The Japanese animated movie written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, which says it all, honestly. There has never been a Miyazaki movie that wasn't good!
This one, it's beautiful, I love it very much. It might seem strangely weird to western people, but it's not; it's sweet and poetic and yes, a bit strange but in a positive "this is a dream" way. According to films and mangas, Japanese culture is full with ghosts, spirits and other reatures of the sort. It's like when western movies are full of angels: same thing.
It tells the story of little girl Chihiro, forced to move to a new town. Her parents are driving her there now, but her father makes a wrong turn, and decides not to go back. He's one of those guys, you know : Trust me, I know a shortcut! or Don't worry, this car is a four-wheel drive!- yeah, I know that kind.. eventually they must stop because the road he took has a dead end, but they see a tunnel and get curious. Chihiro wants to go back, begs them not to enter the tunnel, but they don't listen to her: tsk, only because she's a child they never listen to her, poor kid!
They want to explore and reach a deserted village where they find a place with hot, deliciously-smelling food. There are no people anywhere, still the food seems freshly made, and it's a lot. Chihiro doesn't like this, but mom and dad start eating the stuff: Don't worry Chihiro, I've got a credit card!! That man always knows what's the important thing *rolling eyes* poor Chihiro growing up with them.
Alone, she wanders away to a bridge where a boy warns her to run away before sun goes down. She does, smart girl. Not like some characters in other movies where as soon as they are told "run, quick, it's dangerous" they immediately put their foot down, and start raising their voice and asking questions until the baddies arrive and they are in trouble, including the poor soul who tried to warn them.
Unfortunately when she goes back she finds that her parents are now two big pigs, and I mean literally, they have been transformed! Here starts a big adventure for little Chihiro, when she almost disappear and finds a job inside a bathhouse for spirits of any sorts: no one is refused access if they can pay :-/
She will face danger, but luckily she finds a friend in Haku, the guy that warned her before. He's a rather misterious character, saying he doesn't remember his own name since Yubaba took it, but somehow remembers hers, saying he knows her since she was little. I like Haku very much, and it bothered me when Lin said to Chihiro "don't trust him", but Chihiro does, because that same day while all the others sleep (they work the nights and sleep during the day) he calls her and she sneaks out without doubt. :-) Good Chihiro, always following her big good heart :-) Even when it seems to bring her trouble, like when she lets in the spirit without face, that feels so lonely and nobody wants, and that attracts people by means of rich gifts and then kind-of-eats them, but not Chihiro: when he offers her richies, she simply replies thanks but no thanks "I don't need it" :-D so he takes an interest in her and she cures him (thus saving those that had been swallowed) and even finds him a home :-) I guess he liked her because she was the only one who had been kind simply out of kindness, without hidden agendas, with no greed just politeness.
I liked this NoFace story, because when people make a lot of fuss because someone is giving them gold, that is just greed, not honest interest, and one somehow feels even more lonely than before. The more he eats the more he wants, he's never satisfied, because the void inside can't be filled by all that. With Chihiro, he won't be needing any of it. Anyway, back to Chihiro, one day she sees Haku in his dragon form, and he's badly hurt, and she's worried sick for him, and she goes to many risks to save him. He had stolen something from the bad witch Yubaba's sister witch Zeniba. Funny how Yubaba could not recogniza her baby after he had been transformed, but Chihiro had no difficulty in recognizing her parents in pig form: one could say that she was looking with her heart and with her love, not with her eyes.
Haku is touched by what Chihiro did, and makes a deal with Yubaba to let her go. When Haku and Chihiro are flying together, Chihiro finally remembers when she had met him before. When she was little she had fallen into a river but it had saved her, and at this point I screamed "Haku is the spirit of the river!!!" happily because rivers are important and usually rich, and although Haku's river doesn't exist anymore, houses and stuff have taken its place now, so Haku is without a home, at least now he remembers who he is and what's his real name, thanks to Chihiro. That's why he knew her, and knew he wanted to help her. :-) That was beautiful :-) I liked
him a lot and like Chihiro I too went "I knew you were good" :-)
I liked this film very very much. It was sweet, magical, poetic, full of heart, love and good feelings. It deserves all the awards it got! Hayao Miyazaki has done another masterpiece. :-)
Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi
ENG spirited away
ITA la città incantata
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