MARY AND THE WITCH’S FLOWER

Japan, 2017, 195 minutes, Colour.
Voices of (English-dubbing): Ruby Barnhill, Kate Winslett, Jim Broadbent, Ewan Bremner, Lynda Baron, Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Morwenna Banks.
Directed by Hiramasa Yonebayashi.

Mary Stewart was a British author of children’s stories. She wrote about Merlin and these books were adapted for a television series. She also wrote the popular story, The Moonspinners, adapted by Disney as a film vehicle for Haley Mills in the 1960s. This film is based on her novel, The Little Broomstick.

There has been something of a tradition in Japanese animation, especially from Studio Ghibli, with taking British stories and animating them, for example Howl’s Moving Castle, Steamboy.

This film was made by an alumnus of Studio Ghibli, Hiramasa Yonebayashi, who had directed The World of Arrietty as well as When Marnie Was There. The visual style of this film, from Studio Ponoc, resembles Ghibli in many ways. Which means that it will appeal to the fans of this kind of Japanese animation.

The film opens with quite some vigour, a castle on fire, vain attempts to put it out, the audience noting a little girl trying to escape, getting away but then being pursued by monstrous creatures through the air. Then the credits. Then a very peaceful English countryside and a country house, with the Mary of the title, a young girl whose parents are away and a week to go before school starts. She is under the care of her grandaunt Charlotte and the housekeeper Mrs Banks.

Unfortunately, Mary has an inordinate propensity for breaking things and getting matters tangled. But, she is given a mission to take some raspberry jam to the delivery boy, Peter, who has commented adversely on her appearance and to whom she has taken a dislike. He is also the owner of two cats whom she has encountered, one grey, one black, who will appear and reappear throughout the adventures.

And, adventures is probably the key word. Mary finds mysterious flowers in the woods, which came from the seeds that the little girl in the opening had been trying to rescue. They have extraordinary powers – and Mary finds herself being transported, on a mysterious broom (the little broom of the novel’s title who elicits our sympathy because of its presence, being broken, mended, magical powers) to an Academy run by two eccentrics, Madame Mumblechook And Doctor Dee, who want to use the essence of the flowers in order to create super creatures with magical powers.

Madame and the Doctor are not the most ethical teachers in the world and this builds up into a conflict with Mary, their wanting to experiment on Peter, her pledge to him to save him. This involves a mysterious experiment with a large and evolving globular mass which has trapped Peter.

Obviously, it will end happily, but there is tension and a lot of it on the way.

Made for Japanese children’s audiences – but it would be interesting to discover how the English-language audience responds to it, magical action and themes of magic, with a very strong British voice cast which includes Kate Winslet, Jim Broadbent, Ewen Bremner and Ruby Barnhill as Mary.

1. A Japanese animated film, the traditions, Studio Ghibki and the directors, the present director and his work there? From a different studio? Similarities in style? Differences?

2. The visuals of the animation, the bright colours, the characters and their facial expressions and action, Japanese yet the international touch? The settings, homes, countryside? The musical score and final song?

3. The screenplay based on a British children’s story? Adapted by a Japanese studio? Japanese voices? The dubbed version – and the satisfaction of having precise British voices?

4. The story and the fantasy elements? In Mary’s ordinary life? In the opening, the girl and the burning castle, the escape, the flight, the pursuit by the creatures? The seeds and the flowers? Mary and going to the castle, the visuals and exteriors, the interiors? The Academy? The laboratory, the special effects for the transformations, the creatures? The confrontations and battles? The magic broom and flight? The magic flowers? The overall effect of entering into this fantasy world?

5. The importance of the opening? The young girl, not Mary? The fire, her escape, with the seeds, the pursuit, sliding down, the broom, the creatures and the dangers of the pursuit? The immediate transition to the title and the calm of the country house? And the later revelation that Aunt Charlotte was the little girl?

6. Mary, the holidays, her absent parents, with her grandaunt, with Mrs Banks, her awkwardness, breaking everything, the crockery, snapping the flowers for Mr Zebedee? Her encounter with Peter, clashes with him? Her dissatisfaction with her appearance, her unruly hair? What to do till school begins?

7. Aunt Charlotte giving her a mission, seeking out Peter, the raspberry jam? The mutual taunts? Going to the woods, the flowers? And all the brooms around the house?

8. Mr Flanagan, his appearances, his brogue, appearance, the brooms? Coming to the rescue at various times?

9. The flowers, the mysterious effect? Aunt Charlotte telling her the story? The powers of the flowers?

10. The significance of the cats? Their names? Black and grey? Belonging to Peter? Lost in the woods? Kidnapped? The reappearances, being saved?

11. Mary, the brooms, going to the Academy, encountering Madame, the Doctor, the manner of speaking, acting? Peter, his being taken, the experiment?

12. The variety of creatures? The encounter with all the animals? The powers of Madame and the Doctor?

13. Mary, her promises, anxiety, the cats, wanting to save Peter? The huge experiment, the material expanding? Peter reaching out, Mary and her promise, holding him, the escape?

14. Mary and Peter saved, the cats, Mr Flanagan and the brooms?

15. Mary, the experience, young audiences identifying with her? And the world of magic?