Miyazaki's "Ponyo" is a Japanese retelling of "Little Mermaid" [Archive]

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Ben

03-18-2008, 03:53 PM

http://www.akadot.com/story.php?id=2364

He says he changed the setting to Japan and took out "the Catholic color." Wonder what that means.

The interview makes me interested to see how he handles the ocean. How he talks about it reminds me of the forest in Mononoke. Hopefully this will be the powerfully creative family film that everyone was hoping for after "Spirited Away."

Lord Dalek

03-18-2008, 04:18 PM

Well its not like he hasn't done this thing before. The original concept for Princess Mononoke was a virtual xerox of Beauty and the Beast IIRC.

Lavenderpaw

03-18-2008, 04:42 PM

Wonder when it'll be out in the U.S.

Ben

03-18-2008, 04:50 PM

Well its not like he hasn't done this thing before. The original concept for Princess Mononoke was a virtual xerox of Beauty and the Beast IIRC.

Xerox is harsh. A retelling of a folk tale by definition cannot be a "xerox." And besides, that idea was completely different from the one that was ultimately produced.

Lutochris

03-18-2008, 06:30 PM

I'd say it's appropriate, considering what Disney did to Nadia and Kimba. Though at least Miyazaki is admitting it.

Gokou Ruri

03-18-2008, 06:57 PM

I'd say it's appropriate, considering what Disney and Miyazaki did to Nadia and Kimba. Though at least Miyazaki is admitting it. You realize Nadia was based on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, right?

And the Little Mermaid wasn't created by Disney... Disney's movie is an adaption as well. One of many.

Lutochris

03-18-2008, 07:31 PM

You realize Nadia was based on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, right?

Very loosely. Disney's Atlantis seems to be based exactly as loosely on it. And I don't think Jules Verne ever drew character designs (though there were some illustrations in the book).

DrTooth

03-19-2008, 10:12 AM

Ben

03-19-2008, 11:33 AM

Leaping Larry Jojo

03-19-2008, 11:42 AM

HAHAHAHAH!!! Man, I can't belive you guys. It's as if these stories never existed outside of Disney. Fairy tales can be retold and altered, each with different local flavors, and it seems like this film is just that.

It's kinda sad how so many people associate these fairy tales with Disney's retellings. Seriously, go to the library and check out some books on the Grimm brothers and Hans Christian Andersen to start at least.

DrTooth

03-20-2008, 10:04 AM

It's kinda sad how so many people associate these fairy tales with Disney's retellings. Seriously, go to the library and check out some books on the Grimm brothers and Hans Christian Andersen to start at least.

What'll be even sadder is if people think that Disney wrote the Hunchback of Notre Dame. I wouldn't have been surprised if an entire generation of horror film fans thought that Lon Chaney created it.

Anyone00

03-20-2008, 10:25 AM

I wonder of the ending will be like the original The Little Mermaid?

Kagetsu

03-20-2008, 10:30 AM

It's been a long time since I heard the original "Little Mermaid". My guess about Catholic Color would be the end when she casts the dagger in to the sea to follow to her mermaid death as foam upon the sea, her soul that was created from her human love, was caught by angels and carried to heaven. Her failure to find love as a human was part of the darkness that Disney tends to remove from most of his re-tellings. The beauty of old stories, which were most likely changed over centuries of oral use, can be used and retold in different ways and still meaning can be found. George Lucas used basic Medieval themes to make Star Wars.

Tash

03-20-2008, 10:35 AM

I wonder of the ending will be like the original The Little Mermaid?
It's a Miyazaki movie. The female lead will use her strong will to DEM her way to a happy ending at the last moment. She'll also probably have a hidden power.

Then again, if he breaks the pattern, that's fine by me.