On Friday, the 14th of October, New York Film Festival showed a special 10th anniversary screening of Japanese Studio Ghibli director, Hiyao Miyazaki’s, Spirited Away. The showing was at Francesca Beale Theater in Lincoln Center. The Beale Theater recently opened last summer and features modern architecture with a clean, stylistic flare. However, the modern design does not take away from the intimacy of the theater; it can only seat 144 people. As for the actual film, Spirited Away, was about an young girl who gets trapped in a spirit world and must work in a traditional Japanese bathhouse to save her parents and return to the human world. The story focuses on her transformation from an immature to an independent child who learns the value of love, friendship, and hard work. Being one of my favorite films, I wasn’t expecting any surprises,
but I continuously noticed the music. Studio Ghibli films always have an exceptional soundtrack, but for some reason, the music seems foreign and new to me despite having seen the film. I almost questioned if the Beale Theater featured new music, but I suppose it was the new theater setting with great acoustics that commanded my attention to the profound soundtrack.
If anyone has never watch it, I also highly recommend it. I admire Miyazaki’s colorful imagination and he raises animation to a new level; Spirited Away does not only entertain, but also reflect some issues such as environmental issue, and moral issue. The old river spirit comes to the bathhouse with stink smell and uncountable junk; this reflects pollution of rivers in our real world. No-face is initially kind, but after he enters the bathhouse, he become greedy and evil. He swallows people and demand food and pleasure. No-face represents people in real world who lose their conscience after they enter cruel real society.
I also love soundtracks in all Miyazaki’s animation. I wish there would be a concert in New York which performs those soundtracks. That would be wonderful and unforgettable.
agree completely with Jimmy. Though I thought it was just weird the first I saw it, I read about it online before watching a second time, and it really is a work of art. The art, animations, concepts, and music are all top notch.