The Boy and the Heron, the newest movie from Hayao Miyazaki, has kept its story under lock and key since its announcement. Eager fans have been abuzz waiting for a trailer to give them some hint about what to expect. As of September 6th, their prayers have finally been answered. But the trailer in question isn't as revealing as they had hoped.
At just over a minute long, the official teaser consists of short flashes of mystery: a woman that is melting in her sleep, a stone archway inscribed with a Latin phrase roughly translating to "divine power made me", and a glowing age floating in the void. It's all very disted and bewildering there is a key to making sense of the madness: the titular Heron itself.
The Heron is the Embodiment of the Film
There are a plethora of clues available to help piece together The Boy and the Heron's plot, one of which was overshadowed by the official trailer. A few days before its release, the GKIDS YouTube channel ed an introduction for the movie. It describes the plot as one of "life, death, and creation", and Mahito's mother is implied to be absent in some way--likely, given the theme of the film, she has recently died. Why, then, is a random heron involved? Simply put, it's because the mysterious bird embodies the duality of life and death that the film will portray.
In Japanese culture, the heron is considered a symbol of sorrow and of love being lost or found. It's tied intrinsically to blurred boundaries, connected to the changing seasons, and considered divine due to its ability to move across the elements. This transient nature and relationship with sadness and love suggest that the heron will act as Mahito's guardian, leading him through the afterlife and helping him come to with the loss of his mother, likely leading to a bittersweet ending. It's a fitting farewell for Miyazaki, particularly when one realizes the final layer to the story: The Boy and the Heron is a reflection of Miyazaki's career.
Miyazaki's New Story Is His Own
Miyazaki has garnered a reputation for never fully committing to his retirement. Since wrapping up production on The Wind Rises in 2013, he's stepped away from creating feature-length films for a while before coming back for more. In this way, he's lived in a limbo very similar to the world of life and death Mahito will be exploring. Further confirming this connection is the introduction for the movie, which says that it is a "semi-autobiographical fantasy". The Heron, then, could represent some kind of guiding force for Miyazaki himself, helping him navigate the blurred lines between his career and his retirement before finally leading him out from the industry for good. Though recent news suggests Miyazaki may not be retiring after all, it's clear that The Boy and the Heron was originally intended as the legend's last movie, making the heron symbolism all the more powerful.
The Boy and the Heron has already set quite a high bar for its story. The film's official trailer upholds its mysterious reputation by showcasing a handful of fantastical but seemingly unconnected scenes. The titular Heron itself acts as the glue between these scenes and brings clarity to the story, that of Mahito coming to with the death of his mother. The Heron, bridging the gap between worlds, goes on to connect the story with the reality of Miyazaki's life. Studio Ghibli has always produced films with multiple meanings, and The Boy and the Heron telling the story of Miyazaki's film career is a beautiful continuation of this tradition.
Source: GKIDS Films
