Hayao Miyazaki is undoubtedly a master at his craft. Being the only director to win Academy Awards twice for anime films, his works stand out exceptionally and the care he puts into them shows through and through. The level of care and attention to detail put into a Ghibli movie is what makes it so special. Each film stands out and the way that they do proves that the things in one man’s mind are only a fraction of a vast unexplored territory.
The world is a mixture of many genres and mediums through which media and entertainment can be perceived. Animation, live-action, literature, and much more. The variety is endless and the availability, at times limited. Seeing his own understanding, Miyazaki had a unique perspective to why Hollywood movies lack an element anime films don’t.
Tranquility in Emptiness – Hayao Miyazaki’s Ma
During an interview with Roger Ebert over two decades ago, Hayao Miyazaki spilled some words that would perhaps explain exactly why anime and Studio Ghibli films in particular are so unanimously liked. Not everyone can nail the art of moviemaking, as such, not everyone can perfect it either.
If you just have non-stop action with no breathing space at all, it’s just busyness, But if you take a moment, then the tension building in the film can grow into a wider dimension. If you just have constant tension at 80 degrees all the time you just get numb.
He talked about the silence that comes in movies. One that could be mistaken as Emptiness. The specific term used for this is called Ma. He emphasized the importance of balance, especially the kind that is further enhanced through silence. If a film only consists of action, the lack of a break takes away the concentration and with it, the impact.
Things built on the shock factor alone don’t gain success. They become crowded and congested. Sometimes, this silence or emptiness, the Ma, is what balances the films and brings forth anticipation. It is not necessarily the tension that is built but the moment before it. Adrenaline, if already fueling the mind, prepares you. There is a need to rest, one that puts the mind at ease to restart the cycle rather than put it on overdrive.
Silence Speaks Louder than Words
To make things more clear in helping understand the importance of Ma, Hayao Miyazaki brought about the comparison of Hollywood films. American animation, or Hollywood in general, often thrives at the idea of action and continuous motion. A break is not a break but a stop. Silence is more deafening than words and the anxiety that builds at the lack of action.
The people who make the movies are scared of silence, so they want to paper and plaster it over. They’re worried that the audience will get bored. They might go up and get some popcorn. But just because it’s 80 percent intense all the time doesn’t mean the kids are going to bless you with their concentration. What really matters is the underlying emotions–that you never let go of those.
Patience is what helps in reaping what has been sown. Anticipation is built through patience. Constant back and forth, a lack of break and the loud noise of disturbances lead to distraction rather than concentration. What many fear, as pointed out by Miyazaki, is this lack of concentration. If the same story plays again and again, even the mind grows bored of it. However, if it plays in gradual intervals, the need to find something new in them is directly proportional to it.
Silence gives room for emotions to develop and sit. Absorbing them and then understanding them also helps in creating a connection with the movies. Fundamentally connecting directly to human emotions as compared to their reactions is why Studio Ghibli is so ahead with their moviemaking as compared to the rest.
