This is the Godfather of Animated Features

Rating: 10/10 (10 July 2010)

Up and till now I've never been much of an 'anime' fan. I didn't even know the name Hayao Miyazaki. But after reading the compliments given to his movie Spirited Away I had to check it out. And I have to say I was really surprised in how much I enjoyed this film. I can understand why it was such a big hit at the 2002 Oscars. This has got to be one the greatest animated films ever made. It's wonderfully imaginative and visual dazzling. It's a masterpiece in animation that is destined to be called a classic.
I found myself taken in by the adorably helpless little girl Chihiro who must obtain the courage that she thought she never had in order to survive the strange but fabulous world of spirits and gods. In her time in the alternate reality she comes across unique delectable characters, faces many challenges, and uncovers things about her past that she had forgotten. It's a fantastically enchanting story and if that's not good enough it's packed full of themes that can attract even the most small-mined of people, like for example the coming of age plot line. Chihiro was a spoiled and somewhat selfish little girl when we first met her, as a lot of kids are now a days. Then she stumbles into another world where she makes her transformation from childhood to adulthood. She learned courage in which she learnt independence, respect and assurance. That's just one of the many things themes that Hayao talked about and one of the many reasons why I loved this movie. Hayao also concerns the ecology of modern Japan. When we first enter the next world it's a vast and beautiful landscape, it seemed to me like a depiction of the traditional Japan that had been forgotten and replaced with something like New York City or Tokyo, that's what it felt like when darkness came. There was also an indication of pollution in the scene with the River God and the bathhouse. And I loved that because not only is this happening in Japan but it's also happening around the world, and the fact that Hayao expressed in such a creative and fun way makes it even more appealing. He also sets a very good example for the future generations of kids, maybe this movie will be the encouragement that cleans up this world.
One thing that has been specifically noted about this movie apart from it's themes is it's unique animation techniques and artistic style. Truthfully I rather enjoyed the animation in this movie much more than I have in any other animated feature. At times I found the images to be a bit scary and disturbing, but they're just minor distractions from it's true, unique beauty that is so wonderful to watch. The fascinating thing was how Miyazaki incorporated those two very different lines so well. In one scene you can have Chirhiro and Haku falling through a timeless, star-filled sky, and then in another scene you can have Haku spiting up blood and Chihiro trying to restrain him. It's as if these two opposites exist in perfect harmony, creating not only something to look at, but to think about and that's something that's not easy to pull off.
Hayao Miyazaki has touched me in so many ways with his brilliantly thematic, charmingly beautiful, and visually stunning movie, Spirited Away. It's a one in a million movies.