When Marnie was There

Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi
Starring: Sara Takatsuki and Kasumi Arimura
Distributor: Madman Entertainment
Runtime: 103 mins. Reviewed in May 2015

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Rating notes: Mild themes

This is a Japanese animated film based on the children’s novel, “When Marnie was There” written in 1967 by the British author, Joan G. Robinson. This is the last film to be released by Studio Ghibli, that is well known for its traditional production of quality anime films. Two versions of the film have been released on the cinema circuit. One is a dubbed version, and the other one is sub-titled.

For reasons of health, a young 12-year old tomboy called Anna (voiced by Sara Takatsuki) is sent by her foster-mother to spend time with her aunt and uncle, who are a kindly couple living in Hokkaido, a seaside town in Japan. Anna dreams her time away among the marshes of the inlet, sketching what she can find. One day, she sees a blond-haired girl, called Marnie (voiced by Kasumi Arimura) in an old dilapidated mansion by the side of the inlet. Marnie may or may not exist.

Anna is an orphan, who is moody and doesn’t make friends easily. She keeps to herself, and mistakenly believes she is always a burden on others. The old house on the other side of the inlet floods during high tide. By day it is a crumbling relic, but by night it comes alive with the sound of happy partying, and almost by magic one night it seems to burst into life as Anna approaches it.

High in one of the windows of the mansion, Anna spots Marnie, an unhappy, beautiful young girl with long, flowing hair, which is combed by an old woman, who treats her meanly. Marnie is a mysterious presence, “just there”, and Anna does not know whether she is imaginary, or real.

Anna and Marnie are both an only-child and lonely, and a close and loving friendship strikes up between them which draws its energy from their different situations. Marino’s unhappiness and uncertainty in her privileged world allows Anna to find her own way in hers.They meet several times, and both agree to keep their meetings secret. On one occasion, Marnie takes Anna, disguised as a local flower girl, through the doors of the mansion to enjoy one of the parties.

This is a supernatural movie full of wonderful scenes produced by traditional animated techniques, that are notably free of any signs of technologically-driven, computer imagery.

The film is a ghost story about the encounters Anna has with a shadowy presence. Anna is attracted to Marnie because she is confident, youthful and exuberant, but Marnie’s life, like her own, is sad. Anna finds herself drawn into that sadness, and emerges the stronger person for what her friendship with Marnie teaches her.

The film tells a story built around the values of friendship and family, and the need to respond in some way to help people who are lonely. Marnie thinks that “if you have a friend, everything will be fine” and she becomes the means by which Anna starts to socialise with other girls. Anna, for her part, offers Marnie the kind of friendship she has always wanted, but was never able to have.

This is a magical story, gently told, and it espouses values that are inspiring. The fantasy tale spreads across generations up until the time when Anna realises that she and Marnie are possibly related by family ties. The woman, who used to own the old house many years before, was called Marnie, and Anna might be her granddaughter.

The animation in the film is wonderful. Colourful and simply drawn, figures come alive to celebrate life, and community. The hand-painted scenes give the film a delicate feel and they are extraordinarily rich in colour and detail. The film’s imagery signals vividly the developing friendship between Anna and Marnie, and a musical soundtrack helps to thread the film’s scenes together.

The plot-line behind this film becomes considerably involved, and the complexity unravels very quickly towards the end of the film Children may not understand all its aspects, though the quality, colour and vividness of the animation are bound to keep them absorbed throughout. This is a beautifully crafted movie, and the film gives parents a wonderful opportunity to discuss any concerns of their children about what makes them feel sad and lonely, from time to time.