Miyazaki's Magical Masterpiece Is The Irrefutable Pinnacle Of Animation

Rating: Null/10 (9 August 2015)

I have never experienced a film that had such a spectacular sense of imagination as Spirited Away. To my knowledge this picture is entirely original (although inspiration can be sourced to aspects of Japanese culture) and, for a picture as perfectly crafted as this, that has to be celebrated.
Spirited Away follows ten year-old Chihiro as she and her parents are moving to a new home. On the way they come across an abandoned amusement park and find themselves thrown into the spirit world. With her parents literally turned into pigs and trapped in a world she does not understand Chihiro must navigate a bathhouse of spirits, its devious owner Ubaba and the enigmatic no-face if she wishes to save her parents and return home.
The film can be analyzed endlessly but what makes it great can be boiled down to three key elements.
The first of which is the mythology that Miyazaki creates. Setting the film in a bathhouse not only helps visualize the unpleasantness of Chihiro's trials but also gives an interesting view of the creatures of the spirit world. They may be threatening outside but seeing them relaxing, eating and in their bathrobes creates a disarming view on them, giving them more of a personality.
In addition to this there are so many creative concepts in this movie that it would be impossible to list them all. A train that runs across an endless ocean, the half-spider boiler-man Kamaji, signing a contract means to sign away your name and eating too much will turn you into a massive pig (literally) – just to name a few. What makes the world feel so real is the lack of explanation. You never truly know why Ubaba and Zeneba are twin sisters in appearance and so different in personality or who the figures on the train are; Miyazaki knows that the exposition would ruin the pace of the story so gives the audience just enough explication and just enough implication to work. Suffice to say, he gets it perfect.
The second success is the atmosphere. As I have already said, the world is fascinating but it truly enters the world of mythology when the visual flair kicks in. The darkened entrance to the park sets the tone but it is when Chihiro runs to the edge of the park and sees the distant lights of a barge full of spirits that the film becomes something beautiful. The balance between genuinely frightening and comforting is maintained brilliantly but all gives way to an overwhelming sense of mysticism. The whole film feels like it is taking you on a series of emotions; from anxiety to fear to inspiration to awe to the perfect bittersweet ending.
I cannot even begin to describe the stunning design and animation, so I won't. All I will say is that it has been 14 years since Spirited Away came out and no film has managed to match its animations and designs.
The final and possibly most fundamental thing that this film does so well is the main character. Chihiro is a brilliant example of a child character. At first she is petulant, whining about moving, complaining about her flowers dying and clinging to her mother. Although this deliberately sets her up as a petulant child it is not graining – she is a child in a situation where children are unhappy. However, throughout her journey in the story, she grows into a mature adult. Not only is this done literally with her getting a job but in the symbolic bathhouse – hearkening to baptism and rebirth in water. What makes her so likable is her willingness and determination. Very rarely does she refuse work and is always willing to give over her rewards to her friends and even her enemies. She is a remarkably kind-hearted character and the traditional coming of age story is so well done that it feels as if you're watching it for the first time.
There is a scene in which Chihiro rides on a train for about two to three minutes that sums up the film brilliantly. It's stunningly beautiful, eerie, fascinating and almost mythical. Although you can analyze the implications of Chihiro riding a train as her becoming an adult, a sign of her confidence that she has gained throughout her journey. Perhaps it can be seen as a representation of the hollowness of adulthood and, inversely the joyous imagination of childhood.
There is an undeniable mysticism that compels us to watch and entices analysis of Spirited Away. However you see this film it is hard to deny Miyazaki this remarkable masterpiece.