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Review: Spirited Away
Let's get a few things out of the way first. There's both a subtitled version with Japanese audio, and an English-dubbed version. The dubbed version appears to be showing in more theaters, with the subtitled version only showing in a very few locations. I saw the subtitled one, not because I'm a purist (I usually prefer the dubbed versions so my eyes can concentrate on the animation rather than having to read), but just because it was showing at a convenient time, so I can't comment on the quality of the English dub.
The film might be too intense for very young viewers in a few places. One theater nearby has a note saying they won't allow kids under six to attend - I have no idea how they came up with that age, but there's definitely a few scenes that could be frightening to very young kids. You might want to watch it ahead of time, or at least be prepared to hold them tight.
And on to the film. It is excellent. Several of Miyazaki's other films have had themes involving the spirits of nature, and this is a continuation of those. Other tales it made me think of: Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, Alice in Wonderland, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Narnia in general), The Neverending Story, and the tale of Circe the Enchantress in the Odyssey. You remember Circe, don't you, the sorceress who turned Odysseus' men into pigs? No doubt if I knew more about Japanese legends I would see lots of places that Miyazaki drew from there as well.
The basic plot is simple: Chihiro's parents stumble into a place they shouldn't be, and get turned into pigs, and she must save them. I'm not going to elaborate on it because I really enjoyed discovering what was going on throughout the movie and I'd rather not spoil it for you. There's a happy ending - this isn't a Grave of the Fireflies - so you don't have to worry about your kids being permanently traumatized.
Everything about the film says that a great deal of effort was put into it. Tiny details are included in every frame of the animation. There's a pretty extensive use of CGI for rendering background man-made objects (nature backgrounds are mostly drawn), but it fits in very well with the hand-drawn art and adds rather than detracts from the movie. I don't know how I can really convey the difference between this and a typical Disney animated film... Maybe this: think about how, in the Lion King or a similar movie, there are often large swatches of a similar color taking up large parts of the screen. Oh, here's a lion, and it has three square feet of an absolutely pure tan color (which, incidentally, takes very little effort to draw). An equivalent lion in a Miyazaki film would have a hundred shades of color and streaks and details and highlights and lowlights, and it would have that in every frame that it appeared in. The colors are brighter, the whites are whiter. (Note that apparently the subtitled version I saw is being shown in a digital projection, while the dubbed version is traditional film.)
You don't have to like anime to like this movie - it will be fun for nearly all ages. It's not quite as endearing as Totoro, not quite as mystical as Mononoke (well, maybe it is, at that). But it's definitely as good as either of these. Well worth seeing in the theaters.
There are other formats of trailers and more sizes to choose from at the main movie site. Real and WMA are provided in addition to quicktime. Be warned, the page is flash intensive.
So, the dubbed version (which I saw last night) is just fine. They use unique voiceactors for each character and they convey the emotion well enough. Of course, if you speak Japanese.
Personally, I'm okay with dubbing--but then I also like to pick up the appopriate emotive cues, which is more difficult when people are speaking a language you don't understand. Of course, usually the dubbing is awful so having it in English doesn't do a bit of good. Oddly, I don't think the same thing about live action dubbing, but I think that's just because the loss of sync is WAY more annoying than not picking up tone of voice properly.
Watch Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind. (There is, of course, a page for it on nausicaa.net ... but for obvious reasons, you're not going to be able to visit it for a few hours now.) It's only available as a fansub, but it's well worth it -- IMO, it's the best anime I've ever seen. (And many of the themes explored in it were carried directly over into Princess Mononoke.) Spirited Away was also an amazing movie, and I hope that it's showed in my area at some point ... but Nausicaa was Miyazaki's best work.
4294774.156801
I live in a giant bucket.
I ran and took the metro for about 45 minutes way across state lines. Living in Northern Virginia, this show was playing in only 2 theatres in the DC metro area (composed of DC, VA and MD). I had to head to the Mezza Galeria in Friendship Heights way out on the edge of NorthWest DC on the border with Maryland. Basically it is a trip that I will never forget and I will now always associate that area with the greatness of witnessing this masterpiece.. This film has already grossed over 200 million dollars and won major awards at film festivals, all without even being released in North America. Until now....
Basically put here it is [not giving any info away that would be VERY wrong]. Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi [Spirited Away], is a trip about a 10 year old girl who enters a magical spirit land with her parents who end up imprisoned. It is up to 10 year old Chihiro to find the strength inside to survive and perhaps rescue her parents.
But this film isn't about that plot, it is about the imagination of youth, the magic and characters who exist in this world, and about growing up and gaining courage.
I'll say this. I am having a really REALLY hard time putting the emotions I felt after witnessing this masterpiece on the screen. The scenes are masterfull, the animation is incredible, the backgrounds are pieces of art, there are things that happen in great stillness, and in great motion that take your breath away. It is very funny, and charming. However what separates this film from say Miyazaki's last recent work Mononoke Hime (Princess Mononoke) is that this film is more universal for all ages and more imaginative, incredibly so on the later. Where Mononoke was more political and intriguing and ingenious this film is something every person can relate to including 7 year olds. As one earlier minor review I read said, "Kids will like it, parents will love it even more". I can't begin to describe my jaw gapping mouth that stood there hanging almost every 5 minutes at what I was witnessing.. I could spend hours describing the myriad of characters in detail, but I would be writing to the end of time....
