She is a flawed character clumsy, whiny, and apathetic. It is of course Chihiro herself who’s at the heart of it all. Noface – who is according to Miyazaki the film’s deuteragonist – has his own story that becomes as rich and detailed as Chihiro’s, and both characters’ stories intertwine beautifully. Perhaps the most important of the lot is Noface, a mysterious apparition who is the embodiment of loneliness and despair. Although she’s capable of despicable deeds, Yubaba is also given human and relatable traits as the film progresses. Lin is a young woman who becomes something of Chihiro’s boss, confidant and mentor. At first Kamaji appears bitter, but he is won over by Chihiro’s determination. Robotnik, is a slave to his job as the bathhouse’s boiler man (he literally sleeps where he works). Kamaji, an elderly man with six extendable arms who bears a resemblance to Dr. There isn’t a moment in Spirited Away that doesn’t present audience with much more than what’s immediately on-screen.Įvery character within the bathhouse is wonderfully realized: Haku becomes something of a guardian angel to Chihiro, but also has a loyalty to Yubaba that makes his motives ambiguous. There is a profoundness and depth within Spirited Away’s storytelling that ascends it to the highest level of artistry.Įach character Chihiro comes across has something of a story to tell, and nearly every scene works as an allegory with double and triple meanings, sometimes even more. Such wonderfully designed creatures are the least of Spirited Away’s triumphs, however. The creatures of Spirited Away are so wondrous and weird they make the denizens of the Mos Eisley Cantina look mundane. The designs for these countless spirits are all richly imaginative, whether they get a decent amount of screen time or are simply background characters. It is a place where deities and specters visit for some relaxation and replenishment. The bathhouse, perhaps the most alive location in all of cinema, is where most of the film takes place. Should Chihiro (now dubbed “Sen” by the witch) completely forget her name, she will never return to the human world. But working at the bathhouse won’t be so easy, as employment comes at the cost of surrendering one’s name to Yubaba.
But once night falls, Chihiro finds herself surrounded by ghosts and monsters, her parents – who were quick to consume the many delicacies found in one of the park’s restaurants – are transformed into pigs, and the tunnel that lead her to this world is now a distant speck across an ocean.įrightened and confused, Chihiro manages to find a friend in a mysterious boy named Haku, who informs her that if she hopes to survive in this new world of gods and monsters and save her parents, she must find employment at a nearby bathhouse, which is ruled by the witch Yubaba. Not a portal in the traditional fantasy sense, as they show no inherent otherworldly attributes. The tunnel and park turn out to be a portal to another world. On their way to their new home, Chihiro’s father makes a wrong turn, and the family ends up at the entrance to a mysterious tunnel, which leads to what appears to be an abandoned theme park. Chihiro is apathetic, somewhat spoiled, and bitter about her family’s move. Spirited Away tells the story of Chihiro, a ten-year old girl in the middle of moving to a new home with her mother and father. Spirited Away has since become regarded as a classic of animated cinema, and its praise couldn’t be more deserved. When Disney brought it stateside in 2002, it managed to finally get Miyazaki some worldwide recognition, not to mention an Oscar and many other accolades. When it was released in Japan in 2001, Spirited Away broke many records, and ranks as the highest grossing film in Japan’s history to this day. Its storytelling and inventiveness are as spectacular as they are unique. Hayao Miyazaki’s animated masterpiece is a work of ineffable imagination.
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If ever there were a movie that could be described as indescribable, surely it’s Spirited Away.