Tales from Earthsea

Directed by: Goro Miyazaki
Produced by: Toshio Suzuki, Tomohiko Ishii
Bsed on: Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin The Journey of Shuna; by Hayao Miyazaki:
Cast: Bunta Sugawara, Junichi Okada, Aoi Teshima, Yuko Tanaka
Music by: Tamiya Terashima
Released: 2006

Plot: As a war galley sails through a storm, two dragons fight above the clouds, ending in one's death. In the kingdom of Enlad, the royal wizard Root proclaims the dragons to be a sign of a loss of balance in the world. The king is dealing with disease sweeping across his kingdom, and the disappearance of his son, Prince Arren. In the middle of the night, Arren kills his father, steals his father's sword, and flees the castle.

Arren travels through the desert and is rescued from wolves by the archmage Sparrowhawk. Together they travel to the city of Hort Town. When Arren explores the town alone, he rescues a young girl named Therru from slavers, but is later captured by the same slave master, Hare. His sword is dumped in the sea. Sparrowhawk rescues Arren from the slave caravan and takes him to a farm run by Sparrowhawk's oldest and greatest friend Tenar, who lives with Therru.

Sparrowhawk's intervention against Hare's slave caravan angers Lord Cob, a powerful warlock and the ruler of Hort Town, who wants the archmage brought to the castle. Meanwhile, Sparrowhawk tells Arren that he seeks a way to restore the upset balance, then resumes his search in Hort Town. While there he buys Arren's sword from a merchant's stall and manages to evade capture from Hare whilst learning about Cob's castle.

Arren confesses to Therru that he killed his father and that he feels an unknown presence following him. Because of this, Arren leaves the farm, but is met by the presence, which is a mirror image of himself. Arren falls unconscious after stumbling into a swamp while fleeing from the image. Cob takes him to the castle, where he manipulates Arren into revealing his "true name", Prince Lebannen, to control him. Meanwhile, Hare captures Tenar as bait to lure Sparrowhawk into the castle, leaving Therru tied to a post as a messenger. She frees herself, and encounters Sparrowhawk, who gives her Arren's sword to give to Arren. Sparrowhawk breaks into the castle to save Tenar and confronts Cob. Sparrowhawk learns that Cob is causing the world's balance to collapse by opening the door between life and death to try and gain eternal life. Sparrowhawk tries to warn Cob of the dangers of upsetting the balance, and Cob sends Arren out to kill him. Sparrowhawk frees the prince from Cob's control but is captured by Hare after being weakened.

Review: Enter the World of Earthsea. A beautiful yet complicated land of both plenty and wont.

There seems to be something strange and even bizarre going on in the land. As kingdoms fall apart and deterioate, dragons are seen to be roaming the land. Something the citizens believe should not be happening in a world of humans. Now enter a wondering Wizard named Ged. he has chosen to travel in search of the cause of all the strange things that are slowly corrupting and destroying the land. It is on his quest that he meets theyoung Prince Arren. A sad, dissolusioned and distraught teenager. We soon discover that the young Prince has a dark secret side. A side that will grant him a mixture of strength, anger, hatred and ruthlessness. His protection of Teru, a young maiden with hidden gifts.

In the story is the arch nemesis or perfect protagonist Kumo (which in Japanese means Cloud). He/She, depending on what review you might read, is after perfect immortality. And will pay any price and kill anyone to achieve it.

This is a brutal and at times difficult film for yopunger viewers. I would strongly advice it for anyine over 14.

M J Flack