By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Starring: Daveigh Chase | Lauren Holly | Suzanne Pleshette
Original language title: Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi
Country: japan
Year: 2002
Running time: 125
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0245429/reference
Howard says: “SPIRITED AWAY is the latest in a string of incredible animated films by Hayao Miyazaki, the most renowned animator in Japanese history and most say in the best in world. He takes a couple steps close to the best in the world title with this film.
“Its the story of Chihiro as she is caught in a world where humans are not allowed: a world of magic, gods and a Japanese bathhouse. As we meet Chihiro we realize that she is a bit spoiled and has never done anything for herself. As her adventures progress, she matures in ways that she doesn’t even realize. This is a journey of self-discovery and a study in forced independence.
“Many have compared it to Alice in Wonderland, but where Alice, I thought, was a two-dimensional character going from adventure to adventure, Chihiro is well rounded. She figures out how to be adaptable to an ever-changing world and discovers how to solve her problems instead of running away from them. She is a ‘real’ girl shoved into a world of Japanese mythology where she is ignorant of the rules.
“And her problem solving is the best part of the film and the reason I liked this one better than PRINCESS MONONOKE. Chihiro uses her kindness, courage and courtesy as her weapons. Even when violence erupts all around her, she relies on her wit and intelligence instead of magic, swords or arrows. These are lessons that children should be exposed to instead of explosions and gore that make up a lot of cinema. If I had kids, you bet Id be taking them to see this one.
“But dont get me wrong; this film is able to thrill adults, too. It is so full of imagination the film seems barely able to contain itself. While it is not as lush as Mononoke (it may have been the print I saw), SPIRITED AWAY is gorgeously animated and the dubbing work is almost perfectly synched. In fact, after Chihiro is whisked away I didn’t even notice anything out of place.
“There were, however, about three scenes that I remember thinking that the score seemed out of place and became distracting, but thats my only complaint. I can easily see why this is Japans biggest moneymaking film of all time. Its a story well told with visuals beautiful to behold. Its simply timeless.” 4 1/2 cats
Michael says: “As a big fan of Hayao Miyazaki’s PRINCESS MONONOKE, I was very excited to see his follow-up, SPIRITED AWAY. It’s been receiving raves reviews too. So, Scot and I joined Bob for a late night (for us) 10 p.m. showing in order to hear the unadulterated Japanese language version. Not sure what it is, but even for an animated film, I enjoy hearing the natural language of the film flowing past my ears. Needless to say, I was very impressed. Miyazaki has an amazing imagination. Visually alone, I was consistently in awe of the different gods, demons, creatures and people his fertile mind created.
“The story is a basic one, the struggle to find one’s identity. When 10-year-old Chihiro stumbles into a strange part of her new neighborhood with her parents, she can sense something’s wrong. Heedless of her warnings, her parents explore the area. When Chihiro finds them transformed into pigs, she also finds that she has stumbled into a nightmare that she cannot awaken from. Befriended by Haku, a boy she seemingly shares a mysterious past with that neither of them remember, Chihiro finds she must join the workforce at a bathhouse for gods in order to survive and save her parents. Unfortunately, this mean signing a contract with Yubaba, the witch that rules the bathhouse. In signing, Chihiro loses her identity and becomes Sen. Her struggle to regain her life and save her parents make up rest of the movie.
“As in PRINCESS MONONOKE, Miyazaki’s characters are rarely completely good or evil, but somewhere in between. Even Yubaba is doing what she thinks is right in order to maintain order and run her business. SPIRITED AWAY is a roller coaster adventure ride where one young girl works hard and stays true to herself in order to win the day. I noticed the slightly intrusive score that Howard mentioned, but it was far overshadowed by the visual splendor and powerful story that make this film a winner. Don’t miss it.” 4 1/2 cats
Peg says: “A simple story with fantastical trappings, SPIRITED AWAY is a down-the-rabbit-hole tale with a scrappy heroine whose real-life counterpart inspired Hayao Miyazaki to return to his lightboard after announcing his retirement in 1998 (after his artful box-office smash PRINCESS MONONOKE). Ten-year old Chihiros parents are transformed into pigs after greedily eating food meant for spirits, and she enters a parallel world in an abandoned amusement park where she must petition for help from an evil witch (brilliantly voiced by Suzanne Pleshette). Her archetypal encounters ultimately end happily, but the journey is as exhilarating as the themes are universal. The scene where Chihiro must bathe a grotesque ‘stink spirit’ during her stint at a bathhouse for the gods is simply classic. Miyazakis refusal to bow to computer-generated methods yields a breathtakingly elegant mise en scène, all Turner seascapes and Parrish sunsets and Monet gardens. With its unforgettable backdrops and creatures borne from a palette dripping with viscera and humor, this is as stimulating a visual experience as any non-psychotropically-enhanced viewer is likely to encounter this decade. Miyazaki understands the magic Disney intended, and elevates it to a higher realm of dreamy, worldly mysticism which is (ah!) appealing to children of all ages and temperaments.”