Spirited Away

For a few weeks I have really been struggling on what to say about Spirited Away. Its structure is so perfect to me. It begins with a definite problem (Chihiro's sadness and immaturity) and ends with a definite solution in a full circle. The adventure in the middle doesn't really leave any important loose ends. I finally realized that my thought process about this film was blocked by its status in my brain as a monolith. The film stands on its own and thus it is difficult for me to discuss it analytically. To me, all the questions and answers are already there. Answered in the films. I simply cannot think of any question I really need answered.

Without a question to ponder all I have to do is discuss the themes in the film the way I see them.

The most important thing in this movie to me is the idea of regaining the excitement for life and living it to its fullest. As a young person in a high energy society where much is already figured out for her, Chihiro has become comfortable in her lifestyle. We can assume she hangs out with her friends for the majority of her time and leads a shallow lifestyle gossiping about boys and pop idols. Once she meets Haku, who is a strong contrast to the average boy her age, she begins to understand that there is much more out in the world and waiting for her. As we discussed in class, she has much potential with no initiative to do anything about it. Once she realizes that the world holds so much more for her she expresses 500x the strength and emotion she had in the first scene. This is very important for today's society because there are many people who do not realize what to do with life. It should be cherished and lived to its fullest. This film is probably one of the reasons I value my life so much. I have very interesting talents and they are going to take me in such a unique direction. I find this individuality to be the point of living life.