A dreamlike film that taps into our collective unconsciousness

Rating: 10/10 (11 May 2003)

Every so often, I see a movie that isn't content to entertain me. It doesn't want to be a passing bit of fluff that I'll forget within a week. No, it wants to crawl inside my head and stir up images, words, and concepts that I never knew were there. It wants me to think, and think hard. It wants to challenge those things I hold as ultimate virtues. "Spirited Away" is such a movie.
Fifteen minutes into the movie, I knew I was watching something unforgettable. A half hour in, I was completely lost in this world, completely enchanted by the things I was seeing. After the film was over, I staggered out of the theater in a daze, my mind trying to sort out the experience I'd just been through. It wasn't easy. There was so much symbolism and detail that I knew this was going to be one of my favorite films of all time. Rarely had I been as challenged by any film, animated or otherwise, as I was by this one.
I won't recap the plot, since doing so is a gross oversimplification, and the film's power isn't in the storyline anyway. It's in the mood, the tone, the feelings that you have as you watch Chihiro discover hidden virtues within herself.
For those who still haven't seen this movie, be forewarned that while this movie is indeed a masterpiece, it requires concentration and an open mind to fully grasp its power. But is the personal effort worth it? A hundred times over, yes.