Today’s quick review: Spirited Away. On their way to their new home, Chihiro and her family stop to explore the long-abandoned fairgrounds they find deep in the woods. Her parents discover a sumptuous feast in one of the booths, and, seeing no one around to accept payment, dig into it without asking. When Chihiro returns, they have been turned into pigs, and the setting sun brings out the many spirits that reside in the place. With the timely help of a young prince named Haku, Chihiro escapes the notice of the spirits and flees to a nearby bathhouse. The bathhouse is run by the cruel witch Yubaba, whom Chihiro asks for a job so she can work off her parents’ debt. Trapped all alone in a strange world of spirits and magic, Chihiro must use all of her bravery and cunning to free her parents and return to the life she once knew.
Spirited Away is an animated wonder and director Hayao Miyazaki’s masterpiece. The setting is a world of unbridled creativity, peopled with memorable characters and filled with beautiful imagery. The spirits run the gamut from nearly human to bizarre and grotesque, but each is stamped with creativity and insight into the human spirit. As always, Miyazaki’s animation is a delight to watch. The tiniest details come vividly to life, right down to the extra half-step needed for a child to walk alongside her father. Chihiro’s growth is plausible and subtle. The challenges before her require her to put away her fear, own up to her mistakes, and repay the kindness that is shown her.
Although it is a brilliant movie, Spirited Away can be somewhat inaccessible, especially during a first watch. The rules of magic are explained only as they come up, and it is often unclear what courses of action are available to Chihiro. The setting also draws heavily on Japanese culture and folklore, so aspects of the story and the setting that may be familiar to Japanese viewers can come across as strange or confusing to Western viewers. The path of the story is unpredictable and can feel arbitrary. Certain parts of the film are also rather disturbing, especially for a nominal family movie.
But the reward for taking the setting and story on their own terms is a movie that is a work of art. The beauty, creativity, and detail of the film are hard to overstate. Watch it when you are in the mood for a charming, rich, and haunting story of fantasy and personal growth. Do not pass up the chance to see it if you are at all curious about it.
8.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it an 8.5 to 9.0 for outstanding quality.