Spirited Away

Spirited Away

Starring Rumi Hiiragi, Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki, Takashi Naito

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

The Story:
When ten year old Chihiro Ogino (Rumi Hiiragi) and her family move to a new town, she's very sullen about it, claiming her first bouquet of flowers ever was for a farewell sendoff, and she misses her friends back at her old home.  Her father takes a wrong turn and end up at a tunnel, and after crossing it, discover an abandoned amusement park.  As they investigate, they smell food and her parents start gorging on the delicious meal, while Chihiro pouts and walks off.  She meets Haku (Miyu Irino), who warns her to leave the area before sundown, but she doesn't make it in time and starts seeing spirits forming.  She goes to her parents, but find they've been turned into pigs, and realizes she's stuck in this spirit world.

Haku, who works for the evil witch Yubaba (Mari Natsuki), tells Chihiro she needs to get a job, otherwise the spirits will devour her.  She persists, and Yubaba gives her a job and a new name (Sen), and she starts work at the bathhouse.  She meets No Face, a silent black shadow with a white mask who she thinks is just another customer, but he seems to take a particular liking to her.  She also helps a water spirit cleanse itself from filth, and is rewarded with a special dumpling.  When Haku's life is in danger, she sets out on a journey to right the wrongs of the past, and hopefully gain her freedom and the return of her parents as well.

The Synopsis:
For some reason, I've never been fond of Japanese anime.  Maybe because I watched most of "Dragonball Z" in college and didn't understand a thing about it, but it was just a genre of movies I've never really delved into.  Then my friend introduced me to the works of Mamoru Hosoda ("The Boy & the Beast," "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time," "Summer Wars," "Wolf Children"), and I was immediately smitten by the lavish animation, rich storytelling and vivid imagery they delivered.

"Spirited Away" became the top of my list, after hearing about the accolades it has received (it was the first anime film to be nominated for an Academy Award, and the first anime film to win an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, beating out even Disney's "Lilo & Stitch").  It's listed on several critics' lists of films to see before you die, and is the highest ranked animated film on imdb.com's Top 250, at an impressive #28.  So when my other friend offered an invite to see it in theaters for its 15th anniversary, I jumped at the chance.  And I was not disappointed, as the film was an extravagant piece of art from beginning to end.

The story is reminiscent of several classic children's tales, including "Alice in Wonderland," "Pinocchio" and "The Wizard of Oz," but it's also a wholly original piece, crafted brilliantly by Hayao Miyazaki, who is one of the most renowned visionary directors of our time.  He crafted such beautifully intrinsic characters, inventing some wildly imaginative creatures ever seen on screen (a No Face black shadow with an eerie white mask was particularly unnerving, but there were also a man with eight arms, cute little soot spirits, duck-like spirits, a frog, a creepy baby and three heads who just bounce around, not to mention a candle with one foot), while still maintaining a deeply humanistic theme of love and family.  Chihiro wants to turn her parents back to humans, and wants to protect Haku and rescue him from the evil witch as well.

Chihiro isn't your typical little girl, filled with sugar, spice, and everything nice.  She is a curmudgeon in the waiting, a girl who doesn't see a lot of joy in the new world she finds herself in, and yet still has a spark of determination in her that starts a fire that directs her path.  As she dutifully works in the bathhouse, she does so with a deep desire to better herself and find a way back home, even though it seems impossible.  As the film progresses, we see her inner strength developing and it serves as a parallel to our lives, going from childlike youth and innocence to adulthood and work, but also allows us to retain some of that childlike faith so as to not feel like adulthood is a chore. 

Hayao Miyazaki doesn't treat the audience like children, even though the film is, at its heart, a coming of age tale.  Most animated films cater to the thought of more is better, must have action happening every second to keep your attention, and dumbs down the story to cater to the lowest common denominator.  Not so with "Spirited Away," and it's more an adult fairy tale than a children's tale.  At a little over two hours, it doesn't focus solely on action, but appreciates the quiet moments where nothing really happens, yet a lot happens at the same time.  Moments of seeing Chihiro staring out into the ocean, or cleaning an extremely dirty bathhouse tub, or watching soot spirits carry coal to a furnace are just as important as seeing her flying on a dragon, hiding from an evil witch or running through the bathhouse to escape from a giant spirit. 

Every scene is crafted with extreme care and forethought, where even the background characters do more than just the average motions of an animated film.  You fully immerse yourself into this tale, and Miyazaki makes you believe it could be something that's actually real in its minute attention to detail.  Be it leaves rustling in the wind, waves on the water or interactions of background characters, no minor detail was left on the cutting room floor.  The film is a vivid, lush, vibrant combination of rich colors, articulate drawings and fully-immersed settings that's a visual wonder to behold, and one that demands the attention of the viewer.

It's no wonder this film is so highly regarded by critics and average moviegoers alike.  It's a visual spectacle that doesn't come along too often.

The Summary:
Mixing in brilliant imagery, vivid animations, compelling characters and a deeply rooted story, "Spirited Away" is much, much more than just another animated film - it's an animated masterpiece.

The Score: A+