Show full text]
  • Understanding Music Past and Present
    Understanding Music Past and Present N. Alan Clark, PhD Thomas Heflin, DMA Jeffrey Kluball, EdD Elizabeth Kramer, PhD Understanding Music Past and Present N. Alan Clark, PhD Thomas Heflin, DMA Jeffrey Kluball, EdD Elizabeth Kramer, PhD Dahlonega, GA Understanding Music: Past and Present is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribu- tion-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. This license allows you to remix, tweak, and build upon this work, even commercially, as long as you credit this original source for the creation and license the new creation under identical terms. If you reuse this content elsewhere, in order to comply with the attribution requirements of the license please attribute the original source to the University System of Georgia. NOTE: The above copyright license which University System of Georgia uses for their original content does not extend to or include content which was accessed and incorpo- rated, and which is licensed under various other CC Licenses, such as ND licenses. Nor does it extend to or include any Special Permissions which were granted to us by the rightsholders for our use of their content. Image Disclaimer: All images and figures in this book are believed to be (after a rea- sonable investigation) either public domain or carry a compatible Creative Commons license. If you are the copyright owner of images in this book and you have not authorized the use of your work under these terms, please contact the University of North Georgia Press at ungpress@ung.edu to have the content removed. ISBN: 978-1-940771-33-5 Produced by: University System of Georgia Published by: University of North Georgia Press Dahlonega, Georgia Cover Design and Layout Design: Corey Parson For more information, please visit http://ung.edu/university-press Or email ungpress@ung.edu TABLE OF C ONTENTS MUSIC FUNDAMENTALS 1 N.
    [Show full text]
  • Educational and Therapeutic Impact of Contemporary Animated Film Characters on the Viewer
    Konteksty Pedagogiczne 2(11)/2018, s. 151–163 DOI: 10.19265/KP.2018.211151 www.kontekstypedagogiczne.pl Joanna Mytnik mytnik.joanna@wp.pl University of Bialystok ORCID iD: 0000-0003-3924-8188 Educational and therapeutic impact of contemporary animated film characters on the viewer Introduction From the beginning of its existence, films have been evoking interest and giving inspiration. A motion picture has been a tool for many practition- ers. Educators, psychologists, therapists, and animators have long appreci- ated and used film art in their work. Considering the increasing pervasion of the mass media into human life, its presence in many aspects of human functioning, it is necessary to pay close attention to the power of its influ- ence. It is worth noting that the products of popular culture do not only carry risks. Films created for commercial purposes also serve higher purposes, not just entertainment. Being easier in perception for the viewer at any age (through the frequency of contact with this cultural product), it can influence their emotions more strongly, encourage deeper mental work and stimulate reflection. In this article I would like to focus primarily on the possibilities of supporting upbringing and human development, referring to the assump- tions of film therapy (Kozubek, 2016). According to Depta, “the starting point of educational work with a film should be the use of such films that are most popular among young viewers while increasing their cognitive horizons” (Depta, 1983, p. 165). The potential of contemporary animated films seems to be indisputable in this respect, as will be demonstrated by the analysis of the main factor of their influence on the viewer, namely film heroes.
    [Show full text]