Author: Maria Chzhen
Date: 3 May 2020
Spirited Away (2001) is the first anime I have ever seen in my life. It was the first one to break records - highest box office in the history of Japan's cinematography (30.4 billion yen!), first foreign film to run in the US after collecting the first $200 million in other countries, the best of Japan's anime. It established the foundation of frame-by-frame art and was loved both by critics and by viewers. I watched Spirited Away (Or Chihiro no Kamikakushi in Japanese) for the first time a few years ago. I instantly fell in love with everything about it - from the architecture of the magical Japanese bathhouse for spirits and gods to the main characters. Yesterday, I decided to rewatch this anime and focus on technical details more than the limitless, fascinating imagination of Hayao Miyazaki and the animators at Studio Ghibli.
The plot follows Chihiro Ogino and her parents to their new house, much to Chihiro's frustration. We can see that she doesn't like to be alone and with no friends at her future new school. The girl's dad, Akio Ogino, makes a rash decision to take a shortcut. The idea backfires very fast when the family gets lost and arrives at what looks like a deserted amusement park. Instead of turning back and finding out the right way to get to their new house, the Oginos decide to explore the newfound sight. Chihiro is creeped out by the place and doesn't try to hide her desire to go back to the car.
I must mention the quality of the animation. Many scenes are made remarkable because of their detailed, exquisite backgrounds and well-drawn characters. It is a widely known fact that animation films require extra effort, and many animation studios tend not to include too much detail. Miyazaki, on the other hand, adds additional elements - technicalities that can't easily get implemented in physical movies. The architecture of the multiple buildings shown in the anime was precise; the design was meticulous and managed to create the atmosphere of an ancient Asian culture.
After we, the viewers, get the full taste of Miyazaki's animations, Chihiro's parents start eating at a park restaurant that is open, surprisingly to them, and suspiciously to us. The 10-year-old girl gets even more creeped out and refuses to eat. She explores the park and meets a boy who tells her to leave immediately and without finding her parents. Of course, Chihiro doesn't listen. When she finds her mom and dad, they are no longer people. They ate food like pigs, and became animals themselves!
And the amusement park isn't an amusement park after all! It is a bathhouse for all sorts of spirits and gods! It shocks our main character, but thankfully Haku, the boy she met earlier, is willing to help her. He tells her about everything she needs to do. Chihiro must find Uncle Kamaji, a human-like creature with eight limbs, who can provide her with a job at the bathhouse. If Chihiro doesn't find a job, Yubaba, the bathhouse owner and a very threatening old lady in general, will punish her.
Chihiro, or as Yubaba calls her, Sen, must work at the bathhouse and find a way to turn her parents back into humans. Sen finds new friends and new ill-wishers. She cleans a foul spirit, lets in No Face (Kaonashi in Japanese), a spirit that isn't allowed into the bathhouse, and saves Haku's life!
Joe Hisaishi was the creator of the soundtrack, which became so popular that almost anyone who watched the film can recognize the music. Countless music covers have been made to the soundtrack since the release of Spirited Away in 2001. And there is a good reason for that - it can make anyone feel nostalgic. The movie left me with a mixed feeling of wanting a sequel and not wanting one at the same time. Sen is a refreshing character that teaches young girls to accept themselves and fight for what they think is right. Hayao Miyazaki has confirmed that the animated movie was created to inspire 10-year-old girls. Still, people of all ages may watch and enjoy the film. The media didn't portray young girls as heroines, and Miyazaki wanted to change that by having a relatable, normal girl as the main character.
Miyazaki hides several fundamental lessons in the movie. These little messages cannot easily be seen at first, but they make up a pretty big proportion of the film. Here are the top hidden references in Spirited Away that will teach you a lot:
The movie uses a technique called "ma." If you watched Spirited Away, you could probably remember that there were several minutes in which nothing happened. The world was there, Chihiro was there, but no actions took place. This kind of "silence" is emptiness. Hayao Miyazaki is an appreciator of mas. The famous director believes that filling screen time with mas is better than making the viewers be engaged with the film 100% of the time. The audience doesn't tend to treasure a non-stop action movie that has no breathing time. Instead, they would prefer films that leave a deep emotional response.
The director, producer, and writer was Hayao Miyazaki. He is, perhaps, one of the only people in the film-making industry that does all the critical work by himself. The voiceover actors in the English dub were: Daveigh Chase as Sen/Chihiro; Jason Marsden playing Haku; Suzanna Pleshette voicing Yubaba and Yubaba's twin sister Zeniba; Susan Egan as Lin; David Ogden Stiers was acting as Kamaji, the boiler man.
Now that I have discussed all the essential movie details, I would like to talk about bathhouses. While I was watching the animated film, it was fascinating for me to see Yubaba's bathhouse and the way it was designed. In Japan, there are still many bathhouses - they are a big part of the tradition. Many Tokyo bathhouses offer visitors an insight into how Japan worked in ancient times. Some look like Chinese and Japanese temples, and others are more Westernized. The typical bathhouses have several activities like salt saunas, massages, baths, and restaurants to eat in. Tattoos are strictly prohibited there, and the visitors may get to wear Japanese robes. Japan has a great culture, and it would be amazing to visit it once the current coronavirus pandemic stops.
Overall, I would give the movie a solid five out of five. It brought out many bright emotions in me, got me very interested in knowing Japan, and watching other Hayao Miyazaki movies. The plot was alluring and was pretty easy to digest despite there being quite a lot of hidden references and messages. Anyone can enjoy this movie at any time.
Josie Rourke
Roman Polanski
Michael Gracey
John Hughes
Dan Scanlon
Stanley Kubrick