Confession: I probably would never have watched this movie had it not been on the list. I don't normally seek out animated films, because I think of them as "kid movies." This movie shot that bias to hell. I'm so glad I watched it, because it is a masterpiece and totally deserves its place on the list. The story is surprising and creative and the animation is beautiful.
It reminded me of the book Haroun and the Sea of Stories, which is ostensibly a children's book, but is complex enough that I had to read it for a college English class. We spent a lot of time discussing the symbols and references in that book, and you can do the same with Spirited Away.
The story focuses on a 10-year-old girl named Chihiro, who is moving to a new town in Japan with her parents. On the way to their new house, they stumble across an abandoned theme park, and the parents get into some trouble. Chihiro then has to figure out how to save them.
If you haven't already seen this one, I hope you will check it out and be pleasantly surprised like I was.
It reminded me of the book Haroun and the Sea of Stories, which is ostensibly a children's book, but is complex enough that I had to read it for a college English class. We spent a lot of time discussing the symbols and references in that book, and you can do the same with Spirited Away.
The story focuses on a 10-year-old girl named Chihiro, who is moving to a new town in Japan with her parents. On the way to their new house, they stumble across an abandoned theme park, and the parents get into some trouble. Chihiro then has to figure out how to save them.
If you haven't already seen this one, I hope you will check it out and be pleasantly surprised like I was.
This is a Miyazaki film. Some people have called him the Japanese Disney. But he is more than that. I've been watching his films ever since I was a little kid. I was introduced to his work through the film Laputa: Castle in the Sky (1986), a movie I still watch today. The art, music, direction are beautiful. The film is aimed at a younger audience, but I place it above many America animated children movies. For more adult themed Japanese animated films check out Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira (1988), Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in Shell (1995), Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke (1997), and all of the late Satoshi Kon's films. Animated films are not just for children. It is just another storytelling medium that the Japanese have mastered for all audiences and American's are almost there (Pixar).
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