Spirited Away (Animated) (DVD)

...storyboard
..'The Making of Spirited Away' Nippon TV special
..Japanese trailers and TV spots (with English subtitles)
..Trailers
..Interactive menu
..Scene Access
..Voice talent featurette
..Meet Hayao Miyazaki

-amazon
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DVD - 7.97 for same format as above

DVD - new and used from 4.09

DVD - available for rental

-HMV....
...same features as 5.99 from Play.com


SUMMARY
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For anyone who loves films and enjoys animation, this is a treat and the 5.99 from Play.com with all the special features looks an absolute bargain. Animated films do not come much better than this - a production that will appeal as much to adults as to children. In terms of durability, I have enjoyed this as much if not more, during the ... more

INTRODUCTORY DETAILS
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This is a review of the FILM only.

Alternative title.... 'Sen to Chihiro no kamikakakushi'

Length.... 119 minutes
Rating.... PG (although I think this is maybe a little over cautious)
Genre.... Japanese Animation - anime style
.... Family fantasy
Language.... English
Japanese with English subtitles
Format.... Widescreen
Original Release.... 2001

PRINCIPALS
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Original story and screenplay.... HAYAO MIYAZAKI
Direction.... HAYAO MIYAZAKI
Original Soundtrack....JOE HISAISHI

PLOT OUTLINE
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'Spirited Away' follows the story of a little Japanese girl called Chihiro and begins with her travelling to the new family home with her mother and father. A wrong turn finds the family at a dead end where they are faced by a building in the woods. The parents are intrigued and decide to follow the tunnel which runs through the structure. During the opening sequence in the car, Chihiro has revealed herself to be awkward and fearful about moving house and, in character, she is scared to enter the tunnel.

Afraid to wait in the car while her parents explore, Chihiro joins them as they discover what appears to be an abandoned theme park. The two adults come across a food stall and cannot resist temptaion, so duly gorge themselves. The reluctant and sensitive Chihiro declines to join them and wanders off, only to find on her return that her mother and father have been transformed in to pigs. During her ensuing panic, the little girl encounters a boy named Haku, who tells her that she is now in a world inhabited by spirits. The only way she will be able to help her parents and for all three of them to return to their world is to get Yubaba, the witch, to reverse the spell. Humans are unwelcome in the spirit world and for Chihiro to gain freedom for herself and her parents, she will have to work in Yubaba's bath house.

The story unfolds with Chihiro gaining employment in the said bath house with the help of Chichiyaku, the boiler man, Haku and Lin, one of the domestics. Her presence and subsequent exploits in the bath house bring both praise from, and confrontation with Yubaba. The little girl also develops a friendship with the troubled boy, Haku, who also takes the form of a dragon. The film reaches a climax as Chihiro tries to save her parents from being served on the bath house dinner table, and help Haku to find out his true identity, all the while engaging in a battle of wills with various spirits and, above all, Yabuba. Will she succeed and take her family back to the safety of the 'real' world? Will Haku find his true identity and therefore peace? Her quest to achieve these goals leads her to varoius encounters with mysterious characters and a journey in which she learns more about herself.

OPINION
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It would be misleading for me to voice an opinion on Miyazaki in relation to his other projects, as I have not seen them. He is however an internationally renowned film maker and animator, whose films are actually endorsed by the Disney Corporation which is surely a recommendation, and a pointer to the perceived quality of his films. 'Spirited Away' has received such critical acclaim that it must be widely regarded as a truly outstanding film even by Miyazaki's standards.

-The story....
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This seems to be a story about growth, development and discovery. Chihiro's chance to help her parents (and herself) - the people upon whom she is so dependant - is to learn independence. Likewise, to help herself, she has to learn to help others. This is handled with subtlety, when it could have been done in such a hamfisted way. One of the many joys of the film is the way Chihiro copes with her situation and blossoms as a character through her experiences. For example she has to be reminded to thank Chichiyaku for his help at the beginning, but further on in the tale she is willing to put herself at risk to defend Haku. The writing for Chihiro's character is wonderful in this respect and you always have empathy for a very engaging lead character. The balance between the fearful little girl and the determind heroine is perfect.

For those who like to avoid sentimentality, 'Spirited Away' is perfectly pitched for the most part, though towards the end of the film there is more emotion of this nature. This isn't however a fault but a natural development of the story, and it is never handled with the sledgehammer style of Disney. It certainly does not strive to achieve the level of humour associated with a Disney production - there is some humour but it is far more understated.

The story does require concerntration, even for adults, as such imagination is used that anything less than full attention to the film could easily mean some confusion and detract from the experience as a whole. The premise is pretty straightforward but handled in a very original manner and the journey through to the conclusion is not predictable and linear. The more you put in to this film, the more that you will glean from it in terms of enjoyment and satisfaction.

