Yet another timeless Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (2 September 2001)

Yet another timeless masterpiece from Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. Though it shares certain similarities with his other work, it is still a very much unique and new vision. The substance, as usual, is quite profound, having to do with finding one's freedom through pure-heartedness. Of course there is no preaching, things just happen like they do in life.
Except the world is fantastical with all manner of strange creatures. But the world never feels artificial or silly. It has a marvelous technological consistency like the Castle Cagliostro in Miyazaki's Lupan film. The creatures, though oftimes crazy or hilarious also have an uncanny realism to them. Alltogether this creates a sort of spellbinding effect, as one is witnessing something very new and bizzare, yet so real at the same time.
Unlike the epic/tragic tone of Mononoke Hime, this movie's tone is basically comic, though I might add it is comic in the Shakespearean sense e.g. intensely serious at the same time. But it is not full of war and death like Mononoke Hime.
I won't spoil anything by talking about the plot and I cannot think of anything else to compare it to. It is unique. Someone above mentioned Alice in Wonderland, and I suppose there are a few similarities, though overall I find it a superior work of art to Lewis Carroll's story.
My only dissapointment was with the music. I thought Joe Hisaishi's music for Mononoke Hime was really tremendous. It haunted you long after the film ended. Indeed, I thought it one of the greatest film scores of all time. The music for Sen To Chiro is not bad at all and does not detract from the film in any way, but except for a few inspired moments (like the closing credit folk tune--wonderfully simple yet effective) it might as well not been there. I noticed one of the main themes was a variation on the main Mononoke Hime theme. I wonder if there is a central musical motif he variates for all the Miyazaki films?
The audience at my showing had little children aged 4 to 5 years all the way to grandparents of the 80+ variety. One and all they sat rapt and spellbound the entire 2hours and 20 minutes. Rarely have I seen such focused wonder from a movie audience. I think it is a testament to Miyazaki's master artistic status. He delivers word, story and image so powerfully and directly that one just gapes in wonder. To my mind, that exemplifies what cinema should be. How lucky Japan is to have such a great master and to so embrace him! Sen to Chiro will likely break all the attendance records in Japanese Cinema, currently held by Mononoke Hime and Titanic.
I really hope this film gets a good release in the US in Japanese with accurate English subtitles. His films do not work well in English!! Especially the dumbed down and cliched translation Mononoke Hime got. But even translation aside, Miyazaki's films have a Japanese soul that is all out of kilter with English. Crouching Tiger was a huge hit in Mandarin. Let Sen To Chiro be heard in Japanese!