HTF REVIEW: Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) (with screenshots) (1 Viewer)

[Alex_Santos]

Well, now that the master of anime has spoken, I guess Ive been put into my place. I didnt know you wrote the script and knew all the details about the movie. Forgive me sir, im so sorry. Wait, on second thought, you really dont have any idea about what messages were trying to be conveyed during the movie. Your just giving your opinion, just like im giving mine so don't give me your high and mighty comments about the points im making. Your comments don't help, they only seek to degrade me and even after attempting an apology, you went ahead and shot my comments down again:

"If this is true, then you either have to just give up on watching subtitled films or you need to get better at watching them. It takes a while to watch a movie, read subtitles, and have it make sense, but the original language's script usually makes more sense than the dub script."

Way to go chief, you really made your point with that one. I guess Ill give up anime from now on. You sure showed me that I really dont know how to read lines on the bottom of a screen. Thats it for sure. Maybe I can come over and we can watch them together. And maybe you can point out all your good points to me so that I can learn to watch movies the right way. I wouldn't want to be branded as a thinker if I form my own opinions. No, definately not.

As far as the movie goes, all you've done is show how shortsighted your views are. All you assume is that the details are as they are presented. What if it isn't meant to be? What if the director wants us to ask questions and seek information from their story? How do you know that the pigs weren't parents? How do you know that she wasn't the only girl to try and get out? Why doesn't the history of the bathhouse have relevence? Why doesn't who created the bathhouse have importance as it relates to the story?
How can you assert that these details aren't important to the film. You can't, yet you assume so, and therefore shoot down my opinions. You only know whats presented in front of you, and that may or may not be the whole truth. And when you shoot down people who are trying to ask the questions that seek answers from the other view, it just makes your points obselete and unobservent. And do me a favor, stop trying to make a point that a bathhouse is for relaxing. I get it, ok. But in the word bathhouse, you get bath, which relates to clenliness. Just wanted to make that point.

 

[Thomas Newton]

In the story they say the the themepark was built but abandoned

I think it's safe to say that, despite the mother's recognition of the shrines, the parents are clueless with respect to the spirit world.

Note, too, that they say this before there's any indication that they have actually crossed over into the spirit world. There's no inherent reason why abandoned buildings on one side must manifest as abandoned buildings on the other; the spirit bathhouse certainly wasn't operating as an active business on the human side.

 

[Thomas Newton]

Maybe there were no other escape attempts. Maybe this girl was the only one (or only one in a long time) to accomplish everything she did.

Maybe this one was the only one who spoke to the boy, and who thus knew to go and ask for work and to keep asking no matter what.

Without a job ... join your parents as a piglet today, and join the spirits as baby back ribs when they get hungry!

 

[Morgan Jolley]

And do me a favor, stop trying to make a point that a bathhouse is for relaxing. I get it, ok. But in the word bathhouse, you get bath, which relates to clenliness. Just wanted to make that point

Point taken. Either way, whatever the purpose, the gods are at the bathhouse to take baths. Whether its for cleanliness or relaxation doesn't really matter.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

But in the word bathhouse, you get bath, which relates to clenliness

Actually cleaning oneself and getting in the baths are 2 different things, as you are not permitted in the waters until after you have bathed (traditionally on a sitting on a stool with a washrag and a bucket of hot water, but probably today more often done with a shower)

Just a little FYI

 

[Steve Y]

Wow... none of this even occured to me... maybe this movie only strikes a strong chord with those who approach the film like a child, or those who have that capability... all this strikes me as picking apart the inconsistencies in little red riding hood (why didn't the wolf just eat LRRH in the woods? why didn't she run away when she sees the wolf who is obviously not her grandmother? in the original story, how does the woodsman just HAPPEN to be in the right place at the right time?)

For me, Spirited Away moved along with the consistency of an epic, involving dream. I didn't even think to question the "why".. the technical, "engineer's explanation" for the happenings and the mystery of the strange world... (nor did I want to)

And THANK YOU THANK YOU to all who explained the alternate angle bug. I think that the JL intro is probably the culprit (what is it with Disney and these forced introductions on their animation?).. but it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy to know that the original titles are there.

~s

 

[Todd Schnell]

Thanks for the review Ron. I do enjoy good anime. This was a blind purchase for me after missing it in theaters.

I only viewed the dubbed version of the movie thus far so my near 6 year old could watch it with me & I just wasn't up for reading the whole movie to him.
He has watched it 3 more times since so I would say he liked it. I almost without exception prefer anime in its original language with subs. Still looking forward to viewing this one as such.

Regardless of that I really enjoyed Spirited Away. It is a beautiful film that took me to another place.
I'm thinking Wizard of Oz, & Alice In Wonderland here.
Miyazaki has some imagination!

Todd

 

[Damin J Toell]

And THANK YOU THANK YOU to all who explained the alternate angle bug. I think that the JL intro is probably the culprit (what is it with Disney and these forced introductions on their animation?).. but it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy to know that the original titles are there.

It has nothing to do with the intro. Disney generally encodes titles in other languages as alternate angles.

DJ

 

[Richard Kim]

It has nothing to do with the intro. Disney generally encodes titles in other languages as alternate angles.

Yes, but Spirited Away is the only title that plays the English credits when the Japanese soundtrack is chosen. None of the other Buena Vista Ghibli titles has this problem. And I do think that Lassiter's into is causing the problem, since the Japanese credits play when the into does not precede the movie.