There is a scene in this film that just highlights everything that is grand about this movie. Chihiro takes a train ride with 3 spirit characters all very different and unique in their looks and personality. The purpose of the ride is simply just to go from A to B. Its not important for the story, it does not advance the plot on the grand scale of things. It is just something that is simply there to look at.
This scene had me in tears. Not because it looks sad, or the characters are tragic, or because the story at this point is so gutwrenching (think of the opera music scene in Graveyard of The fireflies). It just pulls the emotion out of you because it is just so mesmerizing and beautiful to watch.
This film which has just been released in North America, looks to be in limited release so far. I'll put it to you this way. I am not a major fan of Japanese anime, but I have seen a small handful of good ones. I was speaking with people after the show, and I ran into one guy who as he puts it, has seen SEVERAL anime movies. He said this is the best one he has EVER SEEN. Period.
This film is going to be HUGE.. It just may get the North American public addicted to Japanese Anime, an art form that has been nothing more in the eyes of America as an overly grotesque cartoonish imature artform, that seems to be overtly sexualised, and overrun with violence and nonsensical stories. This film will not just break that barrier, it will be a tidal wave of movie history crashing through it with sunami punch! If it DOES NOT... then anime does not even deserved to be shown in this country to be appreciated. I can't see this film not being a huge buzz within the next few days. The audience I was with which was very varied kids and adults of all ages, were entranced and applauded MASSIVELY when this film was over in celebration.
I can only think of one film I have seen that is of this level and would rank now as a tie after seeing this film for best film of the year (that would be Monsoon Wedding). A very different film obviously which can't be compared to this.
This isn't just a great animated film. This isn't just a great Japanese film. This isn't just a great award winning film. This is one of the greatest movies ever made. Period.
Once in a rare while, a film comes out in a year that everyone will be talking about non stop. This is THAT film!!
DO NOT MISS THIS MOVIE ON THE BIG SCREEN EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SIG:Slashdot: indymedia for nerds.
Here's Roger Ebert's review of the dubbed version, as well an essay he wrote that includes an interview with Miyazaki and gives some good background on the dubbed version produced by John Lasseter ("Toy Story") and Disney.
My next sig will be ready soon, but friends can beat the rush!
Here is a list of theatres in the US that are/will be screening "Spirited Away".
Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi is a remarkable film, as good as the review indicates, maybe better. But Disney seems hell-bent on hiding that information from us, even as they spend millions of dollars dubbing and subtitling. I am no conspiracy theorist, but I am really beginning to wonder whether the real reason that Disney bought the rights to Miyazaki's films is for damage-limitation: let's pretend to be good guys - hey, we did bring these great films to the US, you geeks - but let's also limit distribution so that the general public doesn't realize that there is something better available.
Several months before that drek Country Bears was released, everyone knew about it due to massive advertising. Where was the advertising for Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi? Where were the lunch boxes and McDonald's Happy Meals featuring Chihiro, Yubaba, Rin, Haku, or the Twin Witches? Do they think that American children are too stupid to appreciate Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi plush toys? Where are the coloring books and t-shirts and and all of the rest of the product placement that this film deserved more than all of the SHIT that Disney has produced recently ( Atlantis: The Lost Empire, and the retreads Cinderella 2, Lady and the Tramp 2, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame II - all of which had more TV previews than the more worthy Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi)?
[Lilo and Stitch being the notable exception.]
Treasure Planet, Disney's space-based derivative of Robert Lewis Stevenson's Treasure Island, isn't due in cinemas until November, and it has already receieved more hype than Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi ever recieved. The aforementioned Alice in Wonderland (1951), which has never been re-released to theaters, receives more hype for its TELEVISION reruns than Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi has ever receeved!
Do you get the point? Can you tell that I'm mad?
Disney fucked the public with their minimalistic release of Princess Mononoke, and now they are doing the same with Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi.
Honestly, I'm furious, though I don't know what to do about it.
Slashdot recently reported that Dreamworks [was] Delv[ing] Into Anime Maybe a letter campaign could convince Disney to do the right thing and relinquish their control of Miyazaki's films to a company who might know what to do with them.
I'm mad beyond spitting. Does anyone have any serious suggestions?
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What's the connection?
We'll it goes like this...
Geeks secretly want to become ROBOTS - so we can crush people in our mighty iron fists. The Japansese also want to becoe ROBOTS - so they can impale beautifull women with their GIANT ROBOT COCKS. *
So by admiring the Japanse and their arts, we become more like the ROBOTS we want to become.
All this was explained to you when you got your GEEK membership card, next time please pay attention. We woulden't have to explain Amigas to you again.
* Some Japanses want to become SQUID, so they can impale beautifull women with their GINENT SQUID PENISES, while holding them down with their GIENT SQUID TENTECLES.
Moneyed corporations, non-working 'poor' and criminal prisoners are turning productive citizens into tax-slaves.