Spirited Away Movie Review
That's a good start! Once you've met someone you never really
forget them. It just takes a while for your memories to return.
-Zeniba
Spirited Away was such a beautiful film to watch. Truly a work of art, it saddens me that I did not get to enjoy this as a younger child, but am delighted that I finally got to experience it now. Directed by Hayao Miyazaki who is famously known for creating stunning works of art such as Spirited Away, it was a film that had such deep meaning without losing any of it's genuine style. I also liked that by the end of the film I didn't feel like I was preached at or forced to learn any lessons, like some Disney movies tend to do. It was so natural and sweet and I didn't think I'd enjoy it as much as I did.
The film starts off with our main character Chihiro sitting in the back of a car with her parents, on their way to their new home. She is clearly sad about leaving her old home, like young children usually are when they don't understand the reasons to move to a new place. On the way to the new home Chihiro's dad decides to take a shortcut through the woods and ends up hitting a dead end and a tunnel entrance. Against all her pleading Chihiro's parents decide to investigate the tunnel ahead. When they reach the other side they realize that they are in a abandoned theme park. Starving after a long trip, they smell food and follow the scent. They enter this little town-like area where they find the source of the smell but no people in sight. They begin to eat and this is where the adventure begins. When Chihiro returns to her gluttonous parents she finds them transformed into pigs and panics!
I could see how some can compare this tale to Alice in Wonderland, but this story has a unique life of it's own and a comparison to an equally amazing story should not be a negative one. So after realizing what her parents had become, Chihiro begins to flee and monsters begin to appear all around her before she is saved by a strange boy named Haku. A main character of the film, Haku initially comes off as very mysterious and strange, but ultimately good for saving Chihiro. The character development is done very well and you fall in love with some of them very quickly. Other characters the exact opposite happens, and that's great too. Chihiro makes her way to a hotel-type of establishment where she meets all sorts of interesting creatures and monsters. Most importantly she meets Yubaba the main antagonist. Yubaba gets Chihiro to sign a contract to work and "steals" her name. She now goes by Sen and has to work really hard under the threat of being turned into a pig like her parents. The film then turns into a quest of acceptance, love, and doing the right thing. In a world full of demons and evil gods, Chihiro does a pretty good job of staying strong and true to her character and learns from everyone around her.
As the movie goes on you have to appreciate the wonderful world that Miyazaki drew and brought to life. All the characters from Yubaba to No Face to even simple characters like Haku and Chihiro are all drawn so beautifully and the originality and creativity behind them is astonishing. As the film began I was a little doubtful because I was thinking to myself, how good of a story could this possibly be? But don't be fooled by some of this films more simplistic aspects. It is such an emotionally driven film that delves into love, trust, and happiness through the adventures of a little girl. Something so powerful wrapped into something so small. It's the respect paid to detail that makes this movie so fun to watch. Truly a movie that transcends past culture, age, and sex, it is able to touch everyone as it taps into emotions that are quite universal. I give Spirited Away a 9 out 10. It is difficult to find imperfections within the film and highly recommend this to everyone.
The film starts off with our main character Chihiro sitting in the back of a car with her parents, on their way to their new home. She is clearly sad about leaving her old home, like young children usually are when they don't understand the reasons to move to a new place. On the way to the new home Chihiro's dad decides to take a shortcut through the woods and ends up hitting a dead end and a tunnel entrance. Against all her pleading Chihiro's parents decide to investigate the tunnel ahead. When they reach the other side they realize that they are in a abandoned theme park. Starving after a long trip, they smell food and follow the scent. They enter this little town-like area where they find the source of the smell but no people in sight. They begin to eat and this is where the adventure begins. When Chihiro returns to her gluttonous parents she finds them transformed into pigs and panics!
I could see how some can compare this tale to Alice in Wonderland, but this story has a unique life of it's own and a comparison to an equally amazing story should not be a negative one. So after realizing what her parents had become, Chihiro begins to flee and monsters begin to appear all around her before she is saved by a strange boy named Haku. A main character of the film, Haku initially comes off as very mysterious and strange, but ultimately good for saving Chihiro. The character development is done very well and you fall in love with some of them very quickly. Other characters the exact opposite happens, and that's great too. Chihiro makes her way to a hotel-type of establishment where she meets all sorts of interesting creatures and monsters. Most importantly she meets Yubaba the main antagonist. Yubaba gets Chihiro to sign a contract to work and "steals" her name. She now goes by Sen and has to work really hard under the threat of being turned into a pig like her parents. The film then turns into a quest of acceptance, love, and doing the right thing. In a world full of demons and evil gods, Chihiro does a pretty good job of staying strong and true to her character and learns from everyone around her.
As the movie goes on you have to appreciate the wonderful world that Miyazaki drew and brought to life. All the characters from Yubaba to No Face to even simple characters like Haku and Chihiro are all drawn so beautifully and the originality and creativity behind them is astonishing. As the film began I was a little doubtful because I was thinking to myself, how good of a story could this possibly be? But don't be fooled by some of this films more simplistic aspects. It is such an emotionally driven film that delves into love, trust, and happiness through the adventures of a little girl. Something so powerful wrapped into something so small. It's the respect paid to detail that makes this movie so fun to watch. Truly a movie that transcends past culture, age, and sex, it is able to touch everyone as it taps into emotions that are quite universal. I give Spirited Away a 9 out 10. It is difficult to find imperfections within the film and highly recommend this to everyone.
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