MOVIES

Movie data

Title: The tale of the Princess Kaguya
Original Title: かぐや姫の物語
Transcription: Kaguya-hime no Monogatari
Published: 2013
Studio: Studio Ghibli
Time: 137 Minuten

Staff
Director: Isao Takahata
Script: Isao Takahata, Riko Sakaguchi
Production: Toshio Suzuki, Yoshiaki Nishimura
Music: Joe Hisaishi

Plot

A bamboo cutter named Sanuki no Miyatsuko discovers a miniature girl inside a glowing bamboo shoot. Believing her to be a divine presence, he and his wife decide to raise her as their own, calling her "Princess". The girl grows rapidly, causing her parents to marvel and earning her the nickname "Takenoko" (Little Bamboo) from the other village children. Sutemaru, the oldest among Kaguya's friends, develops a close relationship with her.
Miyatsuko comes upon gold and fine cloth in the bamboo grove in the same way he found his daughter. He takes these as proof of her divine royalty and begins planning to make her a proper princess. He relocates the family to the capital, forcing her to leave her friends behind. She finds herself in a mansion, replete with servants. She is also saddled with a governess who is tasked with taming her into a noblewoman. She struggles with the restraints of nobility, arguing that life should be full of laughter and struggle.
When the girl comes of age, she is granted the formal name of "Princess Kaguya" for the light and life that radiates from her. Miyatsuko holds a celebration in commemoration of her naming. At the celebration, Kaguya overhears partygoers ridiculing her father's attempts to turn a peasant girl into a noble through money. Kaguya flees the capital in despair and runs back to the mountains, seeking Sutemaru and her other friends, but discovers that they have all moved away. She passes out in the snow and awakens back at the party.
Kaguya grows in beauty, attracting suitors. Five men of noble standing court her, comparing her to mythical treasures. Kaguya tells them she will only marry whoever can bring her the mythical treasure mentioned. Two suitors attempt to persuade her with counterfeits. The third abandons his conquest out of cowardice, and the fourth attempts to woo her with flattering lies. When one of the men is killed in his quest, Kaguya falls into depression. Eventually, the Emperor takes notice of her. Taken with her beauty, he makes advances toward her, revolting her. Kaguya then demonstrates the ability to disappear at will, surprising the Emperor. Understanding that he has been too forward, the Emperor leaves.
Kaguya reveals to her parents that she originally came from the Moon after it spoke to her. Once a resident there, she broke its laws, hoping to be exiled to Earth so that she could experience mortal life. When the Emperor made his advances, she silently begged the Moon to help her. Having heard her prayer, the Moon will reclaim her during the next full moon. Kaguya confesses her attachment to Earth and her reluctance to leave.
Miyatsuko swears to protect Kaguya and begins assembling defensive forces. Kaguya returns to her hometown and finds Sutemaru, who vows to protect her. Kaguya demonstrates the ability to fly but loses it when she flies by the Moon. Sutemaru, who flew with her, wakes up later, thinking it was a dream.
On the night of the full moon, a procession of celestial beings led by the Buddha descends from the Moon, and Miyatsuko is unable to stop it. An attendant offers Kaguya a robe that will erase her memories of Earth but she begs the attendant to grant her a last moment with her parents. The attendant, however, drapes the robe around her, and she appears to forget about her life on Earth. They leave, and Miyatsuko and his wife are distraught. Kaguya looks back one last time, and cries silently as she recognizes the love from her parents.

The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter (竹取物語 Taketori Monogatari) is a 10th-century Japanese monogatari (fictional prose narrative) containing Japanese folklore. It is considered the oldest extant Japanese prose narrative although the oldest manuscript dates to 1592.
The tale is also known as The Tale of Princess Kaguya (かぐや姫の物語 Kaguya-hime no Monogatari), after its protagonist.
It primarily details the life of a mysterious girl called Kaguya, who was discovered as a baby inside the stalk of a glowing bamboo plant.