Is Takeshi Kitano a Ghibli Studio film fan?

[Michael E. Kerpan]

There is an obvious connection between actor/director Takeshi Kitano andHayao
Miyazaki in that they share the services of film composer Joe Hisaishi. 
However, having now seen three films by Kitano, I am convinced that he must be
quite aware of both Miyazaki's Totoro and Isao Takahata's Grave of the
Fireflies (at least).  Kitano's newest film Kikujiro seems to have quite a few
little references to Totoro -- a frog in a cameo role, leaf umbrellas, waiting
at a bus stop in the rain, a corn picking scen, a (camphor?) tree with rope
around it, and most importantly the search for a mother.  Hana-Bi (Fireworks)
has a very different plot from Grave, but the tone and mood are remarkably
similar -- a blend of sharp objectivity interspersed with sweetness and
punctuated with spasms of frightening violence. Not only Kikujiro and Hana-Bi
feature extended scenes of "play" as a respite from fear, but so does Sonatine.


We're also starting to survey Ozu films  -- Miyazaki and (even more so)
Takahata seem to be quite influenced by him.  (But I'll save this for another
day.)