(Update: This video has since been removed from Youtube. Sorry.)
Hi, everyone! I promised myself to get some serious writing done this weekend, including more videos for the Ghibli blog. I promised a friend or two I'd show Gauche the Cellist one more time, so here it is. This is a movie I come back to time and time again; partly because of its brevity (approx. 60 min.), and partly because of its soulful character. This is arguably the finest movie ever made about the creative process of music, and the power of music to sweep ourselves away and transform us.
As I've noted in the past, Sero Hiki no Gauche has now been picked up by Studio Ghibli in Japan, where Isao Takahata released it on their DVD label. I still have my old Geneon DVD, but I have promised that my next DVD voyage will include the new Gauche release. And now that the next-generation format war has finally ended, I'm looking forward to the inevitable Blu-Ray release.
Hopefully, someone at Pixar or Disney would discover this fine film, and push for an American release. It certainly would be an easy sell; much easier than Jarinko Chie or I Can Hear the Sea or even Omohide Poro Poro. I strongly suspect this picture would become a beloved staple, if only given the proper exposure. Perhaps our emerging Long Tail economy of the Internet will make this feasible.
So here, once again, is one of Isao Takahata's greatest strengths, Sero Hiki no Goshu, Gauche the Cellist...
2 comments:
What a great movie, I downloaded the Fansub a day before you posted this.
I came across your blog near the end of January and really gotta thank you Daniel. I have been a fan of Ghibi and other Anime for a few years now, but I had never really watched any of the Pre-Ghibli stuff. I had always known about movies like Gauche and Horus, but had never seen any of them. It was your writing (and weblinks, haha) that brought me to finally watch some of them.
I typed "Isao Takahata ghibli new film" into google with hope of finding some information on his new film. But by luck I happened to stumble across your Blog, funny how these things happen.
It's really fortunate I came across your page since none of my friends or family have any interest in these kind of films. On occasion I'll show a film to a friend or parents and they'll really like it, but that's it. I pretty much have nobody to talk to about the films or discuss opinions with. My parents will make brief comments on a films endings or plotlines, but little more then that. (occasionally they'll bring it up a day or two later) So it's nice to read the thoughts/opinions of somebody else for a change, rather then just my own.
When I initially found your blog, I ended up going back to your very first post in your archives and reading every single post you had done so far. It was an excellent, educational and inspiring read.
Keep up the great work
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