When Marnie Was There

Holidays are a good time for us to rest and relax as well as do something productive that we usually cannot do. However, holidays are the opposite for me. During the holidays, I will reduce myself into a vegetative state and not do any vigorous physical activities. Bear in mind that ascending the stairs is a vigorous activity to me. This picture of Honey Boo Boo will give you an accurate picture of me during the holidays.

 

As I was about to take my third nap on the same day, my friend recommended me this show. It is called 'When Marnie Was There' and I was very pleased that my time was well spent watching it instead of sleeping. It also reduced me to a crying mess. 

When Marnie Was There tells a mysterious and fantastic story of two little girls. Anna, a girl who is sick with asthma and sick of the life she has been living, is sent to Kushiro, a rural area where the air is clean. There, she meets Marnie, the title character of this movie, who has beautiful blue eyes and long blonde hair. Anna is intrigued by Marnie’s appearance and how she seemingly disappears and appears as she wishes. 

Throughout the first half of the movie, we get to see Anna and Marnie bond through attending exquisite parties and having deep, heart-to-heart talks. Never have I seen a movie with characters that have as strong a connection as Anna and Marnie. In between the magical times of being together, Anna seems to lose Marnie again and again. Marnie remains a mystery to both Anna and the audience. As Anna starts losing her mind, she discovers that Marnie is none other than the young ghost of her grandmother, bringing the movie to a silent climax. The movie, however, ends on a hopeful note as Anna leaves the little village, bringing the positive spirit of Marnie along to go on living.

Such an emotional film does not appeal to all audience, but it does appeal to people who turn to art for connection with their own lives. Anna is portrayed as a girl who hates her life due to her sickness and the fact that she was abandoned by her biological parents. She is a young girl who lost her will to live positively because she feels disconnected from reality and abandoned by the world. Youngsters and adults alike who grew up unhappy can put themselves in Anna’s shoes and live the story as if it were their own, and eventually learn that to embrace the past is a necessary path for one to move forward.

When Anna met Marnie, the girl who appeared in her dreams, foreshadowing Marnie to be Anna’s savior, it all changed. Although Marnie seems to be cold and distant at times, she manages to create a deep connection with Anna, which Anna has never experienced before in her life. Anna then becomes emotionally attached to Marnie, but slowly turns frustrated when she realizes that Marnie is not always there for her. We do not see much from Marnie’s perspective, but her story is finally revealed in simple narrative the way a grandmother tells a tale to her granddaughter. Her story acts as the revelation and turning point for Anna, bringing their relationship to a full circle.

When Marnie Was There is not a film for pastime or entertainment. With the company of the classic Ghibli animation style, every frame and every sound seems to be exploding with the heartbeats of all filmmakers involved. The story is executed delicately with each scene so carefully crafted and filled with symbolisms, it makes you wonder if the rising of lake water and the pouring of rain each has a purpose behind them. Accompanied by the voice of Priscilla Ahn and the strumming of guitar in “Fine On the Outside”, everything feels rather soft and simple, even the hardest things in life seem to disappear just for a while.

Announced to be Studio Ghibli’s final feature film, When Marnie Was There might disappoint long-time fans, but nonetheless satisfies their need for the usual emotions-packed gem that Ghibli offers. This film leaves a huge impact on everyone who experiences it, leaves a bittersweet aftertaste, and eventually soothes the broken hearts.