What Else Can Possibly Be Said About Spirited Away?
Ghibli Month — Chapter 13: Spirited Away
Director — Hayao Miyazaki
Year of Release — 2001
Language — English
How Many Times Watched? — 4 times
Rating — ★★★★★
This is an ABSOLUTE MUST WATCH. If nothing else, watch Spirited Away. It is a masterpiece in filmmaking, animated or otherwise.
After completing Princess Mononoke in 1997, Hayao Miyazaki announced his retirement from filmmaking. A sad day in history. The world would never have the privilege of another Miyazaki classic. Studio Ghibli would continue, but what is Studio Ghibli without Miyazaki?
Now you may be confused right now. Possibly scratching your head. You scroll back to the top and see ‘Hayao Miyazaki’ and ‘2001’ next to each other. What is going on? Let me let you in on a (not too) secret. Miyazaki is a serial retiree and compulsive liar, having announced his retirement multiple times only to come out a few years later with a new project. I mean, I’m not complaining. I’m glad he’s a liar. Otherwise, we would never have had Spirited Away.
Spirited Away. What a film. If you know absolutely nothing about anime, you’ve still probably heard of it. It is a cinematic classic, considered one of the greatest films of all time. Not just animated.
But you probably already knew that. What else could there possibly be said about Spirited Away?
I could tell you that it was the first and only anime to ever win Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards in 2003, beating out Ice Age, Lilo & Stitch, Treasure Planet, and Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. That would probably help you understand its cultural significance.
I could also tell you that for 15 years, it held the record for highest-grossing Japanese film of all time, losing it in 2016 to Your Name, only to take it back in 2019 when it released in China for the first time. Just in the box-office, it has grossed $365,481,131. But, at this point, that’s probably common knowledge.
I could even say that it ended up fourth on the BBC’s 2016 list of 100 Greatest Films of the 21st Century compiled by 177 critics around the world, being the only anime and one of only five animated films on the entire list. But what would that really tell you?
Look, you don’t need me to tell you how great Spirited Away is. There have been two decades of amazing press for this film, and it’s not going to stop anytime soon. If you’re still not convinced, let me (your favorite film blogger) spell it out for you.
Spirited Away is an experience like none other. It takes you on a journey you’ll never forget. It is fun. It is scary. It is emotional. It is completely engrossing. It is a masterclass of art and filmmaking, becoming more than ordinary entertainment. While not my all-time favorite, Spirited Away is easily Miyazaki’s greatest film and is unlikely to be topped.
I’m going to keep this brief to give you more time to watch the movie. And now you have no excuse. It’s more accessible than ever, streaming on HBO Max. And if you don’t want to subscribe to HBO Max, get a free trial just to watch Spirited Away (then binge the rest of Studio Ghibli’s catalog).
At this point, if you still don’t watch it, you’re an idiot and I hate you. That may be harsh, but that’s how strongly feel about this film. You would be remiss if you don’t take 2 hours 4 minutes and 34 seconds out of your day to watch this film. Do yourself a favor and watch Spirited Away.
