Synopsis
Mary and the Witch’s Flower, directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi and produced by Studio Ponoc, showcases exquisite artistry in its fantasy animation. The film is inspired by the 1971 children’s book The Little Broomstick by Mary Stewart. It illustrates the life of a girl, Mary Smith, who becomes enthralled by a flower able to grant magical abilities, and thus, she sets off on a whirlwind of activities in the middle of summer.
Mary is a young girl who has recently relocated to the countryside to stay with her Great Aunt Charlotte. Mary has a family, but feels clumsy, bored and out of place. Indeed, she feels quite lonely and there is little to keep her entertained, thus meandering through the scenery. One fateful afternoon, while wandering through the forest, she follows a couple of cats, Tib and Gib, and she finds a ‘Fly by Night’ flower. This flower is no ordinary flower, for it is believed to bloom once, and only once, in seven years.
Mary soon finds a small twig which resembles a broomstick, and is concealed in the woods. The moment she touches the broomstick while clutching the Fly-by-Night flower, it, much to her surprise, springs to life and transports her to a realm up in the clouds, which is home to Endor College, a school dedicated for witches.
From the beginning, the school seems to be a wonderful establishment. Mary is treated with great esteem and respect because her giftedness is extraordinary for a child with little experience. Madam Mumblechook, the head mistress of the school, and Doctor Dee, one of the top magicians and scholars of the academy, greet her. To them, Mary is a magical prodigy, but in reality, her powers come from an enchanted flower, and are merely temporary.
However, once Mary begins to delve deeper into the school and its mysteries, her perception begins to shift as she realizes, or rather ‘senses’, that something is awry. Endor College, with its bizarre and complex experiments and concealed laboratories, flips a switch in her fundamental way of being. She discovers with horror that the school is performing deranged magical experiments on animals as the subjects of transmutation and augmentation of magical powers.
Everything changes for her when she notices that the cats, Tib and Gib, are far from being ordinary pets, and that her friend born Peter, a boy from the village, has been taken to the school for the purpose of conducting magical experiments. Feeling like she is to blame for what has happened, Mary embarks on a heroic quest to save Peter and bring him home.
Employing her last flickers of a magical flower and a tactical mind, she braves meeting Madam Mumblechook and Doctor Dee. To her astonishment, she was able to craft a strategy that both saved her and eliminated the problem of the inhumane tests they were conducting. Finally, she decides that the flower is more of a burden than a source of power because she wants to blossom as a grown woman who can accomplish amazing things without being a slave to the magic that both her and the flower possess.
Cast & Crew
Main Voice Cast (English Dub):
Ruby Barnhill as Mary Smith – The central character, as a vivacious, and inquisitive young girl who, by happenstance, stumbles upon a world filled with various kinds of magic. Barnhill gives a heartfelt and dynamic representation to her character that resonates the courage and development of Mary.
Kate Winslet as Madam Mumblechook – The Endor College headmistress. Winslet infuses her character with both enigma and allure as she is outwardly amiable but has a darker ulterior intention.
Jim Broadbent as Doctor Dee – One of the magical scholars at Edonor College. The warmth and depth that Broadbent brings to the character is utterly profound and shines through in every single one of his quotes.
Louis Ashbourne Serkis as Peter – A boy who is a friend with Mary and as the emotional anchor of the movie, brings in a bundle of delight.
The movie’s supportive roles are also greatly enhanced by the voices of Ewen Bremner, Lynda Baron, and Morwenna Banks, contributing to the film’s ethereal quality.
Japanese Voice Cast (Original Version):
Hana Sugisaki as Mary
Yūki Amami as Madam Mumblechook
Fumiyo Kohinata as Doctor Dee
Ryunosuke Kamiki as Peter
Crew:
Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi – Yonebayashi joined Studio Ghibli’s team, and his work on Mary and the Witch’s Flower still retains the same beauty and emotional storytelling Ghibli classics are known for.
Producer: Yoshiaki Nishimura – A Ghibli graduate, Nishimura has teamed up with others to create Studio Ponoc with hopes of carrying on the rich emotional tales of animation the industry has to offer
Music Composer: Takatsugu Muramatsu – Mary’s journey is further brought to life by the film’s mesmerizing score, which captures the beauty and tension of the story.
Animation Studio: Studio Ponoc – Studio Ponoc is dedicated to the rich, story filled animation created by hand, which has been the aim of the former Ghibli employees who established the studio in 2015.
Mary and the Witch’s Flower averages a 6.8/10 rating on IMDb which suggests the film has been positively received from many different locations around the globe. Due to the art style and the themes, it’s easy to see why the film is constantly compared to the classics from Studio Ghibli. However, many viewers also praise the film for its animation quality, imaginative world building, and heartfelt storytelling.
Critics negatively assesses that perhaps the strongest asset of the film is the visual elements. These elements include sprawling and colorful landscapes, character animations, and fabled elements that maintain an outstanding painting like appearance, thus, proving the talent and the amount of dedication in its making. It is of no surprise that the team’s specific style pertains to That of the Studio Ghibli film, Howl’s Moving Castle and Kiki’s Delivery Service.
The story has often been admired for its rather slow pacing and emotional maturity, hence making it an excellent selection for families and younger audience members. Even if the plot to a few audience members may have been slightly too predictable, derivative of other magical, coming of age stories, more than a few people commended the self acceptance, courage, and unchecked ambition that stemmed from the story.
Perhaps the most appreciated aspect of the film, is its message, magic isn’t the strongest force, rather, it is a person’s character. At the end of the film, Mary, is able to realize that in order to be special, she does not have to possess magical powers. Such a wholesome message, as simple as it is, has been able to resonate with the younger audience and parents.
Conclusion
Mary and the Witch’s Flower is the finest example of animated cinema complete success for the studio. Visuals are stunning and the anime itself is the perfect blend of fantasy and magic. Once again the studio’s efforts to perfect the animated films is commendable. The film proudly carries the tradition of heartfelt, hand-drawn anime and is testament to the fact that, even today, incredible animation is still possible.
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