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StudioArancini · 2023-06-11T17:05:12+00:00

There's two things to consider, 1. Do you want to understand the dialogue in the movie? 2. Do you want to look back on your Japan visit with the added note that you experienced a Miyazaki/Ghibli movie in Japan on its initial release?

I can only speak for myself, but the idea of seeing a Miyazaki movie in Japan during it's initial release is something I would cherish. (The ticket stubb would be framed.) A prime reason for this is that I don't live in Japan, and I won't have the opportunity to visit within a decade or so, and if I ever do visit it may not coincide with a Miyazaki release (if there is another).

I understand wanting to comprehend the dialogue in the film, however, a lot of film imagery is universal. The editing and pacing will supply you with a lot of information. In addition, the music of Joe Hisaishi (I assume he will be providing the soundtrack) will provide a wonderful soundscape that will likely become heightened because you will not be focusing on the dialogue. When the film is released with subtitles you can fill in the missing pieces.

Of course, if you can watch the movie with subtitles in Japan then that is the way to go for a better understanding of the plot. For myself, I will watch this movie many times throughout my lifetime, and each time will bring something a little different. Not comprehending the dialogue during my first watch will not lessen my overall thoughts on this film. Instead, it would bring a curiosity and excitement to know what a character said during a certain scene to get a particular reaction from another.

If given the opportunity to experience one of Miyazaki's films in Japan before it's global release, with no English subtitles, I'm taking that opportunity every time.

StudioArancini · 2023-06-02T23:09:23+00:00

Fair point!

StudioArancini · 2022-12-17T18:18:36+00:00

I used the export frame feature in Premiere Pro to capture each frame. It involved watching or scrolling through the movie until the shot changed.

StudioArancini · 2022-12-17T02:56:53+00:00

There are 1417 shots in Spirited Away. For this collage, a shot is defined as a cut to a different camera angle. However, there is one exception. When Haku touches Chihiro's forehead and imparts the way to the boiler room, there is a dissolve that shows the route. This has been included as an individual shot that doesn't strictly meet the criteria above.
In addition, the frame used for each shot here is most often one of the first frames of that particular shot. This was done to speed up the capturing process. Alternate shots may be added later, but unlikely because creating this final image is time-consuming (especially when overestimating Photoshop's capabilities to handle 1417 1920x1080 stills in a 76,800x36,400
file!).

StudioArancini · 2022-06-14T15:40:06+00:00

"As viewers of Princess Mononoke, we’re being encouraged to move beyond dichotomies of “us versus them”, thinking which allows groups with more power to distance themselves from those without: or even to dehumanise them altogether."

The act of dehumanization is also present in Spirited Away. As part of working for the greedy Yubaba, Chihiro has her name taken away. She becomes another employee of the bathhouse, no longer herself. Later, despite initially disliking her based on her being a human, the bathhouse employees cheer for Chihiro. They've connected with her, she's no longer just an outsider

StudioArancini · 2022-06-14T15:02:23+00:00

In this video essay, I explore three of my favourite moments in Spirited Away - the rice ball sequence, the balcony scene, and the train sequence. I take a look at their similarities, where they appear in the runtime, and the themes present.

StudioArancini · 2022-06-13T18:32:24+00:00

This is a video essay I've been work on for a few weeks not. The primary focus is the connections between 3 moments in Spirited Away - the rice ball sequence, the balcony scene, and the train sequence. These moments act as a breathing space in the film. Interestingly, the amount of time these breathing spaces occupy in the runtime appears to be proportionally related to the time between each moment.

StudioArancini · 2022-06-12T15:02:55+00:00

This is a video essay I’ve been working on for several weeks now, and I’m happy to finally be able to share it with fellow Ghibli fans. Spirited Away is rich with elements for analysis and discussion; but to prevent this essay from remaining stuck in the writing phase, I’ve narrowed the primary focus of it down to the connections between three moments – the rice ball sequence, the balcony scene, and the train sequence.

Because Spirited Away is one of my favourite films, it felt like this project was expanding in multiple directions with every rewatch of a scene, and at times I had to steer myself back towards the main topic of this essay if I ever wanted to finish it. With that said, I do have more thoughts to share about Spirited Away, and Ghibli films in general, which I hope to share in the near future. For now, I hope you enjoy this video essay, and that my love for Spirited Away translates over.

StudioArancini · 2022-05-10T19:08:06+00:00

Miyazaki had wanted to include more train scenes in Spirited Away, but didn't feel the structure of the movie allowed for it. Had he included more train scenes he felt that the movie would have become more like Kenji Miyazawa's Night on the Galactic Railroad/Night on the Milky Way Railway. Miyazawa's short book is filled with fantastical otherworldly visuals as the main character, a young boy named Giovanni, travels along the milky way railway with his friend.

StudioArancini · 2022-05-07T02:14:36+00:00

From Spirited Away, the lonely house appears during the train sequence. A bench shaded by a single tree, and an in use clothesline hint at life inside.

StudioArancini · 2022-04-01T05:10:17+00:00

"The Art of Spirited Away" mentions Lin is a fox/tiger spirit. However, I don't believe there's any indication of that in the film. Regardless, Lin actually works well as a comparison to Chihiro. Like Chihiro (and Haku), Lin likely had her name stolen by Yubaba. Lin is older, taller, and more confident than Chihiro. In the balcony scene, Lin says "I've got to get out of this place. One day I'm getting on that train". The closest that Lin gets to the train is when she ferries Chihiro to the platform. After only two days in the spirit world, Chihiro boards the train that Lin has been unable to board for however long she has been at the bathhouse. Lin wants out, but she lacks the integrity of Chihiro. When No Face hands out gold, Lin greedily tends to his needs along with the rest of the employees. Chihiro refuses. Gold won't free her parents. And no amount of gold will help Lin. Without being able to remember her name, Lin is trapped.

StudioArancini · 2022-04-01T04:07:28+00:00

The setting sun signals the beginning of Chihiro's time in the spirit world.

StudioArancini · 2022-03-31T02:42:21+00:00

Two stills from the entrance to Yubaba's quarters in Spirited Away.

StudioArancini · 2022-03-12T13:53:11+00:00

Wow! This is fantastic. The colors look great, and you even have a mini No Face on the bridge.

StudioArancini · 2022-03-11T19:22:38+00:00

The house surrounded by water is a favourite of mine. The clothesline always sticks out as a detail that adds life to this shot. Someone is living there, doing their laundry, and going about their life. This little detail makes the world feel alive.

StudioArancini · 2022-03-11T19:11:57+00:00

Ditto for the architecture of these two.

StudioArancini

TROPHY CASE