Studio Ghibli released in 2006 the debut work of director Goro Miyazaki, adapting elements from the fantasy novel quartet by American author Ursula K. Le Guin. Despite the controversy surrounding the film upon its release, it remains an ambitious attempt to open a new gateway to the worlds of sword and magic in Ghibli's catalog.
Movie Details
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Director | Goro Miyazaki |
| Screenplay | Goro Miyazaki, Keita Hashiyama (inspired by Le Guin’s novels) |
| Production | Toshio Suzuki |
| Japanese Voices | Jōji Okada (Arren), Bunta Sugawara (Ged), Aki Kumizuka (Therru) |
| Duration | 115 minutes |
| Genre | Fantasy, Adventure, Drama |
| Music | Tamon Tani |
Plot Summary
In the kingdom of “Enlad,” troubled by a cosmic imbalance disrupting the balance of life, Prince Arren flees after a mysterious crime, carrying a legendary sword without a sheath. He meets the wandering wizard Ged, who seeks to understand the reason behind the disturbance of nature’s forces. Their fate intertwines with the mysterious girl Therru and a dangerous adversary named Cob, where questions of death, immortality, and identity intersect.
Main Themes
Loss of Balance: A reflection of identity struggles and adolescence in Arren’s character, and the environmental and spiritual dilemmas in the world of Earthsea.
Fear of Death: Cob’s obsession with immortality reflects a fundamental human predicament.
The Moral Cost of Power: The legendary sword is useless without the inner harmony of its bearer.
What Distinguishes the Film
Lyrical Landscapes: A sun migrating its light, harbors leaning towards ruin, golden plains that herald the coming storm.
Tamon Tani’s Music with its blend of flute and strings gives the film a unique audio signature different from Joe Hisaishi’s usual works.
The Son’s Boldness: Goro ventures into a densely symbolic literary adaptation, a move some viewed as a declaration of independence from his father Hayao’s shadow.
Criticism and Discussion
Pacing Disparity: Silent stretches followed by narrative jumps.
Condensed Novels: Combining events from several books into one film led to unraveling some plot threads.
Author’s Reaction: Le Guin praised some aesthetics but criticized the deviation from her works’ philosophy.
Nevertheless, “Tales from Earthsea” remains a new visionary experience within Ghibli, a less perfect journey but one carrying the curiosity of a first adventurer.
Official Poster
Use the high-resolution international or Japanese poster image when publishing, for example:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4c/Gedo6sn.jpg
📜 “He who fears no shadow… sees beyond the horizon a farther sea.”