The movie that showed the world how poetic and exciting anime could be.
Hayao Miyazaki is an auteur with a stunningly brilliant filmography. It seems that he destroys himself anew before each movie, burns out completely, only to rise again a few years later.
He is known as a director of gentle fairy tales, but in Miyazaki's films there is a lot of pain, anger, and quiet acceptance that humanity is doomed. Miyazaki is also the only Japanese director to have won an Academy Award for his masterpiece Spirited Away.
What Is Spirited Away About?
Ten-year-old Chihiro and her parents are moving, and the family is expecting a housewarming party. But on their way to the party, they stumble upon a strange town where they meet no one.
There is a surprisingly majestic table overflowing with all kinds of delicacies. The hungry parents rush to the table and, to the horror of the little girl, turn into pigs.
This is the magic of the evil sorceress Yubaba. Left alone, Chihiro does not lose heart – the girl goes to the world of Yubaba to return her parents to human form.
Spirited Away Proved to the World the Greatness of Anime
It's rare that a movie comes along that can so powerfully break down cultural barriers. Once upon a time, Spirited Away took the world box office by storm and won the only animation Oscar in history for a non-English-language film.
Spirited Away was then joined by The Boy and the Heron, and just recently Flow won a statuette.
And it probably convinced a lot of skeptical viewers that Japanese animation could be so accessible, poetic and exciting.
Spirited Away Will Never Cease to Be Relevant
The story of Chihiro trying to save her parents from a parallel magical world has become a textbook example: it's hard to imagine that any of today's animators and storytellers don't watch this movie every time they find themselves in a creative crisis.
And the more time passes, the more valuable Spirited Away becomes. Neither the stunning designs of the magical creatures nor the touching story of a girl who cannot stop caring about the suffering around her will ever become outdated.
Spirited Away Is a Quiet and Calm Masterpiece
But in an age of fast information and short content, you begin to look at Miyazaki's ability to work with pauses and silence in a new way.
One of the best moments in the movie is not a bright scene or heartbreaking dialogue, but Chihiro's train ride. The quiet episode knocks you off your feet – it turns out that sometimes you can just be quiet, slow down, and the magic will still be there.