 

[EricW]

i've got a Pioneer 333 and get the japanese titles / no intro when the japanese audio is selected.

what's interesting is when i put in Castle in the Sky and select the japanese audio, i get the japanese titles but i still get the Lasseter intro at least it's skippable.

anyways, thanks for the heads up; usually i'm lazy and skip the setup screen and switch audios when i'm into the movie

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Lassetter's intro has nothing to do with the problem. The problem is an error in authoring

 

[Dome Vongvises]

I recently watched "Blue" and it took a fair bit of the movie for me to settle in to the cues being provided for what was going on during all those no-dialog shots when you have to read Binoche's face to know what she's experiencing. It has to be a very worthwhile movie to make it worth that kind of effort.

Please don't ruin this thread by mentioning Blue. Shudder.....

 

[TheLongshot]

Funny, this conversation reminds me of one I had with one of my bosses about "Princess Mononoke". He was rather annoyed that none of the whole "spirit" stuff was explained.

I don't really understand the whole reason why people want this explained to them. I mean, this is all fantasy. It is there because it is, because that's the way this world looks. In this one, spirits go on vacation to bathhouses to be pampered, but that's not really important to this story, which is about Chihiro growing up and taking responsibility for things, to be a better person. Also, to not fear new situations, which is what she's whining about in the begining of the movie. The rest is just a setpiece for all this, a alien situation that Chihiro has to learn her way around.

I wonder, do people also react this way to "Alice In Wonderland"? Basically similar to this movie.

Jason

 

[Don]

ok how about Two Movies one to explain it. and in this case drawings are already there. and one to watch and enjoy. Don,

 

[Jonny P]

I purchased this DVD having never seen a film that was "anime" (call me uncultured...)

I thought the animation was very good. It was like seeing the characters walking around in photo-realistic paintings. The scene I thought was particularly stunning was when Chihiro and the boy were walking through a field of flowers.

I did think the movie was strange, however. I know that there are people who like that sort of thing. I am sure my animation experiences have been too "Disney-fied", but I just really felt it to be a movie inappropriate for today's kids that have been raised on "Lilo & Stitch" and "Toy Story."

I get the feeling that "look" is a big part of the appeal in these films. I agree that the little vignettes that make up the movie are quite beautiful and quite compelling. I would imagine that the equipment that some of you have would make a movie like this look like a veritable palette on screen.

It looks fine on my 27" Sharp TV.

I feel that the Academy Award was giving to honor an individual whose films have been very influential both in animation and in other fantasy films.

Is it the best of last year?

It was compelling. It was interesting. The visuals were fascinating. It was strange and at times somewhat vague, but I was intrigued the entire way. I can safely say that I have seen nothing like it before.

I don't know that it was my favorite, but I am not really sure that any of the nominees were particularly strong.

Movies generally have cultural influences and cultural appeal. Pop culture references have become quite prominent in the world of animated cinema. Part of their popularity is due to culture specific humor and reference -- see Toy Story, Shrek, Monsters Inc., etc.

This movie lacked two things that moviegoers in the U.S. have come to love in animation -- humor and musical numbers. Since "The Little Mermaid", those factors have been important in the popularity of animated films in the United States.

The fact that "Spirited Away" is a more serious and melancholy movie means that the cultural appeal may not extend beyond fans of anime or serious animation afficianados. That doesn't mean that it isn't good, it means that the audience is more of a niche.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

On RottenTomatoes.com Spirited Away had only 2 or 3 negative reviews out of around 120. None of the other nominees had anywhere near that many positive reviews. That's why it got the Oscar.

 

[Joseph Young]

It has nothing to do with the intro. Disney generally encodes titles in other languages as alternate angles.

It may have nothing to do with the intro, but those of us already familiar with the alternate angle titles for Mononoke were surprised when selecting the Japanese track didn't summon the Japanese titles as expected. I've seen this title on several different make/model players and experienced the same 'glitch.' But don't get me wrong, I'm not demanding a recall or anything.

I've read a lot of the very creative criticism of Spirited Away on this thread... I know this sounds kind of corny, but sometimes you have to experience art with your heart and not your head.

~j

 

[Brent Hutto]

The fact that "Spirited Away" is a more serious and melancholy movie means that the cultural appeal may not extend beyond fans of anime or serious animation afficianados.

I'll grant you that it's somewhat serious. But I can't see where melancholy applies. The ending was every bit as happy as your typical Disney cartoon for kids. Everyone was much better off at the end than they were at the beginning, except for Chihiro's parents who were pretty much the same.

 

[Malcolm R]

Finally got to watch Spirited Away tonight, my first experience with a Studio Ghibli film (and anime in general). What an amazing film!

I had no real issues with anything not being "explained" enough. So it's a spirit world with the action centered around a bathhouse frequented by the spirits. OK by me. I don't need any analysis, that's just the way it is.

I do have to admit that I watched the English dub. :b I wanted to be able to concentrate on the visuals rather than splitting time between the subtitles and the scenery. And there were some significant changes (like the little song as the no-face monster comes up the stairs and is still just passing out gold) as I did flip on the subs a couple times to see if they were the same. I do look forward to re-watching it again in the OSL.

I am also sooo looking forward to the other three Ghibli films I just picked up.

 

[Richard Kim]

This movie lacked two things that moviegoers in the U.S. have come to love in animation -- humor and musical numbers.

There were some pretty funny scenes that the audience I watched it with last year laughed heartily at. For example, Chihiro's encounter with the little soot creatures, and the antics of the baby transformed into a rodent and the little bird.