Spirited Away comes from the wild imagination of Japanese animator, Hayao Miyazaki and has been described as an "elaborate, complicated and sometimes intense animated fantasy" by Film Forum. It charts the progress of a young girl, Chihiro, and her foolish parents who stumble into a spiritual realm filled with mythical creatures and ghosts. They fall under a curse and Chihiro must find a way to set them free. Her journey changes her as she develops patience, compassion and bravery throughout the course of the movie and is tested in love and friendship and we, the audience, are told parables about greed and sacrificial love along the way. Fairy tales, fables and shintoism abound in Spirited Away and the animation is breath-taking at times. There is much for the discerning teacher to explore and tease out in the classroom here......
Verdict: suitable for study at junior level. It is possible that some students may find this genre a bit creepy or boring but more artistic, creative students will especially appreciate the visual aspects of this movie.