Sunday, March 6, 2011

Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki (2001)

A MSN Conversation with Shayne Ng Suat May


An animated classic from Japan, a production from Studio Ghibli, Spirited Away defeated Titanic and till now, is the top grossing film in its production country.

Having watched the film a couple of times, it was an interesting experience to throw out random ideas & thoughts & reflect on how the film affected both of us.

I apologise for some typing errors but to preserve the integrity of our post (Hahas~) I shall not change them in "post-production" :D


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smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
Hello!!
:)
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Hello!
Finally works
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
hmmm.. maybe you start the ball rolling?? haha.. I am not sure of what to ask/say
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Hahas is this the first Hiyao Miyazaki film you've watched?
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
No.. I think the first Hayao Miyazaki film I watched is Totoro... You?? :)
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Hahas :) This is my 1st Studio Ghibli film!
I watched it when I was in secondary 2 I think
I loved Chihiro
& I liked her pure relationship with Haku :D
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
HAHA... I see.. my favourite character is Haku... at first I thought they would be together in the end after she managed to save her parents..
I think the scene in which they were holding hands and falling from the sky is very sweet :D
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Hahas I loved the symbolism of that scene! How he shedded his scales as he was being freed from the clutches of the evil witch twin
It was interesting how they chose to depict it graphically
The concept of the stripping away of one's name as one's identity, forcing the characters to remain loyal to Yubaba & being trapped to work for her is also intriguing
It kind of reminds me of NS though
OPS
(x
As in, taking away their freedom & pink ICs for the green ones
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
Agreed totally
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Sorry, this is veering a bit off topic LOLS
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
HAHA.. it's ok. I think we are supposed to voice our thoughts about the film too..
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Hahas (:
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
Actually, I watched this show many times but didn't quite understand in the first few times.
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Hahas, I think perhaps some things are left open to interpretation
Such as the Faceless Monster (Ghost)
Why was he so attracted to Chihiro?
& willing to go out of his way to help her?
& yet after that in his hunger, swallow the employees & cause so much trouble
& even after Chihiro fed her the 'medicine' from the River God he was actually in fury
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
I think the unusual animated characters made the entire film very fascinating like the big baby and the "No-Face" spirit. Initially, I thought that the Faceless Ghost liked Chihiro because of her determination
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
But in the end he still followed her docilely to the train statiion
Hahas perhaps!
Cause she is really quite a strong and likeable character
Strong-willed and perservering
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
yeah.. It's quite intriguing... I think he wanted her attention when he came into the bath-house as a customer
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Hahas, it has a very other worldly quality
I watched Princess Mononoke for my Cinema Studies module last semester
& one of the group member brought out an interesting point
Most of Hayao Miyazaki's films have the theme of flight
You see it in Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away etc

