Day 78: Spirited Away (2001)

Movie #48 – Spirited Away (2001) - 125 min, cert PG.

Chihiro is a young girl who has gone exploring on foot with her parents after taking a wrong turn in the car. They come across what appears to be an abandoned fair, but the food stalls have hot food laid out even though the stall owners are absent. Chihiro’s parents sit down for a free meal while she explores a little further. By the time she returns to her parents, they have magically transformed into pigs, gorging themselves on all the food. Looking for some answers, Chihiro goes to the bathhouse which is said to be run by a powerful witch, and embarks on a series of adventures in the search for a way to free her parents from the spell.

I’ve spoken to several people who love this film, and read numerous reviews that rave about it, but I’m afraid I just don’t get it. I find the style of artwork too simplistic, and the plot too fanciful and ridiculous. The whole pantheon of dragons, witches, river-spirits, and so on, is all very Japanese. No doubt it’s me being very short-sighted, but I just don’t think it translates very well to a Western audience.

Score – 2/10. Not for me at all. Sorry.

Next up is The Shining, Kubrick’s adaptation of Stephen King’s novel. I saw it a long time ago and had my reservations about it.