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The Garden of Words
- By Swagata Mondal
The Garden of Words is a 2013 film and the latest installation of Makoto Shinkai’s works. He is already known as a famous
Japanese director as well as a former graphic designer. He is previously known for his involvement in other films such as The
Place Promised in Our Early Days, 5 Centimeters Per Second, and Children
Who Chase Lost Voices. As both director and writer of this latest movie, he puts his
skills to test once again and I am grateful to say that it was definitely a memorable
experience. Kotonoha no Niwa is one of the best movies of 2013.
The Garden of Words is a short
film depicting the romance and
relationship between a 15-year-old
boy and 27-year-old woman. Takao,
the boy, feels lost and alienated by
his uncertain future and passion for
shoemaking. Concurrently, Yukino feels lost in an adult society where she feels
she does not belong. Well, I will not disclose anything more about the story.
This movie is something of a beauty to behold. A few words to describe
it from my mind are: alluring, charming, bewitching, glorious, and
elegant. Moreover, I am out of words to describe the beauty of the movie! The
film is riddled with technically ingenious cinematography and framing and effects
such as tilt-shift effect, light flares, strong use of focus and then unique camera
angles that both borrow from live action film and then completely original shots,
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Anime Reign | Issue 2 | 2013