I think it relates to the idea of anime being a form of cinema as an expressiion of freedom
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
Oh.. I see
Flight???
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
In some sense, the cells in which the animators draw & create other worlds in
Draw the audience into an otherworldly experience
Yupz, the fascination Miyazaki has with flight
Most of the characters in his movies have the ability of flight
In an otherworldly sense
Being unbound by physical constraints we face in the real world
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
I see... Sorry. As I usually watched films as a form of entertainment, I don't really have an in-depth knowledge.. Thanks for sharing. :)
Now, I beginning to see the point..
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Hahas, no lehs I think discussions are meant to be ideas throwing (:
When I was reading about Hayao Miyazaki, I realised that he's someone who usually creates very strong & independent female characters
The wiki entry says that he is actually a feminist as heart
*at heart
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
yeah... I think this discussion is quite a new experience for me
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
& he believes that women have the power to influence others and bring about change
We can see that in Chihiro too, notice how even though she's facing a really terrible situation, the only time she really expresses her unhappiness & sadness was after she saw her parents in the pig sty
But throughout the film she remained very optimistic
Oh yeah, the scene where he gave her the rice balls was really sweet too! :D
Such a sweet couple
>
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
I see.. I was also reading a review online about the film and I quite like on how the quthor interpret Spirited Away.. Yeah.. She is indeed a strong girl
A heroine ;)
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Hahas I can imagine many little girls wanting to grow up to be like her
heh heh!
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
the beauty of the film lies in not knowing what lies beyond the dark, windy passageway through which Chihiro and her parents walk. Not knowing anything about the film means that you go on the same journey as Chihiro, and it means that all the wonders of the world she walks into will be new and surprising. This course is what can distinguish between the film being good to the film being great.
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Oh thank you! I'll go read it too
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
Oh.. I extracted this portion from the review..
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Hahas yupz, the magical world that she enters
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
no problem :)
And that those people of the other world shunned her because she was a human being..
Fortunately, she met some very nice people who helped her
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Hahas I couldn't believe that Spirited Away actually beat Titanic in the Japanese box office in the theatres when it was released
But I guess japanese are quite familiar with anime as a cinematic form
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
I think the author of the review is not a professional critic.. Couldn't find out more about him online..
I think Japanese anime is the best.. HAHA... The characters are so good-looking and like very ideal kind...
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
HAHAS yeah, you seldom see ugly characters in animation
& if there are, there's usually a reason
Anyway about the review I liked what he said about Spirited Away in this "While both parents and children can enjoy the absolutely breathtaking animation, the adults will appreciate the story while their kids will most likely be left a little confused. It's not that the plot is complex, but it is the film's characters and world that are complicated. The film is intricate on an emotional level, something that probably most of its audience will not be expecting. But for all its layered aspects, the film is driven by a wonderful innocence that makes it quite endearing and ultimately very fulfilling."
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
probably to portray those people who are evil
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
it's what you mentioned
about how we dun understand it when we watch it when we are younger
(:
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
quite true... for example, I didn't understand what's the purpose of turning her parents into pigs and how did Haku get to know Chihiro and did all he could to help her...
Oh.. for the last part where she was told to identify her parents, I think it is really touching that she could do it without being scared. I suppose it's the affinity between a child and the parents?
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
hahas, yeah, it's as if since she entered the unfamiliar world, she has grown to accept its rules & conventions, & learnt to live within them to achieve what she wants. She was telling Yubaba that she understood the rules for the spell on her parents to be broken
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
Hmmm... I suddenly think that this sounds like trying to tell us that there are many different cultures or ways of living in the world, and that we should learn to accept and adapt, so that everyone can live harmoniously
Oh.. I again recall about the part where all workers in the bath-house worked together to help the River God get rid of all the rubbish... it's like team spirit...
:)
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Yupz, agreed! There is a sense of community in the bath-house
That most of the employees know one another
& even as Chihiro manages to choose correctly at the end
They were rejoicing with her
& as Yubaba was speaking to Chihiro, they were "boo-ing" her & everything
Even though she was their employer
You can see that they can identify and like Chihiro
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
Yeah.. especially since they couldn't accept her initially and her weird "stench"...
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Hahas, yahz, funny how relationship develops in the film
Anyway one thing I always tell others when I watch Spirited Away is
its theme song!
Always with me
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
??? theme song?? haha..
thanks
hmmm.. sounds familiar yet not so familiar.. probably because I don't watch the credits and I missed it.. Sounds like some English song???
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Hahas (: I think this song came first
Cause it was specially composed for the movie
Here's the link for its lyrics
The song is very optimistic, like the film's ending, in which one is able to journey through difficulties and challenges and come to an age where you grow up and learn to cope with the world
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
hmmmm.. I think so too..
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Hahas, the site also mentioned that "Miyazaki-San says that it might have been because of this song that he could make "Sen.""
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
Inspiration
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Actually one of the characteristics of his films is his appropriate use of music (:
& he's someone who actually believes a lot in music as inspiration
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
Hmmm.. Come to think of it, I seem not able to recall the music/song sections of the movie.. rather, I am captivated by the characters and story...
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
hahas I think perhaps it was intended, that it was meant to unobtrusive
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
I feel that that the music accompaniment usually brings out the emotions of the scenes and that viewers can feel it more strongly...
Something that people may not remember but a film cannot "survive" without
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Yupz, & if you see the tracks in the soundtrack of Spirited Away, each track is usually specially composed to suit a particular part in the plot
