Howl's Moving Castle: Sophie

Sophie in Howl’s Moving Castle maintains a positive attitude and optimism in the face of adversities, even when she was turned into an old woman!  She’s straightforward in her thinking and actions.  Another thing that I like about her is that she was nice, but NOT the kind of “angelic niceness” that helps everyone at the expense of herself.  Remember when she refused to help the Witch of the Waste walk up the stairs?  She's a human, not an angel.  Thus, she feels ‘real’.

Sophie's curse reflects her inner emotional state: at the beginning, she is young but her soul is old because she sees herself as an old woman, eg, has no hope that anything good will happen for her, has no dream or aspiration, etc. This is why she told herself, "Your clothes finally suit you" when she became an old woman. Note that her first shift in attitude came when she had her table-smashing outburst - something that "old", repressed Sophie would never do. Her grey hair at the end of the movie indicates that the curse is still present but it doesn't hold any power over her, unless she lets it. The curse goes away when her attitude changes. Whenever she feels young, passionate or self-confident, the spell breaks. That's why she becomes young again when she's asleep, feels loved and when she loses herself in the beauty of nature... The whole point of her character is self-acceptance and inspiring the same thing in others. When she gets cursed, her appearance changes but she’s still a person that is old at heart. But although she ends up being just a housekeeper for Howl, she gains confidence because she is loved by Howl and his companions. They value her. So she starts to value herself.

But there is one thing that drops her from my list of "favorite female characters":  When the Witch of the Waste caught fire because she grabbed Calcifer, Sophie poured water on her to save her.  Calcifer had explicitly told her multiple times that his life and Howl’s life were connected in a way that if one of them died, the other would die, too.  Given that information, she should have done everything in her power to keep Calcifer alive.  After all, Howl and Calcifer were so kind to Sophie.  The Witch had never done a single nice thing for them. Instead, she had repeatedly sabotaged them despite their kindness to her. ALSO, when the Witch grabbed Calcifer, her hands weren't getting burned at all (Sophie got burned when she touched the fire, but the Witch didn't)....  So why the hell did Sophie feel the need to dump water on Calcifer?!!  In that moment, Sophie gave up both Howl’s and Calcifer’s lives for the witch's life… She realized a few minutes later that she messed up and cried.  Yes, I understand how movies always try to preach “always be nice to people no matter what”; however, "always helping others at great costs to yourself" is not a motto I would live by.  Sophie would gain more respect from me if she could prioritize and think more rationally in stressful situations.  It was by pure luck that Howl and Calcifer survived that catastrophe.  If it wasn't, it would be the biggest mistake which she would live to regret.

Spirited Away: Not really just for kids

Spirited Away is one of the most beautiful anime movies I have ever watched.

It seems that people tend to think that cartoons should be made simple enough so that children understand them immediately -- not the kind of deep, abstract, meaningful and sometimes confusing as Ghibli films are made to be -- which is why, contrary to the belief that Miyazaki films are "for kids", I believe they are especially meaningful to adults, who are able to pick subtle cues up.  They have way more depth than Disney movies and way more craziness for the children.

You can watch Spirited Away at any point in your life and still find a lot to think about in it.  Its messages come so gently and naturally.  Enjoyment aside, Spirited Away has massive themes involved.  It's a fictional representation of one's passage into adulthood, and each encounter that Chihiro faces is representative of a person's inner conflicts between the nostalgia of childhood and the hardships and responsibilities an adult must face.  As a kid, the only thing that would appeal to me in that film is the train scene and the spirit world.  The messages are so subtle that little kids think the movie does not live up to its reputation.

It's not exactly for kids.

Spirited Away squeezes many messages into a 2-hour movie.  The outstanding soundtracks that play throughout the movie.  The memorable train scene.  But atmosphere and animation are not things that many children appreciate.  And the English dub oversimplifies things.

Spirited Away is something that sort of passed me by the first time I watched it, but really sticks with me upon 2nd watch.  I understand the story more upon a rewatch.
First time watching:  I found the characters extremely interesting and the imaginations beautiful.  I was fascinated by the spirit world and wished that our theme parks could be like it.  But many of its messages were lost on me.

Second time watching:  Now that I had already watched it once before, I knew what to look for and all the 'hidden' messages came hitting me in the face.  I experienced this film on a more emotional level and I also understood the characters more deeply upon 2nd watch.  A great thing about S.A. is that every time I rewatch it, I find something new, depending on where I am in my life.  Now that this film will stay with me forever.

Things that passed me by on the first watch:

- The contrast between the working class (Yubaba’s slaves) and the elite (the ghosts who visit the Bathhouse).

