Spirited Away: A Masterpiece of Generosity and Love

Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki  

Starring: Rumi Hiiragi, Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki, Bunta Sugawara, Akio Nakamura

**Rating:** ★★★★★

Viewing Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" for the third time, I was struck by a profound quality between generosity and love that permeates the film. On my earlier viewings, I was captivated by the boundless imagination of the story. This time, I began to focus on the elements in the picture that didn't need to be there but were included anyway. Animation is a painstaking process, often simplified to reduce effort. Miyazaki, however, embraces complexity, enriching his backgrounds with meticulous detail and liberally embracing space. This attention to the less significant parts of the frame reinforces the remarkable precision of his fantasy worlds.

"Spirited Away" is surely one of the finest animated films ever made, grounded in traditional frame-by-frame drawing. Miyazaki, a realist at heart, permits the use of computers for some of the busywork but personally draws thousands of frames by hand. As he told me in 2002, "We take handmade cell animation and digitize it in order to enrich the visual look, but everything starts with the human hand drawing."

Consider a scene where the young heroine, Chihiro, stands on a bridge leading away from the magical bathhouse. The central action and necessary characters are present, but Miyazaki includes numerous figures in the background, each in realistic, detailed motion. Most viewers might perceive this as mere "movement," but closer inspection reveals a world teeming with life. This generosity, this love for the craft, is evident throughout the film. Miyazaki’s dedication to creating a fully realized world makes "Spirited Away" a rich and immersive experience.

Plot Summary:

The story follows 10-year-old Chihiro, who isn’t the typical cheerful protagonist. Described by many critics as "sullen," Chihiro is impatient and impetuous, stuck in the backseat during a long drive to a new house. Her father loses his way in a dark forest, and they stumble upon an abandoned amusement park. As dusk falls, the park comes alive, and her parents, overeager to eat from a food shop, turn into pigs. Chihiro, stubborn and cautious, finds herself trapped in a surreal, magical world.

The amusement park leads to a gigantic floating bathhouse, whose intricate details and complex architecture pile endlessly upon themselves. Chihiro meets a boy who warns her to return, but it’s too late. Inside, she finds a world of infinite variety and bizarre life-forms. She learns she must work in the bathhouse to survive, under the watchful eye of Yubaba, a fearsome old witch. Yubaba steals Chihiro's name, giving her a new one: Sen. Unless she can reclaim her name, she can never leave.

Character Dynamics:

Chihiro's journey is populated with limitless creativity, featuring beings never seen before. From the hopping old-fashioned light pole to the river creature sopped with pollution, Miyazaki’s imagination knows no bounds. Sen’s interactions with the bathhouse’s inhabitants, including the bearded Kamaji and the shape-shifting boy, reveal her growth. She never becomes a "nice girl," but her determination and pluck win our affection.

Themes and Atmosphere:

Miyazaki says he made the film for 10-year-old girls, which is why it resonates so powerfully with adults. Movies made for "everybody" often cater to no one in particular. "Spirited Away," with its specific characters in a detailed world, is spellbinding. This specificity helps explain why it grossed more than "Titanic" in Japan and was the first foreign film in history to open in the U.S. after making more than $200 million.

Miyazaki’s Philosophy:

Miyazaki’s films are more absorbing than the frantic action in much American animation. As he explained to me, "The people who make the movies are scared of silence... What really matters is the underlying emotions—that you never let go of those." His principle of quieting things down, following the path of children's emotions and feelings, creates a deeply engaging experience. By staying true to joy, astonishment, and empathy, Miyazaki crafts films that captivate without relying on violence or constant action.

Final Thoughts:

"Spirited Away" is a masterpiece of generosity and love, showcasing Miyazaki’s unparalleled attention to detail and commitment to his craft. It’s a film that, with each viewing, reveals new layers of complexity and beauty. A true testament to the power of animation, "Spirited Away" remains a timeless classic that speaks to audiences of all ages.