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Moving to a new home is no fun for any kid, especially Chihiro. When we meet
our young star, she is in route to her new home. Chihiro is lamenting the
fact that her first bouquet of flowers is actually a “goodbye gift.” As the
car passes the location of her new school, she shows her displeasure by
sticking her tongue out and stating “I liked my old school…” This is not the
brightest point in this young girl’s life. Unfortunately, this is only the
beginning of what will turn out to be a very bad day for Chihiro-chan.
Hopelessly searching for their new home, Chihiro’s Otoo-san (father) gets
lost and decides to take a shortcut down a cobblestone path. The stones give
way to dirt tracks, then grass as the car winds through a wooded path. “This
is how you always get us lost” exclaims Okaa-san (mother). Finally, the
vehicle abruptly halts as they approach a rather large building. Instead of
turning the car around, Chihiro’s parents decide to go exploring. The family
innocently glides through what seems to be an old train station and into a
breathtakingly beautiful pasture. From the pasture they move on, thinking
their new home to be just over the horizon. What they instead find is a
small, abandoned village and the wonderful smell of food.
As a side note, take note that Chihiro is always the voice of reason.
Every step of the way, our heroine warns and scolds her parents for treading
where uninvited and making wrong moves. Empowering the child hero is a
staple of Miyazaki storytelling. This is again evident when the parents help
themselves to food at the largest spread you’ve ever seen. As the parents
fill their plates and stomachs, Chihiro warns “They’ll get mad at us!” “We
can pay them back” exclaims Okaa-san. Tired of their gluttony, Chihiro goes
exploring.
As she explores the quaint village, she spies a giant bath house and a
gorgeous bridge. She finally finds the train that utilizes the
aforementioned house. Hypnotized by the serenity of her surroundings,
Chihiro is startled by the appearance of a young boy. “You’re not allowed
here! Go back!” exclaims the young lad. “Hurry before it gets dark.”
Aggravated by the rude lad’s words, Chihiro turns to collect her parents. As
the sky dims and the evening lamps are lit, the girl makes her way back to
her folks only to find the incredible. What were once Chihiro’s parents are
now two massive hogs, dripping with slop from the banquet in which they
invited themselves. Fearfully running away, the buildings begin to light up,
revealing shadowy spooks and specters at every turn.
To examine a film touched by Hayoo Miyazaki and not discuss the art or
music would be criminal. The visuals are so utterly fantastic that you have
to remind yourself that “Sen to Chihiro” is animated. As you fall deeper
into the film and meet all of the fantastic creatures within, you will
become entranced by their fluid motion, visual depth, and believability.
Other aspects, such as Chihiro’s “fading out” scene are simply amazing.
After years of enjoying quickly processed 20 minute shorts by studios like
Hanna Barbara, you’ll be reminded just how exquisite a “cartoon” can be.
Musically, the score to this film is a masterpiece in its own right. The
lush writing and thick voicings found in the reoccurring theme are 20th
Century bound, familiar to fans of Aaron Copland and George Gershwin. This
genius is spiced up with intrinsically Asian countermelodies, obbligato
lines, simple piano verses, and unimposing background melodies, reminding us
of the picture’s origins. Every character and locale also have their own
leitmotif (theme) as well, including the living dust balls found in Kamaji’s
workstation beneath the bath house. This is not a sappy score meant to
elicit specific emotions. Rather, the music here was composed in the same
manner that a master such as Richard Wagner did for his operas.
Whether we like to admit it or not, we all have a warm spot for one of
the classics by Walt Disney. Deep down, all of us cried at the death of
Bambi’s mom and tapped our toes to the singing of the 7 dwarves. The first
batch of Disney animated films, including “Cinderella,” “Snow White and the
Seven Dwarves,” and “Sleeping Beauty” are timeless classics. Undeniable is
the quality of film making (animation + voices + music) that has been
unmatched since, including the wave of 90’s Disney hits (Little Mermaid,
Beauty and the Beast, etc..). Pure and simple, Walt Disney was a genius and
whatever he touched was gold. The same can be said for Miyazaki.
“Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi” is a good movie, regardless of the fact
that it is animated. Music and art aside, the tale of Chihiro as she meets
Haku, bargains with the witch Yubaba, becomes Sen, meets fantastic creatures
such as the giant baby and “No Face,” and battles for the lives of her
parents keeps us riveted to the screen. At its worst, this movie is a
delightful form of escapism. At its best, “Sen to Chihiro” is a treasure
that will stand the tests of time.
- FACT #1 – Of the top films on the IMDB 250 (International Movie
DataBase), the film “Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi” ranks #42, higher than
any other animated film.
- FACT #2 – The film won Miyazaki the 2003 Academy Award for Best
Animated Feature
- FACT #3 – Studio Ghibli is the name of the Japanese production
house home to the works of Hayoo Miyazaki. Their logo is the title
character of another Miyazaki classic “Tonari no Totoro” (My Neighbor
Totoro).
- FACT #4 – The folks at Disney were some impressed with the
works of Miyazaki that they secured the rights for the American release of
the entire Studio Ghibli catalogue. Every movie they release gets a high
quality 2-disc DVD set, complete with English dubs, the original subtitled
film, and Japanese “behind-the-scenes” features.
For more info, check out the following:
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