- the characters....
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Chihiro has already been discussed, but all the main characters are all well defined. Haku, as both boy and dragon, is suitably ambiguous so as to keep you guessing as to his true nature and motivations. Lin is another well-drawn figure (no pun intended), originally impatient with having been burdened with the little girl but unltimately compassionate. The villain of the piece, Yubaba, is suitably evil, selfish and mercenary but also displays fear and weakness. There is no sense of purely two dimensional characterisations with the principal figures having enough depth to reveal conflicting traits. In fact, the ambiguity extends to the lesser characters as well (exemplified by 'no face' and the 'river spirit') and this enriches the tale.

- the animation and artwork....
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On the whole, this is exquisite, particularly with reference to the backgrounds. With this in mind, Chihiro's first visit to Yubaba's quarters on the top floor is one sequence of several that truly stand out as being as on a par with any animation I have seen. There is a great appreciation of perspective which gives the scenes a wonderful scale * and you get the sense of an expansive environment. Enhancing this feel are superior lighting effects and attention to detail.

* (though not to the magnitude of the visually stunning anime 'Metropolis' by Osamu Tezuka 2001)

The conception and visualisation of the main characters is excellent. Part of the heroine's appeal is in the design. She can best be described as very cute, but not in a sickly way and the expressions she produces are very well done. But one possible flaw with the film, is the discrepancies in the styles of the different charcters. On the one hand it makes the film interesting, but on the other hand it is a little disconcerting. For example, Chichiyaku is a great creation, conceived with imagination and executed in a way that is delightful, but there is a bland conformity and far less detail about many of the supporting characters (the spirits and the bath house workers). Maybe this is a ploy so as not to distract from the main protagonists, and as so much is going on in many of the scenes, it is perhaps a sensible option. A further explanation could be that these uniform characteristics have a grounding in Japanese folklore and tradition. I am certainly not in a position to know and in the context of 'Spirited Away' this is a very minor quibble, with what is a beautifully filmed story.

Mention should be given to the action sequences. These are not as prevalent in 'Spirited Away' as in other animations, but they have been done expertly - the movement is very smooth. However, anyone seeking an action filled, slapstick cartoon, will probably find 'Spirited Away' somewhat tedious.

The animation has rightly been lauded since the film's release and it has to be said that, while the standard is generally very high throughout, complacency may creep in for the viewer. This will be very short lived as there is always a stunning scene to quickly remind the audience of the great quality of the production. Having said earlier that the visuals in Metropolis are more impressive in parts, the feel of this story is far more engaging and much of this is achieved through the artwork and animation. As with the storyline, the more attention you pay to the artwork, the more you will enjoy the experience. I was left with the distinct impression that this is a film that was more than just a commercial production, but a labour of love for Miyazaki, such is the overall quality.

- soundtrack and sound effects....
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Although by no means the most notable assets of the production, the importance of the sound should not be dismissed out of hand. I watched the English dubbed version and the voices (American) are entirely appropriate. In addition, the sound effects reinforce the strength of the visuals and a nice touch is the echo put on to the voices and sound effects to portray internal scenes.

As for the music, the main theme is a gentle piano and woodwind composition, while the rest of the incidental music ranges from a European classical style to that which is more traditionally Japanese. On the whole this is perfectly adequate and pleasantly compliments the visuals, but there is nothing particularly exceptional.

- recommendations from the experts....
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"One of the greatest animated films I have ever seen" - Film 2003

"Wildly Imaginative Masterpiece" - Maxim

"A Magical Experience" - Empire

"It will take your breath away" - The Times

- awards....
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Winner of the 2003 Oscar for 'Best Animated Feature'

PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
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-play.com.... ~BEST PRICE~
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DVD - 5.99

includes..
..full feature storyboard
..'The Making of Spirited Away' Nippon TV special
..Japanese trailers and TV spots (with English subtitles)
..Trailers
..Interactive menu
..Scene Access
..Voice talent featurette
..Meet Hayao Miyazaki

-amazon
````````````
DVD - 7.97 for same format as above

DVD - new and used from 4.09

DVD - available for rental

-HMV....
``````````
DVD - 17.99 for double disc but same features as 5.99 from Play.com

SUMMARY
''''''''''''''''''''''
For anyone who loves films and enjoys animation, this is a treat and the 5.99 from Play.com with all the special features looks an absolute bargain. Animated films do not come much better than this - a production that will appeal as much to adults as to children. In terms of durability, I have enjoyed this as much if not more, during the repeat viewings. To balance this however, if action, comedy and slapstick are more to your taste with animation, I would not recommend this as something you would necessarily enjoy. 

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