Film · 2001
Spirited Away
千と千尋の神隠し
Chihiro's parents are transformed after the family enters a place inhabited by spirits. She takes a job in Yubaba's bathhouse while trying to free them and return home. Strange customers, demanding work and unfamiliar rules make this a rescue adventure in which a frightened child has to act for herself.
Discussing Spirited Away with Roger Ebert, Miyazaki explained his use of pauses by clapping his hands and drawing attention to the intervals. He called that deliberate space ma. Those quieter moments let the tension expand without constant action, offering a reason to watch the time spent waiting or looking as closely as the next strange encounter.
Below the bathhouse's ornate rooms are Kamaji's boilers and the soot sprites who move the coal. Their little bodies have eyes, thin limbs and appetites: a scattering of coloured sweets turns them into a crowd of diners. The strange life of the bathhouse extends beyond its powerful guests to the workers who keep the place running.
Standalone film · Approx. 125 min · one film
Standalone 2001 animated film; excludes Live on Stage.
