It’s rare that we see such a rich fertile imagination in cinema. Hayao Miyazaki didn’t create movies but fantastically textured worlds that were so unique and yet so specific to his sensibilities. Miyazaki films can’t be categorized, and that’s what makes him such a distinctive auteur. His films are mostly rooted in fantasy and adventure, but occasionally veer in different directions. However understandable, it was a sad day when Miyazaki announced his retirement, and that The Wind Rises would be his final feature film, although he’ll maintain a presence within Studio Ghibli.

His first feature, The Castle of Cagliostro, a high-stakes heist film based on a popular Manga allegedly inspired Steven Spielberg’s Raiders of the Lost Ark. Porco Rosso, feels like an old-fashioned Hollywood adventure yarn, despite that the protagonist suffers from a curse that has turned him into a pig. Despite these minor differences these films all fit in the Miyazaki cannon: they’re highly imaginative adventures. Instead of getting bogged down in genres, it’s easier and more fitting to say, “They’re Miyazaki films, and they are all great.”

After observing this tribute, I immediately wanted to re watch all of his films. Having said that, it’s obviously a very well done, and effective tribute for it to have such a strong impact.

This is a loving, and wonderfully crafted tribute video that touches on all the themes that make Mayazik‘s films so special. Fantastic creatures large and small, otherworldly and magical environments, and the frequent presence of strong female protagonists.

What struck me the most was the emphasis of the director’s fascination with flight. The detail invested in the flying machines that populate nearly all of his films always capture my imagination. His last film, The Wind Rises, might be his most personal film; a protagonist whose real-life fascination with airplanes can be seen as a personification of Miyazaki himself.

The music used in the video is the work of Jo Hisiashi, the famous composer who scored all of Miyazaki‘s films after Castle of Cagliostro. His collaboration with the director would be another director/composer collaboration that would be as fruitful as that of Sergio Leone and Ennio Morricone or Alfred Hitchock and Bernard Herman.

Of Miyazaki‘s movies some of my favorites include Laputa: Castle in the Sky, or his swan song, The Wind Rises. Since all of his films are classics, these choices tend to rotate, and I’m sure if you asked me in a week I might change my mind.

What are some of your favorite Miyazaki films and why?

(top image source: Laputa: Castle in the Sky – Toei Pictures)