For the first 20 minutes or so I was pretty confused and maybe even frustrated. The style is very odd- there's lots of choppy editing, unrealistic special effects, and obvious green screen, but all so obvious it's clearly intentional.
To what purpose? I wasn't always sure. I guess the story is framed as a distant memory, so maybe to depict it in a strictly realistic sense would be unfaithful to that concept? Or maybe it's just Obayashi's style- I haven't seen enough of his other films to know for sure.
I will admit it does make for some striking images. There are some incredibly beautiful shots here and there, contrasted with others that look garish and ugly. Again: I know it's intentional. What that intention was? I wasn't always sure.
I'm often interested in stories about people coping with an imminent threat or war, and with most of this story set right before Japan got involved in WW2, this film is kind of one of those. It's not just about that, though. It's a long and ambitious film with a number of important characters and many themes explored. I can't unpack them all, but the fact there is so much going on does ensure that the long runtime of almost three hours is justified, and while the film was sometimes very confusing, it was never boring.
I will say the last 10 minutes are great, and those last couple of scenes tie the film together well, and give context to some of the things that bewildered me earlier in the film.
It's an experience watching this, for sure. I didn't love it, and sometimes found myself turned off by some of its out there decisions in regards to visuals and editing, but I have a great deal of respect for it.
The way it dealt with things like death, regret, and memories coming from an older director who was told he only had a few months to live at the time he made it also ensures its emotional resonance and power.
