Spirited Away (2001)

Spirited Away

Call No: TEMP 1317

Back in November, I reviewed Hayao Miyazaki’s film Howl’s Moving Castle. This time, I’ll be reviewing his film Spirited Away. It was the first foreign film to win in the Best Animated Feature category at the 2003 Oscars and as a result, it gained a great deal of publicity, both for the film and the Japanese filmmaker. Many have considered it to be his masterpiece. After seeing the beauty and magic of this film, it’s hard to disagree.

The film centers around Chihiro, a young girl who wanders into a magical world inhabited by spirits, ghosts, demons and witches. When her parents are turned into pigs by Yubaba, the owner of the bathhouse where the spirits come to replenish themselves, Chihiro is forced to stay in this world until she can find a way to save them. With the help of a mysterious boy named Haku, Kamaji the boiler man, and Lin, a fellow bathhouse worker, Chihiro sets off on the adventure of a lifetime full of wonder, excitement, and enchantment.

Something that strikes me most about watching this film is that my eyes find something new every time I see it. The colours are vibrant, the animation is crisp and the detail carries all the way into the background. These are not your typical watercolour Disney backgrounds. The backgrounds are just as detailed as the foreground without being too busy. Miyazaki doesn’t skimp on the details. The bathhouse, which is home to the majority of the story, is rich in its construction and architecture, full of many different kinds of characters. The detail that is captured within the boundaries of the 2D animation is extraordinary.

Chihiro meets a new friend at the bathhouse

One of the most enjoyable things about the film is the character of Chihiro. From the very beginning, Chihiro is portrayed as spoiled and impatient. The development and change in her character is remarkable to watch as she works through each challenge carefully and not without doubt. She is completely human at every step of the way, unsure and frustrated as anyone else would be when faced with a difficult and near impossible task. The remarkable aspect is her ability to overcome these challenges despite her very obvious fears. She is a likeable and determined character, something that Miyazaki is good at portraying without following too closely to the “princess” type formula that is so popular in many Disney films.

If you haven’t seen Spirited Away, get it. Sit back and watch the film for what it is. This isn’t a typical kind of film. The first time I saw it, I wasn’t sure as to what I was watching. But I guarantee that once you begin and come to know the characters and the story, you will have a difficult time turning it off.