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The Beauty and the Metaverse Acclaimed Japanese auteur Mamoru Hosoda discusses the genesis and inspirations for his latest feature Belle. By Charles Solomon
C
onsidered to be his most ambitious and opulent film to date, Belle (Ryū to Sobakasu no Hime — “The Dragon and the Freckled Princess”) confirms Japanese helmer Mamoru Hosoda’s place among the most talented directors working in animation today. Building on his previous films, Hosoda once again demonstrates his exceptional talent for effectively combining drawn and CG animation, and for blending fantasy worlds and everyday reality into a seamless narrative. “Belle is the movie I have always wanted to create,” Hosoda said in a recent interview. “I was only able to make this film a reality because of my past work.” As the title suggests, Belle is a re-interpretation of the 18th century French fairy tale Beauty and the Beast. “I researched many different interpretations of Beauty and the Beast,
but the Disney and Cocteau versions are the pillars for me,” Hosoda explained. “This story has been interpreted and reinterpreted so many times throughout the years: That tells me there’s some very human truth that Beauty and the Beast presents. But it needs to be transformed and updated to fit the needs of modern society.”
Building a Modern Heroine Hosoda believes the Disney artists’ decision to make Belle a contemporary young woman represented a major shift that broke the template for heroines. “It felt very new: not doing what is expected in an animated movie wowed me. When you think of female leads in animated films, you always go to the fairy tale tropes,” he continues. “Similarly, in Belle we’re trying to take previous expressions and overcome them. We’re not building
a character, we’re building a person — someone who reflects the reality of the society in which we live. That’s what gives new projects meaning for me.” But the heroine of Hosoda’s story is neither beautiful nor sought-after. Suzu Naito is a withdrawn, lonely high school student living in a small, fading town in rural Shikoku. Years ago, her mother drowned rescuing a girl, “a kid whose name she didn’t even know,” from
the nearby river. Traumatized by her mother’s death, Suzu cannot express her musical talent in front of her friends (or anyone else). Suzu’s secret alter ego/avatar Belle is the reigning diva of the fictitious cyberworld of U. Belle’s singing delights millions of fans, while her elaborate production numbers dazzle them — and the film’s audience. Her long pink hair streaming behind her, Belle first appears in a dress made of living flow-
‘This story has been interpreted and reinterpreted so many times throughout the years: That tells me there’s some very human truth that Beauty and the Beast presents. But it needs to be transformed and updated to fit the needs of modern society.’
www.animationmagazine.net 26
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— Director Mamoru Hosoda
december 21
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