Hols: Prince of the Sun
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| Hols, Prince of the Sun | |
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 Screen shot of the film's title |
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| 太陽の王子 ホルスの大冒険 (The Sun Prince - Hols' Great Adventure) |
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| Genre | Musical, Action, Adventure |
| Animated film | |
| Director | Isao Takahata |
| Studio | Toei Animation |
| Released | 21 July 1968 |
| Runtime | 82 min |
Hols: Prince of the Sun (太陽の王子 ホルスの大冒険 Taiyō no Ōji: Horusu no Daibōken?), also known as The Little Norse Prince or Little Norse Prince Valiant, was a Japanese anime film released in 1968 by Toei Animation. It was director Isao Takahata's feature film debut. Hayao Miyazaki, Yasuo Ōtsuka, Yoichi Kotabe, and Yasuji Mori, among others, worked as animators in this movie, providing many designs, story ideas, and storyboards as well. It is available as an English-subtitled DVD (PAL and Region 2) under the title "The Little Norse Prince" from Optimum Releasing.
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The film is considered something of a landmark in the history of anime. It was the first film to break away from the Disney-esque mold of Toei animation at the time of its production; because of this, it is considered by some to be the first film in the contemporary anime style. The film was produced by a group of animators who were affiliated with Toei's Union and the student protest movements of the 1960s. As a result, the film contains many references to the movement, as well as some Socialist-inspired artwork and music.
It was a difficult film to produce with Isao Takahata being forced to remove 30 minutes of the film prior to its completion by Toei. In addition the film was over budget, over time, and had two key sequences unfinished (in the film still shots and limited animation are shown in these sequences). Also Takahata originally wanted the film to be about the Emishi, the indigenous people of Japan who were persecuted by the ancestors of the modern Japanese. Takahata was forced by Toei to change it to another nationality, so the Norse were picked instead.
The film is often seen as a precursor to later innovations in the anime world and sort of as a grandfather of progressive anime. It was not a box office success when it first released but was screened by student groups where it enjoyed a cult hit status. After the failure of the film most of the production staff was demoted, and Isao Takahata was prevented from directing another film for Toei again. Shortly thereafter Otsuka, Miyazaki and Takahata would leave Toei for A Pro where they would work on Lupin III (TV) (1971).
[edit] External links
- Horus: Prince of the Sun at the Internet Movie Database
- Listing on Nausicaa.net (Miyazaki Fan site)
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