Spirited Away

Title: Spirited Away
Rating: 5/5
Genre: Animation, Adventure
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Language: Japanese

From the acclaimed writer and director of ‘Princess Mononoke’ comes a new masterpiece that tops it. Rich and diverse landscapes are presented from the opening scenes, filled with creative creatures large and small in an immersive world of fantasy that provides a constant source of intrigue, harking back to the days of ‘Never ending Story’ and ‘Alice in Wonderland,’ and leaving the new Disney endeavours in the dust. But this isn’t a simple ‘family film’ like so many others of recent years – intended for children to drag unwilling parents to it – the characters are memorable and instantly lovable, all with their good traits and bad, and no overtly ‘evil’ character they deliver a crash course on how to face new surroundings with more than a few hidden meanings.

Taking a shortcut through the undergrowth to her new home, Chihiro – a 10 year old girl – is being reluctantly dragged along to face her new life when they accidentally stumble upon an abandoned amusement park. Exploring it further, her parents greedily feast on food left out on a stand, assuming the owner to return shortly, only to be turned into pigs. Chihiro, bewildered by their transformation is met by Haku who guides her into surviving the magical realm she has stumbled into, and so begins her quest filled with sorcerer’s and spirits, kimono-wearing frogs and walking balls of soot in the bath-house for the gods, struggling to save her parents.

The level of detail in the animation is phenomenal; each frame drawn by hand, no expense is spared on delivering the small details that make for such an intricately detailed story. We see the many apathetic workers of the bath house hustle their way around purposefully, with a stunning diversity of characters that serve for multiple viewings that have your eyes glued to the screen. Every character is unique and realistic from the main character to the small balls of soot she befriends, and the questionability of such a place existing is soon forgotten as you are drawn into the world (apparently a parody of the Studio Ghibli who financed his projects).

With a deeper meaning that emerges, not least in Chihiro’s newly found love for the river, and curing the ‘stink spirit’ to reveal the ‘river god’ within, it presents the issue of pollution in a creative manner that at no point feels forced. Likewise, the transition seen in the lead character from the whiny and spoilt child used to getting her own way into the independent and respectful character observed by the end, echoing many feelings of hostility towards the materialistic youth of Japan, and with the ‘chav’ culture here feels as strong as ever.

The soundtrack perfectly captures the atmosphere and enhances the result like you wouldn’t believe possible, finishing the final detail in defining a masterpiece; a term thrown around all too often but here has never felt more at home. This is a film that will captivate and entrance you time and time again; you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll think. This is the sort of film that makes you wonder, just how are Disney still in business?

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