GHIBLI BOSS HAYAO MIYAZARI IS SO HANDS-ON HE'S EVEN BEEN KNOWN TO COOK NOODLES FOR HIS ENTIRE STAFF AT THE END OF A HARD WORKING DAY
Spirited Away is like experiencing Alice in Wonderland or Star Wars for the first time
The \\Hl'tI (ihihli ineans ‘hot \\ ind hlou in; through the Sahara desert'. and “as Used during the Seeond World War h} Italian pilots to deserihe their seouting planes. When he set up the eonipan} \xith direetor lsao 'lakahata. Una/an said: let‘s hlou a sensational \sind into the norm ol' imagination.‘ ;\nd that's e\aetl_\ uhat his films do.
lake The (‘rimwn l’iu. a film ahotll an Italian lighter pilot eursed to In e as a pig. or KIA/X /)t'/llt'l'\ .S't'ri'it‘t'. a milight lantas} ahout a little girl \\IltisL' training as a \xiteh ilIIt)\\s her to prexent a Zeppelin disaster. .II\' Mfg/Ilium IUIUIU teatures a eat that's also a hus. It‘s ealled a eathus. .-\nd l ha\en't e\en mentioned illi' I’l‘it'ntlx I/u' )iumu/m or .Vumit't'u or HIV Iit//t'\ u/ I/lt’ Ii'tllt/ ol' Ali/lt' ('ttxl/t' HI ('ttu/ttM/I‘u. 'Iihese characters all ll). litei‘all} and Inelaphot'ieall}.
l’ushing the boundaries further. (irui't' u] the lire/lies depicts the small deaths ol l\\o ehildren stil'iering from radiation poisoning in Hiroshima. l-roin the opening line 'ln I‘HS. on the night oi 3| Septeniher. I died' it's a heart-rending adaptation oi the nmel h} .-\ki_\ uki litkahata. \tho sau his on n sister die oi stanation. It shows the depth ol \Ii}a/ari's belief that their output 'prohes into the depth ol the human mind. that “IIICIl illustrates the jots and .sorrou s of me as they tea“) are'.
Studio (ihibli films eoine to us from another etilture. and the experience of \x'atehing them is like hearing a new story as a ehild. Think of the first time you experienced T/it’ ll'imrd of 0: or Alive In li'underlund or Star Him. They're that good. And .\Ii_\'a/ari'.s still not retiring. eurrently at his desk direeting an adaptation of Diane Wynne Jones‘ hook Hun/K .ilui‘mu Cast/(l.
So eome and join me in the corners at parties. and let's talk about ships that fly oxer rainbows. castles in the sk). and the places u here the spirits come to rest. Look at the pietures. and let‘s get Spirited:lii'ui;
Spirited Away opens on selected release from Fri 12 Sep. See review, page 25.
18 THE LIST -'-