MOVIE REVIEW | When Marnie Was There

A beautiful depiction of depression... and moving on.

When Marnie Was There is the allegedly final film created by Studio Ghibli, ending a long legacy of cherished animated features. It's actually based on the novel When Marnie Was There by Joan G. Robinson, which reminds me of the inspiration drawn in a similar fashion with Howl's Moving Castle. The story takes place in a rural town called Kushiro in Japan, the protagonist Anna having been sent there from her hometown of Sapporo due to some health reasons. Along with her asthma though, it's clear that Anna's a very introverted teen with something bubbling under the surface. It seems her foster mother picks up on it, and sends her to live with relatives, with the hopes that Anna's spirit improves as well.

After arriving, a mysterious event involving a foreign girl named Marnie quickly entices Anna into exploring the seemingly abandoned mansion across the marsh near her home. Both Marnie and Anna get along really well with each other immediately, strange seeing as Anna herself knows it's hard for her to make connections with other people. In addition, Marnie's curious circumstances only brings up more questions for Anna. Why can't she stray far from the mansion? Why can Anna only see her after high-tide at sundown? Along with a charming relationship between the two friends, it's also easy to fall in love with the spooky mystery the two find themselves playing a part in. It leaves you a couple steps behind, but immensely satisfied in the end.

Anna's character touches me deeply personally because of my own struggles of depression. I found it amazing how Studio Ghibli was able to capture the feelings that go on in many people's everyday life in a sensitive and realistic way. I found Anna's struggle in interacting with people an amazing message for people of all ages. Simple shyness is something you can grow out of, but the way the animation displays the sheer energy it takes for her to converse with people - even to smile - is something not really treated in stories that I have see or read. It was refreshing to see myself in this way, and even though she does overcome some of these challenges, the movie is fantastic in making you wonder if it will consume her instead. Masterful storytelling as always. I would recommend this movie solely for this.

But of course, with Studio Ghibli you also expect masterful animation and stunningly beautiful scenery. I'm happy to say that When Marnie Was There delivers on both these fronts. There's one scene near the climax of the film that sticks out in my mind, and the way that Ghibli animates things like water and simple things like grass... everything is touched with love and colour. It really blows my mind every time.

I think this would be a great movie for families to watch together because it treats subjects we encounter in life with respect and tenderness. I think this would also be a great film to study in classrooms for subjects like mental health, visual art, and literature studies among others.

[ The following contains spoilers and analysis ]

While watching this, I was aware of perhaps some influences from their other films. Of course, certain artists or studios will have they trademark looks.. but this seemed nostalgic for me. I grew up with titles like Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke, true fantasy films that transported you outside the familiar. For instance, the image of the high tide in Marnie really made me reminisce of the rising tide in Spirited Away. In Spirited Away though it marked Chihiro's passage to the spirit world, but the image of the water rising over her shoes immediately triggered the thought that maybe something similar had started happening to Anna. Before I even saw Marnie, I thought, "She must be a true ghost, or Anna's drowned and now passing to the spirit world". I held this thought throughout the movie for a time, as Anna kept being found looking dead at the side of the road, but also at the festival where they light candles. Candles typically represent life, and the one Marnie carries may represent hers at this point in the movie. When she runs to the marsh, a half-burned candle is already present on the boat which takes her to the mansion. It made me wonder, is this Marnie's candle or Anna's? It sent a shiver down my spine when the image of the candle being extinguished flashed. I thought Anna's life had been lost.

Other familiarizes between films were also apparent to me. In general, Anna's Auntie has the same facial features as the housekeeper in Arrietty, and I feel Marnie has the same mentor feeling Howl gave me in Howl's Moving Castle. She certainly carries the same magical charm Howl possessed. Even the kid that moves into the new house seems to be Totoro's Mei grown older. The old country feeling definitely feels like the classic Ghibli move to the countryside. All of these nuances weave together, making me feel like When Marnie Was There should belong with the other classics.

In terms of theme, depression plays a key role in the development of both the plot and the main character Anna. A lot of times when depression is involved in a story, I feel writers tend to over saturate the obvious aspects of the disorder. Sadness tends to overrule the character, which generally isn't true for most people who are depressed. In this case, Anna also holds a lot of frustration and anger towards her adoptive mother, which can lash out at the world around her. One example of this can be seen when she goes the the festival with the other girls. All of these intense emotions boil over and explode in this instance, but generally it results in her feeling alienated from other people. She sees herself on the outside, isolated, which is something that many people feel but is especially dangerous for people with depression. I also wonder if Anna possesses PTSD for having lost her grandmother, and then adopted, but it seems like that situation and her current state is a little far removed. I think her current condition sparks more from when she discovered that her mother had been hiding the fact that she receives money from the government as compensation for adopting Anna. This is also expressed by the mother herself as being around the time when Anna went from being a rather happy child, to becoming reserved and sad. A final thought I have towards the representation of depression here is that the depression manifests into a physical condition for Anna, another true situation that can occur in people. Again, I was really impressed by the respect Studio Ghibli demonstrated.

Another theme I feel is prevalent and goes along with the theme of depression is how a life can affect the people around you. For example, Marnie's life touches many characters. The painter (Marnie's childhood friend), the silent boatman, the new girl who moves into Marnie's house, Anna... I find that through all these stories is an elaborate metaphor regarding the effects of suicide. There's no doubt that throughout the movie, the action is focused on Anna. However, by seeing Marnie through Anna we can see how one life affects others. When Marnie leaves, the memory lives on in the present through other people. Since a theme of depression has already been established, I think this idea of human lives not being mutually exclusive from others is an important one to convey to audiences.

tldr; While I could go on, instead I'll urge you to give your support to When Marnie Was There. We need more movies like these that provide important conversations accessible to children while still being enjoyable for adults. I'll miss you Studio Ghibli!