Overview
The animation movie, “Spirited Away”, directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli, was released in 2001. This movie puts in display the adventures of a little girl named Chihiro Ogino who enters the spirit world. The film begins with Chihiro and her family traveling to their new house but on the way they find an article that catches their interest, an amusement park, although she is very much against it but her parents convince and push her to enjoy. After some time they find a food stall and with no one to look after the food, her parents decide to munch on it a little and in seconds are turned into pigs. In a hopeless situation, Chihiro is set on a quest to save her parents.
Chihiro’s wish is to break the curse on her parents and to do that she is in a realm controlled by a strong witch named Yubaba. The bathhouse that Yubaba owns is a place where spirits visit frequently to wash off and unwind. Chihiro desperately wants to free her parents so she asks Yubaba for a job and complies when she is told to change her name to Sen. In this way she starts working for Yubaba. But Yubaba’s plan is to erase her original name through the fake one assigned to her, rather she attempts to make Chihiro feeble.
Ever since she was born, the lead character of “Spirited Away”-Chihiro encounters a plethora of captivating figures through the course of her life that are already reminiscing of her past in a lost way them. Few among those characters include Haku an enigmatic boy, who has the ability to morph into a dragon – the past Chihiro interacts with, Lin, Chihiro’s friend, a no-nonsense but kind bathhouse worker. Another imparting character within the movie is the bathhouse spirit; No-Face, who although starts out with no intentions of causing harm but is consumed by greed as he is exposed to the bathhouse’s greed. Kamaji, on the other hand, a boiler-man with spiders for arms, adds to the complexity of the world.
Chihiro embodies bravery, hope and honesty; her characteristics shine through during pivotal points in the movie especially when she assists lost spirits in the spirit realm or defies Yubaba’s curses. Further while uncovering the deeper themes of love and memory, during the most emotionally charged moment, Chihiro realizes Haku is the spirit of the Kohaku River which saved her from drowning when she was little, this realization further ignites there existent bond.
Gaining insight from how Chihiro was able to grow her character, accepting herself, and transforming internally during the movie, it is easy to gather how Chihiro was able to select her parents by breaking Yubaba’s curse, among a crowd containing pigs after succeeding the tasks he set for her. With all of them going back to the human realm, Chihiro entered the human realm once again – this time she is stronger, more self aware and changed.
Cast & Crew
Bringing the Vision of Miyazaki into Lewis’ “Spirited Away” came to life because of the hard work of animators, voice artists and story tellers:
Director and Writer – Hayao Miyazaki
Widely regarded as one of the greatest storytellers to exist in cinema history Miyazaki has pioneered the art of hand-drawn animation and his imagination is unlike any other.
Producer – Toshio Suzuki
Suzuki has been working closely with Miyazaki and it was our responsibility to oversee the production of the film ensuring it is completed within its budget and that all the concepts created by Mr. Miyazaki are satisfactorily implemented.
Voice Cast:
Rumi Hiiragi (Japanese) / Daveigh Chase (English) as Chihiro / Sen
Rumi Hiiragi and Daveigh Chase did a great job in comedian history. Their deep, emotional, and powerful voices made during the English and Japanese Versions of Spirited Away effectively attached the soul to the body for the character of Chihiro.
Miyu Irino (Japanese) / Jason Marsden (English) as Haku
Japan seiyuu Miyu Irino and America Jason Marsden gave a compelling performance as Haku who is a lost spirit who guides Zeniba.
Mari Natsuki (Japanese) / Suzanne Pleshette (English) as Yubaba / Zeniba
Besides voicing two different characters, Natsuki plays the scary Yubaba and Yubaba’s kinder twin sister Zeniba which is no easy feat.
The Japanese and English dubbing teams working together made it possible for the film to be well received.
Spirited Away Excellent Ratings and Review An Overview
Times continue changing and even after quite a number of years the IMDb rating of 8.6/10 which places Spirited Away among the most often recommend films around the globe. It is without a doubt that the movie is also regarded as the finest animated movie ever created. For its artistic direction, intricate but interesting story, and visceral feel, this feature film was universally regarded as a work of art and garnered significant praise from critics.
On the eve of the 75th Academy Awards held in 2003, this film was awarded the best animated feature, and it is the only ‘non-English’ and hand-drawn movie to be nominated in this category and it set a record in winning in this category. Its ability to build such a believable world received widespread admiration from experts, who hailed its mmodern take on the classic quest for self-exploration in a fairytale narrative. Roger Ebert, one of the most famous names in film criticism, classified the work as a film that respects its viewers and anticipates their responses in contrast to the majority of films as it was directed by Miyazaki who avoids the use of simple solutions and antagonists.
The visuals and animation of the film have been often endorsed as the commendable part of the movie. Each of the elements is well designed and crafted from the nature drenched and rambling buildings present in the spirit’s realm to an array of character designs that encompass even the simplest of spirits. To enhance this level of engagement, he also animates those boring everyday things, such as Chihiro wiggling to fit into her shoes or being coy to walk through doors, which makes her story even easier to relate to any audience.
Themes and Legacy
The key elements of the animated movie “Spirited Away” are issues of consumerism, identity construction, and environmental protection. The pigification of Chihiro’s mother and father shapes these anthropocentric attributes as excessive consumption, when the spirit of the river is bathed and cleaned implies the destruction that people cause to the environment, and the healing power of the nature itself.
Another thing that makes this film a very touching ‘Japanese’ feature is the idea of loss and the reclaiming of the same, as it speaks of names as a form of belonging, history and relation. The events of “Spirited Away” actually regard to the search for both Chihiro’s lost parents and her lost self.
“Spirited Away” has been of great influence to many filmmakers and storytellers, the film’s commercial sales tell us it’s the highest grossing Japanese film of all time. The movie now alongside then serves as a critique against materialism alongside nurturing ethics of childhood wonder and brilliance. Additionally, its ability to portray nuanced emotions without resorting to clichés has inspired countless works in both animation and live-action filmmaking.
Conclusion
To gaze Spirted Away is experiencing tsunamis of emotions, as such it isn’t merely an animated spark as it forges into a world that is pure and full of mystery. Chihiro, standing at the aloofness of being a frightened girl and emerging as a steadfast hero one is reminded of the ethics of kindness, perseverance and amends accompanied: when change comes to knock on the doors. The once cherished movie now serves as a legacy with the hope of moving future generations to come. So, be it your first or tenth episode the movie tackles love, courage and self recognition all together.
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