Horus: Prince of the Sun

Well, this is a really really old video and let’s say that for its time, it might have been very high class but now, it feels like it lacks a lot. The animation is low quality and the voices feel forced and scripted. Horus seems to not think about what he is about to do, his heart being in the right place but his head just doesn’t seem to be happening there. He was made to be the purest of the pure but they made him come out as a rather young child, younger then he should be. Other characters randomly sing and makes itfeel like we are in a old Disney movie. The animation is really old and they cut corners constantly. They reuse clips a lot and also jump around without any explanation on why they are except that they are travelling. Both people and animals look rather blotchy and not a lot of detail. In order to not animate some of the faces, they are covered in thick bushes of hair from eyebrows and beards. The script sounds cheesy in the English version, where the voice actors feel as though they are just reading lines. It’s rather narrative and descriptive in the beginning and then loses a lot of that as the story goes on, not explaining enough when it needs to later on. It feels like it should have been much shorter. They did do a good job matching the voices though so it does get some props for that.

"Be brave and fight with all your strength son. You have nothing to be afraid of" (NOTE: Source for history and background: http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/otherfilms/) When modern anime connoisseurs make their own lists of the most influential anime classics, they miss the name of Horus: Prince of the Sun. This one movie was groundbreaking in many ways. At the time it was released in 1968, animation projects were led more by the parochial philosophy of production companies wanting to market safe animations for as wide an audience as possible. Although Hols could not completely break free from the reins of the production company, it was one of the firstinstances where the artists attempted to wrest control and create something that was a step above what the industry was doing at that time. Horus (or Hols) was the first major project for Ghibli co-founders and anime legends Takahata Isao (Director) (Grave of the Fireflies), Hayao Miyazaki (Concept Artist and Scene Design) and their mentor and colleague, Yasuo Ohtsuka (Animation director) of the Lupin III fame, among others. It is an important milestone in anime history, and not just because it launched the careers of Takahata and Miyazaki. Although the immediate impact of the movie was negligible, the long-term results were many and far-reaching. Hols was the first major anime to break free from the ‘animation-for-kids’ Disney mindset that was accepted as the norm at that time, and inspired as well as influenced a whole generation of artists and auteurs. After this movie, the industry gradually shifted away from the producer-centric trend to an approach where the artists would have more freedom and say. The change was slow, but the seeds were sown with Hols. For that reason, this movie is considered as the first modern anime by many anime history buffs and critics. Hols was a project marred with difficulties throughout its production period; many Toei Doga artists were embroiled in a union tussle with the company and management, and the fallout resulted in numerous problems and disagreements between the management and the team of artists. The paltry budget was not enough to satisfy the movie’s ambitions, and it took three years to complete the movie when its schedule was only 8 months. Toei refused to grant the budget to complete two action sequences and decided to pull the plug soon after release, and kept the movie in the theatres for only 10 days; the movie bombed at the box office, but was a hit with the critics, students and aspiring artists who had not seen anything like it before. Many who worked on the project were singled out by the company and ostracized, including director Takahata Isao who was demoted and was never allowed to direct a project for Toei again. Hols may be garbed in Scandinavian and East European culture, but it is in fact based on a puppet-theater drama written by script writer Kazuo Fuzakawa, which in turn is based on the ancient legend of aborigines of North japan. The producers at Toei Doga company changed the setting to make it more acceptable internationally, especially to the western audience, and they attempted to tone down the content to make it more ‘safe’ for the intended audience (i.e. children), but the young,and rebellious team of artists made sure that the management would not succeed completely in that endeavour. The movie’s concept of a chosen hero and the fight between good and evil was in vogue back in the late 60’s, and had not yet become a cliche. Yet the film was ahead of its time in handling the concept, because it not just explored the external concept of the struggle, but also the internal psychological aspect of it. It does this by exposing the depth of cruelty and deceptiveness that even the most well-meaning human beings can fall to, and how xenophobia and fickle-mindedness can degenerate and lead astray even the most amiable and harmonious of people. This psychological phenomenon is best represented in Hilda, the lone survivor of a massacre, and the movie’s tragic female lead. Her schizophrenic, inner psychological and moral conflicts throughout the story is perhaps the most striking part of the movie, and the one thing that probably stands out the most after the credits stop rolling. The sheer depth of her character overshadows even the protagonist, Hols, and the villain, Gruinwald, and sets Hilda apart from all the ‘heroines’ of not just her own time, but many female leads of today as well. Miyazaki himself acknowledged the character as a breakthrough, and some believe that it influenced his female characters. There is more to Hols than meets the eye. Despite its outer simplicity and kid friendly tone, Its treatment of such themes as Good and Evil, morality, unity among people, psychological realism etc is such that can only be appreciated by greater minds.The importance of community and rebellion against authority are also among the recurrent themes of the movie, poignantly reflecting the disagreements between the Toei team artists and workers against the company. However, a warning is due for modern viewers. In all its aspects, whether it be animation, sound, story, direction or pacing, Hols reflects the sensibilities of its times, even if it is superior to most animation projects of that period. This one is mostly for old school fans, or for fans of early Takahata/Miyazaki movies. Age may not have been kind to Hols, but it is so far ahead of its time that more informed viewers would be surprised that this movie was made in 1968 in spite of the production woes and a low budget.

