A Creative Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (16 February 2006)

I think what the director has successfully done here for the first time since Lewis Carrol is that he created a true dream world. As friend pointed out to me, when you're having a dream, everything makes sense in the moment. Of course soot balls would come to life and bounce around, of course ten foot babies would turn into mice and witches into birds... Its only when you wake up that you realize the dream world's disruption of logic. And when you've waken up, your memory is shaken. While you feel the full effects of the fantasy, the sequence of events disappear as rapidly as you wake.
In Spirited Away, we can finally remember those dreams.
This film is full of vibrant colors and is rich in Japan's mythical history (all of the 'spirits' in the movie exist in Japanese storytelling). The score further takes you away from the real world, back to your childhood, into your most delightful and disturbing of dreams. The love story is underdeveloped in a tasteful but mysterious way.
From the beginning we identify with the heroine, Chihiro. From her grumpy moods and stubborn demeanor, to the smallest details in her movement and expressions remind us of our awkward childhood years. She is lonely, she is brave, she is loving and kind- the picture of innocent youth.
When the movie ends, you want there to be more, you don't want the dream to end. This director has captured something very precious on film, and it truly is a work of art to watch.