Plot Summary – In this animated feature by noted Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki, 10-year-old Chihiro (Rumi Hiiragi) and her parents (Takashi Naitô, Yasuko Sawaguchi) stumble upon a seemingly abandoned amusement park. After her mother and father are turned into giant pigs, Chihiro meets the mysterious Haku (Miyu Irino), who explains that the park is a resort for supernatural beings who need a break from their time spent in the earthly realm, and that she must work there to free herself and her parents.

Language – Japanese

★★★★½ 

Watched 01 Mar, 2021

The thought of having to review this film was so intimidating because how can I even begin to put into words what this film achieves in its 125-minute runtime. Every new Studio Ghibli film I watch, I am convinced that this is the peak and yet, every time I am blown away. Spirited Away is one of the most technically impressive films I’ve ever watched. The animation is unlike anything I’ve seen outside of Miyazaki’s work where every frame is an intricate watercolour painting of magnificent weight and beauty. Each character is designed in such a unique way and every expression has so much depth and weight behind it. Everything from the scenery to the food is so immersive and I feel like I’m in this beautiful universe. I could watch this film in mute and just marvel at the mere beauty of each scene. Speaking of sound, the music in this film is simply phenomenal. The score is not anything complex or orchestral, a simple piano-based score with a very minimalist range of sound still makes for some of the best film music I’ve ever heard. I loved how it made me feel and I’ll be listening to this soundtrack for days to come. I am not a native Japanese speaker but as far as I could tell, the voice acting was superb as each character had a distinct tone and personality. The story in itself was one of the only flaws for me, it takes a long time to pickup and the narrative thread is a bit lost at some parts. The symbolism and allegories to industrial Japan and capitalism were certainly not lost on me and I love how it manages to make an important statement on such issues without making it the central focus of the film. Miyazaki is a mastermind of filmmaking and this another display of his technical prowess. I highly recommend Spirited Away!