This was a rather pleasant surprise, honestly. 'Horus/Hols' may not be the most elegant film, but it is certainly a testament to the sheer amount of talent found within the development team. With surprisingly fleshed-out characters and plotlines, accompanied by pretty competent artwork + sound, this relic will be sure to last in your mind for a bit. [Story - 7] The first 10-or-so minutes are pretty basic, admittedly: boy finds sword, is told of a demon, then is sent off to kill it after his father dies. After that, however, it takes a turn: he's almost immediately defeated by the demon, and is informally saved +adopted by a village by the river. Here, he makes a little home for himself after slaying some beasts and whatnot. Still sounds tame? I don't blame you, it definitely feels like that. However, then comes the second half of the movie: While out on a hunt, our protagonist Horus encounters a mysterious girl named Hilda. At first, she just seems like a plain love interest who can sing and whatnot, but she is soon revealed to be something of an anti-villain. After subtle sabotage that causes a storm to blow over, Horus finds his resolve and goes off to slay the demon. And, of course, he does and there is a happy ending. However, the road leading to it is teeming with themes of struggling with social dynamics, against fate, and with your own desires. It's pretty solid for a kids' movie, especially from the late 60's. [Art - 8] The art is also rather intriguing, and probably the reason most of you will go and watch this. It might not have aged as well in terms of animation (there's one notable action sequence where it's a minute of freeze frames), but everything else remains timeless. The colour palette is mostly based in 'nature'-types, while the character design gravitates more towards an earthy-type of tone. The setting is also pretty convincing as a 'nordic'-type of fantasy world. The animation isn't even that bad save for that sequence: for the most part, every action is pretty fluid, and some (not all) of the lip syncing is on point. Truly impressive to see. [Sound - 8] The audiowork is also rather competent. The music can be rather melodramatic and Disney-esque at times, but it does the job well. I especially liked the 'village songs', as they really do suit the vibe that those scenes were going for. The SFX are also rather well-timed and consistent, and I failed to notice any noticeable mistakes. The voice-acting is pretty solid - while Horus sounds like a stereotypical shonen protagonist, Hilda has a rather haunting voice (both in song and speech). Grunwald and Drago sound like standard villains, but I'll let it pass since they didn't get a lot of screentime. [Character - 7] Definitely the most surprising aspect of the film. It might not be the precursor to 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' or whatever, but for what it represented during its time, the characterization is great. Horus is certainly not a deep character, or even /that/ interesting, but he does somewhat serve as the audience's proxy during the film: we share in his feelings and reactions to the plot twists, and to a noted degree. Grunwald and Drago are rather flat characters, but I can see how they helped influence the succeeding generations' villains: cunning, but ultimately lonely due to the weight of their power. The most iconic character, however, is the previously-mentioned Hilda. She's astonishingly well-written: as she struggles a lot with her own will to live, her want to socialize normally, her relationship with the antagonists, and so on/forth, you can see her breakdown happen over the course of the film. Of course, her betrayal of Horus is what pushes her the farthest into this, and even towards the end of the film, it influences her every action. Her fate at the end may not please everyone, but I found it rather heartwarming. [Enjoyment/Overall - 8] Ultimately, this was pretty fun. May not be the most polished thing, of course, but I'll blame that on the time period and standards of that period. Otherwise, it's a stellar movie that both children and adults can enjoy. I would recommend this to anyone, ESPECIALLY Miyazaki groupies.