Director: Makoto Shinkai
Year: 2004
Genre: Romance/Sci-fi
I think I have more or less almost covered all of Makoto Shinkai's films on my Instagram and Wix, except for Suzume, Children Who Chase Lost Voices, and a few others but this is one of the films where I feel like Shinkai went with a different approach in his film.
This film is about how the Soviet Union occupied Japan in an alternative world. Meet Hiroki Fujisawa, Takuya Shirakawa and Sayuri Sawatari, the main characters of the film. They all have a dream to explore this tower in Hokkaido, and Hiroki and Takuya have plans to build a plane to get close to the tower, but there are few restrictions such as a war which is still going on.
Where do I start? This is one of the rare times when romance is not the dominant film in a Shinkai film - which is something I'm critical of about Shinkai, he's a good director; however sometimes for me, the romance theme could be used overused at certain times.
Such as some certain films it was not needed, perhaps a film such as Weathering with You could've done better with minimal romance. It's probably one of the only times I have seen a Shinkai film where it focuses on a different genre with a touch of romance.
On the other hand, The Place Promised in Our Early Days showcases the bond with each character in the film. You have two boys by the name of Hiroki and Takuya who work part-time with aeroplane parts, followed by Sayuri who is just your ordinary schoolgirl.
I enjoyed the narrative element of the sci-fi element and I wish that Shinkai could make a future film with another element to complement his romance genre. It's a nice simple narrative structure with some twists and turns along the way of the film. You are taken on a journey to see the two boys trying to make their dreams come true.
Visually, the film might've come out in 2004, safe to say that this film was ahead of its time - especially with elements of the cinematography, which is a Shinkai speciality, followed by the colouring of the locations used, which some people might not like but for me, I certainly liked it. It almost looks like this film was a piece of painting, which makes the colours pop out.
The music is the thing which sticks out to me - the violin song which constantly plays throughout the film - the song is just a perfect addition to the film and the way the song plays makes it feel like you're going on a journey and you have no idea what's going to happen.
Elements of friendship were quite noticeable in this film - especially with the two boys going through difficulties whilst building the plane, followed by the strong elements of risk I would say - whilst building the plane and whether or not they are going to make it or not.
This film is the start of the films we all know and love today, while watching this film, there were elements of things which you can associate with a Shinkai film today. I can see how he managed to get ideas for future films of his such as Your Name which has influenced his film trilogy today.
This certainly is an underrated masterpiece from Shinkai himself. If you want to see a different side of Shinkai, this film will be for you. With its simple storyline, music, and visuals, it's certainly a joy to watch. I've tried my best to not spoil it, especially with the narrative taking some twists and turns along the way. With that being said, give the newer films a break and appreciate the films of the past!
Rating: 9/10
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