Spirited Away Recommended

Director
Hayao Miyazaki
Production
Studio Ghibli
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Film
Running time
125 mins
Year
2001

Spirited Away

By Adam Cook
23rd May 04

Spirited Away is the latest feature film by Hayao Miyazaki, is the biggest selling movie in Japanese history, and could also be the movie to make Western audiences sit up and take notice of Japanese animation. With the film winning best animated feature at last years Oscars and Miyazaki's back catalogue gradually getting released in the year 2004 we could be in store for anime being just as acceptable as the slew of 3D western animated features that are supposedly killing the traditional hand drawn efforts. The question is, is Spirited Away Miyazaki's best film to date? Put simply the answer is no, but it is very close.

Spirited Away centres on our protagonist Chihiro, a young girl that gets trapped in an abandoned theme park that is populated by all kinds of spirits. In this strange and often confusing world she must find the courage to fit in whilst also finding her parents and a way out of the amusement park. Along her journey she is aided by a myriad of different characters, but most noticeably she is helped by a boy by the name of Haku who she falls in love with.

Like many of Miyazaki's movies the themes that he is trying to tackle are not always as clear cut as other directors and he rarely imparts a strong moral message upon the audience. However there are themes to be found in Spirited Away such as the obvious (love) but also the ability for a person to strive in utter adversity and to become accepted in a world that is completely foreign to their own. Whilst these themes appear cheap and corny on paper, Miyazaki's delicate direction never makes the film feel exploitative or obvious. One reason for the film not appearing obvious is the fact that Chihiro's world is populated with some of the oddest characters you are likely to see. As the world is full of spirits Miyazaki has let his imagination run wild, filling the screen with spirits off all different shapes and sizes. Some spirits may only be a rolling green head, whilst others are large monsters constructed of dirt. I first viewed this film with someone that was not accustomed to Miyazaki's unique vision and they did struggle to get over the different types of spirits that bombarded the screen, however she soon became use to the characters and their apparent bizarreness soon dissipates as you begin to immerse yourself in their kaleidoscopic world.

Spirited Away features a few spirits from earlier Miyazaki films, such as the dust bunnies that were first brought to life in My Neighbor Totoro. This is a nice touch and a welcome treat for fans of his earlier work. There appears to be a far darker edge to the spirits in this film compared to his other movies. Especially at the beginning the spirits are treated with fear and uncertainty, this is in stark contrast to most of his other films where spirits are respected. This darker tone however is perfect in encapsulating the uncertainty that Chihiro feels early on in the movie.
Many comparisons have been made to Alice in Wonderland and with good reason. The introduction of a young girl trapped in a strange world populated by alien creatures is exactly the same as Alice in Wonderland, however there is a Japanese twist to Spirited Away which means the oddness and great characterisation is increased tenfold.
As stated earlier, Chihiro's character develops from a meek and uncertain child into a strong willed and accepted girl. Some comparisons could be made to the changing behaviours that occur through adolescence but perhaps I am reading too much into the subtext. The way in which the narrative deals with Chihiro's growth is by her character completing tasks in the spirit bath house where she works. These tasks challenge her to confront fears and to quite literally do the crap jobs other workers will not. It is a nice way for her character to develop and again it is a subtle way for Miyazaki to convey the message that hard work has its rewards.
Without giving too much away, the ending of Spirited Away shares many similarities with Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke and is another example of how he has shunned the typical, sugar coated endings that seem to populate most family animated movies. Some people may not be wholly satisfied with the ending, but I found it refreshing and much more realistic (well as realistic as a world full of spirits could be).

You come to expect fantastic visuals from Studio Ghibli and Spirited Away does not disappoint. The unique and vibrant spirits fill the screen with colour and the bath house is rich in texture and detail that on a purely aesthetic level is a marvel. Studio Ghibli are beginning to use computers more and more in their animations and there are a number of key sequences in Spirited Away that are greatly enhanced by the flexibility that a computer can bring. Likewise the feeling of claustrophobia is enhanced by the use of narrow corridors in the bath house, and only towards the end of the movie when Chihiro is growing as a person, do we see wide open expanses. This is a great visual trick to simulate the mood of the main character.

The music is composed by the regular Miyazaki collaborator Joe Hisaishi (he has worked on nearly all Miyazaki's major films). The score is typical Studio Ghibli with an eclectic mix of styles that are the perfect companion to the onscreen images.

So why isn't Spirited Away the best Miyazaki movie? Well the reason is simple, it is not particularly original. Whilst the characters that populate the amusement park are very unique the actual story is very similar to Alice in Wonderland. Whilst this is not a major criticism it would have been nice to have seen greater originality in the narrative. This really is a criticism for criticisms sake though and will in no way effect your enjoyment of the film. Whilst the film may not appeal to very young children, anyone (and I mean anyone) over the age of 8 should by suitably captivated for the two hours as you are swept away in the world of Miyazaki's spirits.

-- Adam Cook 23rd May 04

Spirited Away Images