Anthony's Film Review - Spirited Away (2001)

Once again, Hayao Miyazaki captures our hearts and imaginations...

Hayao Miyazaki is widely hailed as a brilliant animator and storyteller. Anyone who has become acquainted with his work may be tempted to call him the Walt Disney of Japan. It's easy to see why. His animated films take audiences to fantastic worlds and center on protagonists we come to appreciate. He makes us wonder what will happen and care about what is happening. Ultimately, we are left feeling satisfied, because he has fed our hearts and minds.

Miyazaki's 2001 animated fantasy Spirited Away is another great showcase of his storytelling magic. This one practically dives into the story almost immediately. A young girl named Chihiro is riding in the back seat of her parents' car as they head into the suburbs to their new home. On the way, they get lost in the woods. The family of three go exploring on foot, first through a tunnel and an empty church, then what looks to be either an abandoned village or an amusement park that has gone out of business. One unusual sight catches the attention of Chihiro's parents: tons of cooked food at an empty restaurant, which they, but not Chihiro, choose to eat.

It is not long before night falls, and from Chihiro's perspective, everything changes. The village that was initially empty now has spirits wandering it. And to Chihiro's horror, her parents have been turned into pigs. Her only source for help is a young man from the spirit world named Haku. He explains that she must first survive in the spirit world before she can even have a chance to go home and see her parents again. The first thing Chihiro must do is to get a job.

Much of this film is set in a large Japanese bathhouse in the spirit world. This is where spirits come to receive a thorough and therapeutic cleansing. This is also the place where Chihiro ultimately gets a job. She is a bathhouse attendant surrounded by plenty of other characters in this spirit world. The collection of characters includes a multi-armed man in the boiler room, three disembodied heads, a giant anthropomorphic radish, the old lady who runs the bathhouse, and a black spirit with a face mask. Through it all, Chihiro works hard and becomes a vital part of the bathhouse staff. It does take a while before she can revisit her goals of going home and getting her parents back.

This is a film where the plot is rather simple. It's so simple that I would advise not to even try following it. The real joy of this film is simply immersing yourself in each moment as it happens. For example, there's a nicely done scene where a very dirty and filthy spirit enters the bathhouse, and it stinks so badly that no one wants to help bathe it. Naturally, Chihiro is called upon to take on this unpleasant task. Ultimately, the scene may provide a small contribution to the plot, but it's minor compared to the suspense that occurs with cleaning this spirit. Again, don't bother with trying to identify the plot or figuring out the laws of the spirit world.

One thing I definitely love about this movie is the manner in which the story unfolds. Everything happening is seen from Chihiro's perspective. This isn't one of those stories with an omniscient perspective that allows us to see what is happening out of the main character's view, nor does it have any kind of introduction to set the stage before the main character enters it. The beginning of the movie shields us from the spirit world until Chihiro finds herself in it. This manner of storytelling lets us experience the wonder and curiosity of exploring a world that is wholly new and strange. It also helps us experience certain emotions more easily, because we are following the protagonist up close.

All in all, Spirited Away is a very good movie. It's a fun and mesmerizing tale set in an equally intriguing setting. I should add that this is one of those movies that can be seen as also presenting overarching universal themes alongside the story. In my opinion, though, it's really an adventure for the sake of adventuring. Nothing more. But if you're looking for something deep in this movie, you may find it if you think about it long enough. Really, Spirited Away can work on both a superficial and a deep level. No matter what, the viewer is likely to take away something great from this film, whatever it may be.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about Spirited Away, visit the Internet Movie Database.