It’s a fear the young heroines of “My Neighbor Totoro” are forced to stare at directly in the face, but in doing so their eyes are opened to a world of wonder right in their new backyard, and everyone who sees this movie comes away knowing just where to find it. —DE
There’s a reason why the film’s most euphoric scene takes place during a downpour, just as there’s a reason why the Cronenbergian Cat Bus, with its piercing spotlight eyes and mutable flesh, has become a universal symbol of rescue. In Miyazaki’s world, the only thing worth being afraid of is losing the people you love. It’s a fear the young heroines of “My Neighbor Totoro” are forced to stare at directly in the face, but in doing so their eyes are opened to a world of wonder right in their new backyard, and everyone who sees this movie comes away knowing just where to find it. —DE