Hayao Miyazaki is the author and director of the animated film Spirited Away in 2001. Chihiro's family is traveling to the new town where they will live; on the way, Dad makes a wrong turn and ends up at the opening of a tunnel that leads out into a valley over several houses. Chihiro is a 10-year-old girl. Intrigued, Father and Mother ignore Chihiro's caution and set out to explore the location they have discovered. Chihiro has a horrible feeling about it.
They travel by a river whose bed is dry before arriving in a town with several restaurants. As they sit down to eat, the young girl meets Haku, a boy who tells her to leave immediately. Chihiro goes to her parents out of fear only to find that they have changed into pigs and that the river is rushing, making it impossible for her to escape.
She becomes aware that she is fading into invisibility, but Haku decides to help her by getting her recruited as Sen by Yubaba, the strong witch in charge of the entire village, who used this trick (robbing her of her own identity) to prevent anyone from escaping.
Chihiro, an errant and spoiled young girl who works in the enchanted city, meets fantastic and magical creatures and learns the value of love, friendship, and solidarity while navigating the challenges and decisions she must make as an adult while attempting to return home without losing sight of who she is.
Spirited Away, which Hayao Miyazaki created, is the ideal illustration of how animation is the correct tool to go beyond, to take a step further through the tangible, to succeed in telling reality itself from a different perspective. By weaving a complex and captivating story along with visually stunning imagery that is unmatched by any other animated work, Miyazaki escapes from the actual world to tell it even more deeply through his poetics, which are so singular and personal. The fundamental skill that has made Miyazaki one of the most influential filmmakers in film history is his capacity for layering; he can create a story that can stand on various narrative and emotional planes that, in turn, manage to both intertwine and unite in a film union that flows perfectly, as well as to remain independent and be deciphered by those with the ability to intercept them.
This movie is without a doubt one of the best animation films ever produced; with its vibrant colors and meticulous attention to every detail, there is not a single segment that is not amazing. Beautiful photos of abandoned structures, hills, and rocks may be seen early on, but once Chihiro has stepped into the spirit world, the images become even more captivating.
Miyazaki's movies are so adored and captivating because they are immersive and real-feeling. And this occurs as a result of his attention to detail: when No-Face loses control, every single person in the crowd is distinct and not computer-generated like it is in other cartoons. In addition, even when they are not in the center of the frame, background characters have the same number of keyframes as those in the foreground. The enchantment of the movie is further enhanced by subtle neorealist details like dirt underfoot, chopsticks that break when bumped, or a zipper that catches the sunlight.
Characters are given a distinct vitality, and the music enhances the meaningful narrative with lovely melodies. From Chihiro's initial appearance, we see a kind of development in the young girl as she learns to sacrifice for a goal that is significant to her in life.
And talking about music, Joe Hisaishi's notes give each scene in the movie the much-needed vitality, sliding effortlessly between its contrasts while retaining flawless stylistic coherence. Exaltation, melancholy, tragedy, danger, and mysticism are all present. The tone of the movie is based on the image of Chihiro leaving behind her trip in the spirit realm with melancholy and the realization that nothing will ever be the same until, near the end, it all melts away into the pleasant melody of One Summer's Day. How many degrees of complexity can a compelling soundtrack give a narrative? It goes on forever, immersing you fully in the universe Miyazaki has made.
Spirited Away is a real classic for everyone, guaranteed to rank among the best examples of film animation ever for both artistic sophistication and content thanks to Joe Hisaishi's everlasting music and Miyazaki's amazing story and animations.
For sure one of my favorite movies, and a must-watch for everyone.
My personal vote is:
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