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
hmmm.. I see...
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
The titles are usually informative of where it plays in the movie eg One Summer's Day (あの夏へ), Day Of The River (あの日の川 ) Sixth Station (6番目の駅)
Anyway I was reading the wiki of the film
& it struck me that Spirited Away when translated literally
means Sen and The Spiriting Away of Chihiro
Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi
Under themes & archetypes, it says that one major theme is the Chihiro parting with childhood and growing up
"The use of the word kamikakushi (literally "hidden by gods") within the Japanese title, and its associated folklore, reinforce this liminal passage: "Kamikakushi is a verdict of ‘social death’ in this world, and coming back to this world from Kamikakushi meant ‘social resurrection.’""
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
becoming more independent
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
"Upon gaining employment at the bathhouse, Yubaba’s seizure of Chihiro’s true name, a common theme in folklore, symbolically kills the child Chihiro.[4] Having lost her childhood identity, Chihiro cannot return to reality by the way she came; she can only move forward into adulthood. The following trials and obstacles Chihiro must overcome become the challenges and lessons common in rites-of-passage and the monomyth format. In her attempt to regain her self, her "continuity with her past," Chihiro must forge a new identity."
Then it's quite interesting that at the end of the film she returns as a child
But yet has matured and grown as a person
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
after reading these paragraphs, I think i have a greater understanding of the movie... something that I would not ponder over...
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
hahas I think usually each film has much embedded meaning inside every scene, every shot and every sound effects, waiting for us to dig & dive deep into them to discover them
Helps us appreciate the film even more!
Heh hehz :D
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
:)
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Even the part about the environmental effects
With the River God
having been polluted
naturally by humans, with all the bicycles etc
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
yeah... it may be convenient to dump all the unwante stuff into rivers... but when one starts to feel the effects of environmental pollutions, more problems arise
The stench of polluted rivers...
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Yahz ): it's quite saddening
What did you like most about the film? (:
Mine was the theme song (lols)
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
ooh...
I think I like the entire film.. HAHA... well.. one good thing is that I will not be tired of watching it even though I have watched it many times
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Hahas wow!
(:
I think Hayao Miyazaki would be happy to hear that
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
HAHA...
but probably not watching it everyday.. ;) that way, I will more likely be sick of it.. HAHA...
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
LOLS everyday!
hahas I don't think I can think of any film I will want to watch everyday (".)
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
haha... hmmm... what you think about the discussion so far??? I not sure about what else to say...
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Hahas I think it's enough, do you have anything more to add?
Well, we've talked about quite a bit
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
I don't think so
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Randomly jumping here & there
LOLS
Oh yeah there's something that has been fascinating about anime
Do you find that the fact that the characters, the setting & everything is animated (ie not real)
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
??
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
makes you more alienated from the film?
Like does it make you feel like you cannot identify with the characters
since they are not real
Like us
Or as compared to watching a film like Black Swan or King's Speech?
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
You feel that way?
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Hahas, nopex I don't, which is why it amazes me
:D
Because even though it's unreal
I feel like the characters can be like us
In a sense, they might have bigger eyes
& look cuter than us (lols)
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
Whenever I watched films, I feel that I am like in their world, some sort like a third party who is just standing beside them and listening to every bit of the conversation
HAHA...
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
But the experience they go through is so fantastical and magical that I find like I am absorbed into this other world they are exploring too
HAHAS
Really?
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
Yeah
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Lols, interesting!
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
When the show (Spirited Away), it is quite disappointing
something like being snapped back to reality... quite engrossed I suppose
haha
I forget to add the word "when the show ended"...
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Hahas! So you are the kind who delves into the film with the characters as you watch it
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
hmmm.. I think a little too exaggerating to say that I am standing beside them... HAHA...
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
LOLS
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
haha... will like to be part of the story...
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
You can be... Chihiro's sister!
(:
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
haha... hmmm.. what if you are given a chance, what kind of role do you think you like to play???
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
I'd like to be Sen actually (:
I've always thought that I need an otherworldly experience to wake up
:D
& grow up
Cause I keep thinking I'm a child
But I'm turning 21 this year
So going into her land
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
Oh I see..
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Will force me to grow up LOLS
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
haha.. i see
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Who would you want to play?
Or you can add an additional character
hahas~
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
HAHA... hmmm.. I suppose the big sister who took care of Chihiro... Quite like her character...
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Hahas ohH! That really nice woman Ling
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
Ah yeah.. I can't remember her name.. Actually, I watched the show quite a while ago
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Hahas (:
Anyway I think we can wrap up our discussion I think we have discussed for 1 hour already
We started at 9:30pm if I remember correctly
:D
Tee hee!
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
WAHH... haha.. ok.. Thank you for guiding me through this discussion
quite at a loss for words actually
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Hahas dun worry!
(:
Anyway do you know how much we should post?
Copy & paste everything?
LOLS
Anyway it was great discussing this film with you
I think 2 heads are better than 1
(:
hahaz!
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
I will most likely do that.. Save the entire conversation and attach as a file
:)
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Same here! (:
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
then I will see you tomorrow for lesson
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Yupz, see you!
Maybe we can talk briefly about the other films tmr (:
& how we're going about it too
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
Sure
Chloe Tang Wei Mun says:
Take care! :D
Bye~~~
smng3@e.ntu.edu.sg says:
ok...
you too.. Night!!!

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