One thing which the auteur theory overlooks is co-authorship and collaboration, unlike other creative art forms, such as the novel, a film must be a collaborative effort. Auteur theory disregards all roles other than the directors. This is discussed by Pauline Kael in Circles and Squares, her essay challenging the Auteur theory, and is often referenced in opposing papers. Films of any scale are collaborative efforts by their nature, and this goes even more so for animation, especially of the hand drawn variety where large teams of animators are mandatory.

So perhaps the idea of Ghibli as a sub-genre of anime is more apt than that of Miyazaki as an auteur, but then who is the creator of this sub genre?

It is well known that Hiyao Miyazaki keeps a close watch on all Studio Ghibli productions, (famously having overseen and approved the production of every single key cell of animation on Princess Mononoke) and is involved in all aspects of their production. Therefore he does have a controlling overview of any film being produced. So I shall apply sections of the auteur theory to conventions of ghibli movies.

Sarris likens the main criteria of the auteur theory to three concentric circles “the outer circle as technique; the middle circle, personal style; and the inner circle, interior meaning.”

I would argue that personal style and interior meaning are somewhat linked in the case of Miyazaki, as his recurring themes and storytelling conventions contribute to his interior meaning and constitute large parts of his personal style. For example deep running themes such as environmentalism which span across all works, could contribute to both circles, from the blatant war on nature in Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind, to the contrast between bustling concrete city and lush countryside in Only Yesterday. Whereas the recurrence of flight, (which Miyazaki sees as a form of liberation from gravity) would categorically be a part of the personal style circle, childhood and Hiyao’s feminism, (as seen in female dominated communities in Porco Rosso and Princess Mononoke) could fit somewhat into both categories.

Recurrence of common themes is important to Francois Truffaut’s original Auteur Theory as proposed in Cahiers Du Cinema, there are definitely recurring themes running through Ghibli’s canon. But almost in contrast to this their films have always stood out as unique, original works, even when compared to other of Ghibli’s, and they almost always remain distinguishable from others.

References:

Filmography

Princess Mononoke (1997) directed by Hiyao Miyazaki. JPN, Studio Ghibli [video:DVD]

Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind (1984) directed by Hiyao Miyazaki. JPN, Studio Ghibli [video:DVD]

Only Yesterday (1991) directed by Isao Takahata. JPN, Studio Ghibli [video:DVD]

Porco Rosso (1992) directed by Hiyao Miyazaki. JPN, Studio Ghibli [video:DVD]

Printed References

Kael, P. (1963) Circles And Squares, Film Quarterly, vol. 16, No. 3 ed. University of California Press

Sarris, A. (1962) "Notes on the Auteur Theory in 1962," in The Film Artist, P.563 Adams Sitney, ed. New York: Cooper Square Press,

Truffaut, F. (1957) Cahiers Du Cinema, France.