- It is said that the river is still flowing under the residences.  That's why Haku couldn't find his way home.  Where he originally met her, he exists as a subterranean river.

- At the beginning, we are shown that Chihiro’s parents are somewhat careless toward her and things they do.  Haku represents a proper guardian to Chihiro - one who is caring and helping her overcome her fears.

- Haku is willing to give his life so Chihiro and her parents can return to the human world.

- Since Haku has remembered his name, he is free from Yubaba (If he hadn’t remembered his name, he might have been “torn into pieces” by her).  Not only that, he can return to “the real world” as he says when he’s parting Chihiro.

It is a story about personal growth.  In a world without family or familiarity, Chihiro learns how to survive, live, interact and make meaningful connections with others.

Spirited Away has a level of creativity and imagination you don't see very often anymore, especially if you watch it not knowing what to expect.  It's a great story, wonderfully animated, and it's also an experience or even an adventure for some.  To me, it doesn't feel like I'm just watching a movie, more like being in a dream, and you're drawn in by a character with a plight everyone of all ages can relate to: being lost in a strange place.  I think it's very down to earth.  The way it mixes unbelievable creatures with the mundane is masterful.

Another interesting thing about Spirited Away is that there’s no real division between good or evil, which is interesting considering most Western animation always has a very clear line between who’s good and who’s evil, and there’s usually a very clear hero and villain present.  What makes Spirited Away so good is that each of the characters has good and bad qualities, and each of the characters really show both sides, which is very much like the real world.  Everyone has their better and worse sides, and they come out in different situations.  That there’s no real villain in the film that’s through and through bad like you usually would see in Western animations.

The design, look and feel of this film once again speak of Miyazaki’s brilliance.  He managed to create a unique and really beautiful world that just makes you want to be part of it.  After seeing this film, I just wanted to explore this world myself which is actually a very rare feeling.  He created an authentic world inhabited by a group of unique and intriguing characters that have all become iconic.  Each one is like nothing you’ve seen before, and each and every one of them is masterfully brought to life by the film’s amazing animators.

Spirited Away truly is a timeless classic.  Many people have described the film as a classic fairy tale, and I think it definitely lives up to that standard.  It’s an amazing story with complex characters, a wondrous world, and beautiful visuals!

Spirited Away: The Working Class

Part 2:  The Working Class

The sootballs that many of us think are "cute" are the first representation of the working class: They are small, made of dust, heavily exploited when they have to carry oversized charcoal grates and face danger near the charcoal furnace, but the sootballs still work their asses off only to get some candy in exchange.  And when they think that their jobs are taken over by Chihiro, they are also ready to fight with her.  

The second representations of the working class are Kamaji and Lin, who are also exploited as much the sootballs are.  At first, we thought that they were a bit distant and not wanting to be troubled but behind their frankness is an enthusiasm for helping Chihiro in a place where most people just know how to exploit one another.  Unlike the sootballs, Kamaji and Lin both yearn for freedom and a return to their home worlds.  Kamaji has prepared the train ticket for 40 years.  Lin works hard to earn gold for the day to be redeemed ... but both lack determination and courage.  And no one other than Chihiro has proved to them that courage will help achieve what they want.  Perhaps because they realize Chihiro’s courage, they take care of her wholeheartedly while she is in the spirit world.  This is a symbol of the goodness in the working class.

The workers also have bad side, that is, the bathroom staff are not united against the common authority figure Yubaba, but attacking their allies themselves.  Only when seeing Haku and Chihiro fighting for freedom together do they really become enlightened and support her escape from slavery.  The scene at the end of the movie is an open ending for the staff, who will soon unite to get rid of their curse as Chihiro and Haku did.

The last metaphor is Zenniba's quiet place where she lives in harmony with nature, is self-reliant and does not exploit anyone.  She is happy with her work and enjoying her leisured life but is still rich.  Her house might give you an impression that Zenniba is poor, until you see her hand glittering with many jewels...  That is Miyazaki's dream for the working class.

That peaceful place is so far away!  The distance from the Bathhouse - the metaphor for life's flimsy reality - to the Swamp Bottom is an immense gap ...  But Miyazaki showed us that hope is alive:  He enabled Chihiro, Haku, Boh and NoFace to set foot there.  This represents the hope of the young generation who will escape the Bathhouse and create a Swamp Bottom utopia.  That hope has been around since the 1960s, the last century!

So the third meaning that we see from the movie is the multi-dimensional view of the working class: hardworking, united, jealous...  Even though they might not be the ones who will create revolutions but they still keep the fighting spirit of a continuous struggle.  And then… underneath it all is the hope that is placed in the younger generation!