In terms of animation there are very few studios that I will absolutely watch anything they produce. Studio Ghibli has certainly earned it, with countless films over the years that have touched the heart. I have the same rule with Directors – and the list has been getting shorter and shorter as prequels and remakes seem to be the downfall with any of my favorite directors. Though at the top of my list rests a person that I hold in the highest regards: Hayao Miyazaki. So when your fav animation studio – and your favorite director are working together you know it’s a must see.
If you are unfamiliar with the history of Spirited Away, specifically for the American release, this film debuted a couple of years after Mononoke and received similar types of praise. Really opening the flood gates to both Anime and other Studio Ghibli films.
Before I get into the review of this film, I want to state something – while I’ve seen the movie countless times, it really wasn’t a film the resonated with me the first couple of viewings. That being said there is something truly special about this film. Something that I wasn’t aware of.
Story
Don’t worry this will be spoiler free – just a brief outline to hopefully get you interested in the film.
The basic story plot is revolves around Chihiro – our main character. She’s a young girl who comes across a little lazy and very upset. Though you quickly begin to understand her feelings as you find out that her family is moving to a new home. During this move her father takes a wrong turn and ends up finding a mysterious tunnel. The father being the adventurous type – gets the family to explore figuring that it’s probably a part of some old abandoned amusement park. As they discover what appears to be an abandoned town – the parents both smell food, finding it quickly they immediately start consuming it. Assuring Chihiro that they’ll pay it for once the owner shows up.
Night begins to fall and the town around them begins to change – as apparently they’ve crossed over into the world of the spirits. Though that’s not the only thing changing, as both parents have transformed into Pigs – Chihiro runs and tries to get to safety as she slowly starts to fade away. That’s when she meets Haku, a boy who offers her help, getting her a job at the local bath house. Where Chihiro will have to learn how to survive on her own and find a way to rescue her parents.
Thoughts
Have you ever had the experience watching a film countless times, only to miss the bigger picture? While I really liked that this movie helped bring more Studio Ghibli films to the US – it just never really resonated with me. That’s not saying I didn’t enjoy the film, between the animation quality and writing there is a lot to enjoy. It wasn’t until much later, only after watching various commentaries about the film that I truly appreciated it.
What really stuck out in my mind for this viewing of the film was the idea that it’s a coming of age story.. Where our main character Chihiro is becoming confident in herself. I did notice her growth over time, but never really looked closely at the subtle details that Miyazaki adds. The example that shows the greatest amount of contrast is when Chihiro arrives at the Bath house the first time. There are these stairs that she must climb down – and she is just terrified, taking each step very slowly as if she’s going to fall. Later on in the movie, you see her absolutely fearless – standing up to any adversary.
[youtube]https://youtu.be/ByXuk9QqQkk[/youtube]
Presentation
Being on Blu Ray for the first time I was more then interested in seeing the difference. I owned the DVD version of the film, and always noticed the colors just feeling off. The Blu Ray simple shines in the biggest way. As the color palette is rich and really pops off the TV screen. The same could be said about the sound quality of the film. As it features both the Japanese 5.1 and English 5.1 tracks. I personally watched the Japanese language version and it sounded way fuller then the DVD version of the film.
Overall
While this may not be my favorite Miyazaki film or Studio Ghibli film – it is a truly special movie. It not only deserves a watch – it’s the type that grows with you as you watch it. You may find additional stuff that you hadn’t seen the first viewing. If you are a Miyazaki fan, or just a fan of animation – this film is worth more then a couple of watches.