Hey folks, Harry here with a look at Miyazaki's latest film SPIRITED AWAY as well as comments upon the jobs that Disney has done in the Americanization of his work (i.e., dubs, scores, print quality, sound mixes... etc.) But the real excitement here is Murdock's review of Miyazaki's latest... SPIRITED AWAY, which just sounds fantastic! I cannot wait to see this film. Sounds great!
Dear AICN,
There have been a few items on the website recently regarding the English dub of "Castle in the Sky", known as "Laputa" here in Japan. These items mentioned other works by Hayao Miyazaki, including his most recent film, "Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi" (entitled "Spirited Away" in English).
I saw the film a few days after it opened in Japan a few weeks ago and thought I'd pass on my two cents to you.
First, let me make it perfectly clear that I am a huge Miyazaki fan. I will not pretend that I've seen all of his works, but I have seen a great many. I have seen some of the episodes of the animated TV series "Lupin III", dubbed in English; "Lupin the Third: Castle of Caliostro", a feature-length animated movie about the same character; and "Laputa" (in Japanese). I have seen "Mononoke Hime" (Princess Mononoke) in both Japanese and English, and I would like to go on the record as saying that I liked the Japanese version much better.
My problems with the English version are the translation and the voice actors. There have been other films made recently which maintained a "period" feel throughout, successfully placing the viewer in another time and place. I feel Neil Gaiman's script was too contemporary and didn't match the tone of the original. The opening scenes in Ashitaka's village had the right qualities for the most part, but the mood was lost several times during the film. Billy Crudup came across as passive and effeminate, rather than quietly heroic. Claire Danes sounded like a whining, petulant teenager when she should have been passionate and noble. I got no sense that Billy Bob Thornton's character was cunning or menacing. I don't know whether the blame lies with whoever was directing the performers in the studio or with those who cast the actors, but I found it almost painful to watch "Mononoke Hime" in English, as did my girlfriend (who was wonderfully patient as she translated parts of the film when we watched it in Japanese together, and incredibly helpful with her translation of some of the other films and of the program for "Spirited Away", which helped me understand where Miyazaki was coming from). Give me the Japanese language version with subtitles any day.
My first taste of Miyazaki's art came one evening after work about nine years ago. (I have been living in Japan since October, 1991.) I came home and flicked on the TV, as usual, and found myself in the middle of a very captivating movie. I couldn't stop watching it, but having missed the first half I was desperate to know what happened before I tuned in. The next day, my co-workers told me the name of the film. One of them had taped it the night before and she lent me her copy. There I was, not understanding Japanese at all, engrossed in "Kaze no Tani no Nausicaa" (Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind). I can't remember how many times I have seen this wonderful since then, at varying levels of Japanese fluency.
I understand the story completely now and it is one of the few films I never tire of seeing. I long for an English dub of "Nausicaa", or a subtitled version, but I am wary of poor translations, re-edits, and inadequate voice actors. If they ever give it a go, they should ask Matt Thorn to work on the script. He translated the comics the movie is taken from into English. If you've never read them, you should. The movie is a reworking on the first 10% of the incredible story.
The real reason I am writing is to give you some information about "Spirited Away". You mentioned that you had the impression from your sources that it was "sad, joyous, and tragic". I couldn't disagree more. The movie is a delight for children, opening doors to their imaginations in ways that few films (or any other forms of storytelling) do. For adults, it is nostalgia, regardless of what culture you come from. I will not give away any of the pleasant little surprises which make this film funny, adorable, and magical, but I will set up the story for you.
A little girl named Chihiro is on a trip by car with her parents. It seems the family is moving to a new town and young Chihiro is unhappy about the change. Her parents, like typical city folk in the countryside, take a wrong turn and wind up at what seems to be an abandoned theme park in the middle of nowhere. It looks basically like a mock-up of an old hot spring resort town. To make a long story short, Chihiro's mom and dad, as if under a spell, greedily eat food that is magically on hand without paying and are turned into pigs. Chihiro, not believing these animals to be her parents, runs panicking through the town looking for her folks. When night falls, Chihiro finds herself trapped in the wrong world as it were, for this town is actually where the Gods come to rest and relax. There is a beautiful scene as the ferry bearing the Gods sails across a sea that has suddenly appeared cutting Chihiro off from her own world. Luckily, one occupant of the town, a young boy named Haku, comes to Chihiro's aid. Haku shows her how to fully enter this other world and serves as her guide as he explains what she has to do to survive. In a nutshell, if you don't work; if you take without giving, consume without being productive; you will become a pig. Chihiro takes on a job in Abura-ya (a bath house/hotel) at the cost of her true name. After a few setbacks, she adjusts to her new life, with the help and support of Lin (a co-worker), Kamajii (the spider-guy who works in the boiler room), and Haku. She's trying to get by while also working on how to free her parents from their curse and earn her freedom.
The theme may seem dark, but it is not. Miyazaki said that he wanted to remind people that children CAN and DO work in many parts of the world. They can be responsible and they can do a lot more to take care of themselves than most adults give them credit for. Miyazaki feels that perhaps we shouldn't coddle them, but rather let them learn about the real world and the rewards that come from having a goal and working towards it.
As he puts it, "Spirited Away" is not about growing up; it is about living. Miyazaki likes to center his stories around very young main characters. This project arose, in part, from a desire to make a film for kids around 10 years old. Several ideas gleaned from earlier projects that never made it out of pre-production found their way into "Spirited Away": a magical town and its inhabitants, daily life around a public bath, a behind-the-scenes look at Gods on holiday, etc. A non-Japanese person might mistakenly believe that the stories told in "Nausicaa", "Mononoke Hime", and "Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi" come from Japanese folk tales or mythology. They don't. The ideas spring from the fertile imagination of Hayao Miyazaki, and Japanese people are as surprised and mesmerized by these tales as anyone else. While some of the Gods in "Spirited Away" are based on Gods known in Japanese folklore, the way they look in the film is almost entirely Miyazaki's take on them. This is by far his most lush, detailed, visually impressive film yet.
I came away from the movie with these thoughts; I won't call them lessons because they are obvious, but all too easily forgotten:
- Don't forget who you are. Work shouldn't replace your identity.
- Remember your dreams. Your dreams and goals define you as much as your name.
- Work. Don't be idle. Don't be a "pig". Pull your own weight.
- Some things may seem scary, but upon closer examination they are not. Be strong.
- Change happens. That's life. Learn from it.
When the movie begins, Chihiro is at the beginning of a journey. Where she is going and what awaits her there is a mystery, to her and to the viewer. When the movie ends, she is still on that journey. What we see on the screen is just one stop on the way. A slice of life, albeit a fantastic magical episode. Was it all in her mind, or did it really happen? (Look closely at the end; there are two clues which answer that question.) Somehow we know Chihiro will be just fine.
Sorry to send you such a long email. Thanks for your time and thanks for the great reading on AICN everyday. You guys do a hell of a job. Sincerely,
Murdock
