I’ve heard some try to describe Spirited Away as almost like a flight of fancy, but it is too coherent for that; the world is ordered, if fantastic, there can be no doubt about that. I think your interpretation makes more sense; we only ever get a partial view, like Chihiro does, and we have to get through it even though true understanding remains beyond our grasp. I still feel that there could have been more depth, if only subtly hinted at (I watched the movie twice to see if I missed some of that subtlety, but really couldn’t find much).
Wow, silly dubbers. I’ll try the sub version if I ever get the chance. At the very least, I won’t have to listen to American Chihiro
There were many, many references to elements of Japanese culture and I wonder to what point part of the subtext is lost to those who aren’t very familiar with those cultural references. Of the Miyazaki movies I’ve seen, it’s certainly the one where those cultural references are the most ubiquitous.
Anybody see the trailer for Howl The Moving Castle yet? There was only a bit of animation in it, but the Moving Castle is VERY cool looking. I’m so geeked.
And for what it’s worth, Mononoke is my least favorite Ghibli film. It’s like they took all the fun stuff out of Pom Poko and then layered on a lame Ninja Scroll knock-off plot on top. It just fell flat for me…it had virtually nothing that I like about Ghibli in it save for the fantastic animation.
I like certain anime, but am no “expert” or conniseur.
I tend to prefer more adult-themed anime (Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Cowboy Bebop), but have yet been able to interest any of my non-anime friends or family with them.
Yet last Labor Day weekend BBQ, I popped Spirited Away in the player and had most of a household, kids and adults, sitting spellbound in my living room.
That may be saying more about them than the movie, but several are really into movies; the craft and symbolism of movies, and all that, and aren’t the sort to get really sucked in by dreck, or mere eye-candy.
I guess that, in the end, I’m coming down on the same side as Little Nemo up above concerning Spirited Away.
“I’ll try the sub version if I ever get the chance”
You can find the sub in the R1 DVD release which you should be able to rent at your local Blockbuster or an online rental site like Netflix. It’s got a great making-of documentary with Miyazaki and Ghibli which is also well worth watching.
I tend to agree with this assessment. There are some anime that I love…but a lot of them are too ‘foreign’ to my realm of experience and easy cultural references for me to fully enjoy. Most of the ones I like a lot are the ones considered ‘lowbrow’ by true fans, like Ninja Scroll andpire Hunter D.
Basically, I look to anime to see stunts and action that are either physically impossible IRL or would look goofy. My main complaint about Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, is that it looked like an anime movie filmed with real actors, and it didn’t work.
