Spirited Away is a 2001 Japanese film directed by Hayao Miyazaki and animated by Studio Ghibli. It is about a ten year old girl named Chihiro who discovers what seems like a deserted amusement park and opens the door to an unexpected adventure. After her parents pig out on the food and literally turn into pigs, she becomes trapped and hopeless. Then she meets Haku, a mysterious boy who explains that this place is not for humans, but is a resort for supernatural creatures who need a break from the earthly realm. He tells her she must work for the woman in charge of the place in order to rescue her parents and leave. Chihiro manages to get a job at the bathhouse and begins work, makes friends (some unusual) and faces many challenges, problems and obstacles.
I love this film because it shows many aspects of real society, such as humans' greed (for valuables and money but at times food as well) and the judgement of 'different' people, through a rather creepy character named No-Face. No-Face is a sad, lonely being who just wants a real friend but is only loved for his/her money and not who he/she really is. I also love the relationships between Chihiro and all the creatures she meets (mainly Haku and No-Face) and how her unique, strange experience turns her from a complaisant ten year old who relies so much on her parents, to a brighter, more independent and mature girl. Lastly, I found it quite ironic how Chihiro's parents turned into pigs because in Japan it is usually the parents who tell their children sayings such as, 'if you act like something too much, you will become one' (in this case, pigs). It was like a real-life metaphor because that saying actually came true. My grandma too, used to tell my dad the famous saying, 'If you lie down straight after eating, you'll turn into a cow'.
I think this film is suitable for both children and adults, because it has characters that appeal to younger audiences, yet isn't childish despite being animated. It conveys a good message, Japanese culture, combines modern world with mythical world, stirs your emotions, is imaginative, creative and one of the most popular animated films.
Popular Posts
A LITERARY CRITIQUE OF THE WHALE RIDER, BY WITI IHIMAERA
Witi Ihimaera, The Whale Rider —International Edition (Reed Publishing, 2003), pp. 154. Ihimaera is arguably the most influential Maori author in existence, publishing the first collection of short stories by a Maori writer called Pounamu Pounamu in 1972. The following year, he followed suit by being the first Maori to author a novel— Tangi. However, his magnum opus is indubitably his 1987 The Whale Rider. Fifteen years later the film adaption was released, with the eminent Niki Caro as the supervising director and Keisha Castle-Hughe's entrancing performance as the protagonist. As one commentator accurately observed, "A film so specific to one area, and grounded so firmly in New Zealand and Maori culture, has enthralled audiences from different countries partly because of the universal theme of heroic triumph over adversity, but mainly because of Castle-Hughes' and [Rawiri] Paratene's stunningly natural and utterly convincin...
Short Stories: WHERE IS DANIEL?
The time was an early morning in the winter of 1941. Falling snow packed onto the hard labourers of Gulag 10 WLA as they begin setting off into the mines and factories somewhere in the far east. Malnourished, mistreated and muddy, the inhabitors of this typical Gulag were kept under strict control of General Victor, who gave harsh punishments to any prisoner who dared riot or worse, insult the government. It was a normal evening. The prisoners were escorted back to the Gulag through the freezing taiga by cattle carriages. They waited in line for their daily rations: Rubbery potatoes, dried bread and lime water. If one behaved well and boasted high production, he/she would sometimes be rewarded with a small knob of fresh corn, a snack the guards would gladly feast on. General Victor was feasting on a large chicken when Archie, or formally, Guard Number One burst into his room reporting misbehaviour between two prisoners. Ben (Guard Number Two) and Mile...
The Book of Heroic Failures
The Book of Heroic Failures By Stephen Pile The Book of Heroic Failures, was written by Stephen Pile and first published in 1979. This book is essentially a collection of hilarious, ironic and unusual people and events. This sole theme is that of ironic failure, each story being anywhere from a few sentences to several paragraphs. The book itself is split into eleven different sections so that the reader may dip in and out of the book at will, which is a very helpful format considering the layout of the stories. My favourite sections include the glory of the stage , stories we failed to pin down and the art of being wrong. From the poet whose footnotes were longer than his poems, to a bill ruling that the value of pi was four, there is no shortage of entertaining stories within this books pages. To those who wish to read only the best of these stories I would advise that you read some of the longer ones as more tends to go wrong, causing a domino...
Comments
Post a Comment