Why you should watch: Night on the Galactic Railroad
This anime from 1985 started off slow. It was simple. We followed Giovanni, the main character around throughout his day and on into his night. We got the sense that he didn't have much, but he had a great relationship with his friend. And then as he lay looking at the stars during the town festival, he was swept away on a journey that's unforgettable.
I really enjoyed this anime, which is an adaptation of the book written in the early 20th Century. The art style and ambience of music vs non music give a great sense of story telling that really helps build the tension, which then slowly dissipates in such a subtle way. The colors and magical sense that you get from the Galactic Railroad seem out of this world, almost as if you're dreaming the entire thing.
This anime really made me thing. And I keep thinking about it. Knowing the end, I find myself wanting to watch the beginning again, truly pay attention to Giovanni and his story, how he's compelled throughout, how nonchalant he acts; watch and understand him in such a way that his experience from the Galactic Railroad makes more sense.
This really gave me vibes similar to The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl.
Lol. I'm not sure my thoughts are making sense. But I digress...
So, why should you watch this movie? It's not one that you're bound to forget. Sure the first 30 minutes are slow, but everything in this movie is there for a reason. Every interaction has a purpose. Every sound and theme that played throughout is deliberate to the story telling. And while the theme is fairly straight forward, the underlying tones and the method that the creators went about telling this story with the anime medium is astounding. It's definitely one to watch and discuss at your next movie night! (I should know because I did just that!)
