SPIRITED AWAY
Wake up, Chihiro. The Bathhouse has you.
Review by: Craig "Follow the White Rabbit" Norris
Length: 2 hour movie
Genre: Fantasy
Watched: All, dubbed
I have a confession to make. Up until now, I had never seen a Miyazaki film. I just kept making up excuses not to go see one. "I'd have to drive to the theater and pay $6.50 for a matinee ticket." "I'd have to drive to the video store and pay $3.99 for a rental." "I'd have to waste valuable bandwidth downloading a bootlegged copy." However, when Spirited Away showed up during prime time on basic cable, I had finally run out of excuses. More out of obligation than interest I sat down to watch it. Now I see what all the fuss was about, and the fuss was, for the most part, deserved.
Plot synopsis: While driving to their new home, ten year-old Chihiro and her parents take an unexpected detour down a dirt road. At the end, they find what appears to be an abandoned theme park. However, when night falls the spirits awaken, and Chihiro finds herself trapped in Aduraya, the bathhouse of the gods. Chihiro must quickly adapt to this new and strange world if she hopes to avoid being changed into an animal, like her parents were.
Artwork: In an interview regarding this film, Hayao Miyazaki said that he wanted to keep the animation simple. I'm not sure what his definition of "simple" is, but I certainly don't see it. The visuals are stunning and gorgeous, and the character designs range from simple and plain to extravagantly ornate. The fantastic realm the story takes place in is rendered with precision and innovation that is unparalleled in most other contemporary productions. If this is what "simple" really means, then the Sistine Chapel is just another ceiling.
Music: While well orchestrated, the soundtrack is rather mild. There are no melodies that jump out and demand attention. However, if you really try, you can hear some very impressive measures. But, of all the production values, the least emphasis is placed on the music, so it's easy to overlook it in favor of the art and story. The soundtrack is really very good; it's just that everything else is better.
Characters: Some of the characters may look fantastic or outlandish, but they all have very human personality traits. First and foremost is Chihiro, the heroine. As the story begins she is a cautious and joyless girl, who becomes understandably distressed by being cast into a strange world she knows nothing about. In order to survive, she needs to overcome her fears and tackle the challenges that are set before her. Her character grows and matures more than almost any other character I have ever seen. She goes from a meek, scared little girl to a strong-willed young woman who seems able to take on the world. The main villain of the story is Yubaaba, who runs the bathhouse. She is not so much evil as she is greedy, and when things are going well for her she is not totally unreasonable. However, her main tactic to control her workers is fear, and no one seems to think very highly of her leadership qualities. Haku is the first person who Chihiro meets in the bathhouse, and if not for him Chihiro never would have survived long at Aburaya. Despite showing Chihiro nothing but faith and kindness, everyone else only sees him as Yubaaba's heartless henchman. Kamajii is a six-armed spirit who operates the boiler in the bathhouse. He helps Chihiro get a job at the bathhouse, despite the considerable risks of associating with humans. Rin is an employee of the bathhouse who is assigned to look after Chihiro. At first she is annoyed to have her as an apprentice, but she warms up to her eventually and starts to treat her more like a little sister. Kaonashi (literally meaning "no face") is a mysterious spirit whose origins and intentions are unknown. He becomes instantly fascinated by Chihiro, and begins following her everywhere. Zeniiba is Yubaaba's twin sister, and though they appear identical, their personalities are extremely different. Zeniiba is more motherly and understanding than her sister, and can see the special qualities in Chihiro that assure her success. The multifaceted characters are the largest factor in the film's appeal, as they are easy to relate to, and may even seem like people we have met before.
Plot: The plot itself is pretty cut-and-dried, and seems to follow many conventions of an adventure/fantasy story. However, the real centerpiece is the theme. It is really a story about a ten year-old girl asserting herself and learning to cope with challenges, and ultimately finding inner strength. It's really even more complex than that, though, and any explanation I could give wouldn't be able to do it justice. I'll just refer you to the words of Hayao Miyazaki himself and let you discover for yourself just how much meaning is behind this tale. You'd be surprised how mature it is, considering the target audience is ten year-old girls.
CHICKS!: Ehh... we've got kind of a barren field on this one. Miyazaki has never been known for making really gorgeous chicks, and since the main character is ten, that lowers the potential even more. I'd have to say that the most palatable of the regularly occurring chicks is Rin, but then there's the fact that she's a slug spirit. Now, I have fetishes for several different girl/animal combinations, including but not limited to: catgirls, dog girls, cowgirls, bunnygirls, foxgirls, and even the occasional mermaid. However, I think I have to draw the line once we enter the order of mollusks. As human as Rin looks, I just won't be able to shake the image of a slimy, crawling lump on a rotting tree stump.
Overall: It is more than evident that this movie is geared toward a younger audience, but there are many facets of the story that go beyond the confines of age groups, not the least of which are the amazing visuals and the highly developed characters. Whether this movie truly deserved an Academy Award is an issue I'm still evaluating, but it is clearly a well-made film that makes the medium of anime accessible to just about everyone. At the very least, it beats the heck out of the tripe Disney is spewing out these days.
IN A NUTSHELL
+ Fantastic artwork
+ Believable characters
+ Well-conveyed message
- Most of the appeal is for younger viewers
- Just a tiny bit over-hyped
Rating: 8.5/10
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