Benjamin
Charles Maydon
Review
Film: Spirited Away
Director: Hayao
Miyazaki
[From Platform,
Volume 12 Issue 3, October 20 2003]
I had heard friends talk of Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki’s films
being fantastic and unmissable but, being the cynic that I am, I doubted every
word. However, after seeing Spirited Away,
I can see exactly why.
A girl, Chihiro, is catapulted into a strange spirit world completely
against her will. She then finds herself being pursued around a
quintessentially Japanese bath-house by angry, inhuman beings, while the only
clue she has about what to do is a set of very specific instructions from a boy
named Haku.
Thus begins one of the most engaging and entertaining films I have ever
experienced.
The genuinely interesting plot winds its way around so many different
settings, places, happenings and characters that you cannot imagine what will
happen next – and that’s no exaggeration. Miyazaki has created an entirely new
world here, and none of it seems intended to be predictable. I do not doubt
that, with a full cinema, the film would incite more than a few gasps of shock
or sighs of relief as things become clear.
And for once, the animé fits
perfectly. Of course, it’s not the most luxurious animation of all time, but
the visualisations are top-quality; just take a look at the beasts and spirits.
The way these characters look and move is smooth and seamless. And the
translation, aided by competent acting from a cast of unknown (but very
talented) vocal actors, conveys the story perfectly and with genuine emotion,
without deviating too much from the original Japanese.
This film is almost the perfect example of what film should be.
There’s action, adventure and humour intertwined with bizarre, outlandish
mysticism. The variety is so prominent in the characters and locations that
your mind will hardly be able to cope, yet you won’t want it to end. Amongst
all other things, this film has been polished, repeatedly, until it shines.
Let Miyazaki draw you into his freaky, but absolutely wonderful,
world. Become engrossed, love the experience, and then, if you have nothing
else to do... see it again.
Text & Site © Benjamin Charles Maydon
2011