Spirited Away: 10 Most Beautiful Moments of Animation
Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away is a marvel of animation, a true masterpiece of the genre. Every beautiful scene, drawn by Hayao Miyazaki, is a work of art. The film, which centers on Chihiro, a little girl who gets inadvertently trapped in the Spirit World and must fight to save her parents, features many exquisite backdrops. As the Spirit World unfolds before Chihiro there is more and more beauty to uncover.
Here the film's best, most beautiful, moments of animation, from meeting the dancing soot spirits to riding on the lovely Spirit World train.
10. The Abandoned Theme Park
When Chihiro and her family first stumble upon the bridge to the Spirit World and the bathhouse, it takes on the appearance of an abandoned theme park. The beautiful sprawling green plains, and the perfectly deserted seeming temple, with its slight sense of foreboding and decay, begin the movie right with their beauty.
As the wind flows through the grasses, the audience knows they are watching a beautiful movie.
9. The Spirits Come To Life
As the sun sets the Spirit World dances to life in front of Chihiro, with ghostly specters appearing from nowhere, lights turning on, signs appearing, colors blooming into existence, and life flowing from every corner. The climax of the scene occurs as Chihiro takes off running and splashes right into the water.
This complex symphony of illustration makes the scene one of the loveliest moments in the movie.
8. The Soot Spirits Dance
The soot spirits, who love their sprinkles, offer a contrasting, but no less marvelous, style than the rest of the film, which is done up in elegant lines.
They are more cute than stunning, but they are adorable. Perfectly animated to win the hearts of any viewer, especially when they coo happily for their sprinkles or act up to try to get Chihiro to do their work for them.
The River Spirit's bath begins as one of the grimiest and most disgusting scenes in the movie, as the polluted river pulls mud and trash with him everywhere he goes. But, thanks to Chihiro, he is able to be free of all that has been poured inside of him.
In a flash, the scene changes from mud and slime to stark white and gold, cleanliness of the highest degree. A true act of animation genius.
In an emotional turning point, Chihiro hits her breaking point and goes to the garden to cry. Haku finds her and sits with her, offering her a special food which soothes her. As she eats, her tears billow into huge bubbles and slide down her face, as the garden stretches behind her, lovely and soothing.
This scene conveys gentleness in its every brush stroke.
After a storm passes, the Spirit World and the Bathhouse are overrun with water which laps gently and endlessly out to nowhere.
The water is so incredibly animated and the scene holds an incredible serenity to it, as Chihiro watches the waves and the brightness of a new day.
Chihiro leaves the bathhouse to go and visit Zeniba in a bid to save Haku's life. While she's not sure what to expect, it turns out the witch lives in a cozy cottage in the middle of nowhere.
As Chihiro explains the situation, she and her friends have tea with Zeniba in what is one of the coziest feeling scenes ever. There is a true sense of safety that comes with the hustle and bustle of Zeniba's small house, as she pours tea, offers cakes, and takes out her knitting. It's a scene that encapsulates the true essence of comfort in its beautiful lines.
Periodically, Chihiro has memories of falling into a river, which turns out to be her link to the mysterious Haku. The memories are painted in sepia tone and carry with them the quality of a dream.
The animation of the flashbacks is watery and fluidly imprecise, the way a half-remembered dream would look if drawn on the page.
As Chihiro finally remembers who Haku is and gives him back his name, Haku loses his dragon form and the two of them fall together through the clouds. The sequence goes from the sudden intensity of transformation to a beautiful, gentle drift as Haku and Chihiro really find one another for the first time.
Chihiro and Haku's eyes glow as they clasp hands, both at peace at last.
Of all the scenes in the movie, the scene on the Spirit Train is by far one of the most beautiful. The sequence carries with it the feeling of golden late afternoon and the actual essence of being gently lulled by travel.
As light passes through the windows and nameless, faceless spirits board and leave the train, the viewers are transported into a world other than their own, one of pure beauty and serenity. The beautifully animated water also makes a reappearance combining with the sun drift and the elegant music of the sequence to create something truly stunning.
By Rotem Rusak of Screenrant
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