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This topic contains:
- details about Spirited Away's classification and consumer
advice lines
- a review of Spirited Away completed by Young Media Australia
(YMA) on 5 January 2003.
This section contains details about the movie, including its classification
by the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) and the
associated consumer advice lines.
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Name of movie
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Spirited Away
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Rating
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PG
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Consumer advice lines
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Supernatural themes
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Length
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122 minutes
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YMA review
This review of the movie Spirited Away contains the following
information:
A synopsis of the story
The movie begins with the Ogino family (Mum, Dad and Chihiro) travelling
through the countryside in their car on the way to their new home.
Chihiro, a ten year old girl, is not too keen on the move. Her father
makes a wrong turn where they find themselves at an abandoned theme
park, which unbeknown to them has since become a place for spirits
to come to 'relax and replenish' themselves. Chihiro and her parents
begin to explore the theme park. Her parents are transformed into
pigs and Chihiro is introduced to a scary and strange spirit world.
Haku, a young boy who serves under Yubaba the ruler of this spirit
place, takes Chihiro under his wing and begins to help her work
towards rescuing her parents and escaping the spirit world. In order
to do so she must surrender her name and serve in the spirit world
under the orders of the witch Yubaba. Yubaba gives Chihiro the new
name of Sen.
Haku, now a white dragon, gets in trouble with Yubaba's twin sister
Zeniba after stealing a golden seal, and is badly injured by her.
Chihiro must go by train across the water to Zeniba to return the
seal and ask for forgiveness so as to save Haku. Chihiro travels
to see Zeniba with her new friends Bou, Yu-Bird and No-Face. Haku
awakens to realise where Chihiro has gone and follows after her.
Zeniba forgives Haku, and it is on the way home that Chihiro remembers
where she knows Haku from. This frees him from the spell of Yubaba
as he remembers his full name.
Chihiro and Haku return to the spirit land to face Yubaba. Yubaba
insists that Chihiro must pass a test to be allowed to leave and
save her parents. She passes the test and they are set free.
Use of violence and material that may scare
children
Several scenes may be scary for children under seven:
- After Chihiro's parents are turned into pigs, she begins to
run through the restaurant village calling out for her mum and
dad. Strange 'shadow creatures' (spirits) glide by. This scene
may bring up a child's fear of being abandoned.
- The spirit creatures are strange and scary looking.
- Yubaba, the witch who runs the bath house, is strange and ugly
looking. Her head is oversized, nearly as big as her body. Her
character is also very mean and nasty, especially to Chihiro.
Yubaba transforms herself into a bird with her head on a number
of occasions.
- When Chihiro first goes to see Yubaba, the door knob talks to
her "You're the most pathetic little girl I've ever seen".
The door the flies open and Chihiro is yanked invisibly down a
number of corridors until she flies face forward into Yubaba's
office. Yubaba turns Chihiro's mouth into a zip, and zip's it
up. Yubaba calls Chihiro a 'stupid stinking weakling'. She threatens
to turn Chihiro into a piglet, and that she will 'roast and boil
her' if she doesn't work hard.
- Yubaba has three green disembodied heads which roll around the
floor in her office.
- The white-masked spirit may upset some children as it begins
to eat others in the movie, and at one stage becomes irritated
at others and enraged at Chihiro.
- Chihiro has a bad dream where she is very frightened as a number
of pigs begin to squeal and crowd around her trying to get the
herbal cake she has been given which will turn her parents back
from pigs.
- Paper birds fiercely attack the white dragon (Haku) cutting
him badly and nearly killing him. When Chihiro tries to help the
white dragon, by feeding him some of her herbal cake, he thrashes
around very violently.
- Bou, Yubaba's enormous baby, threatens to hurt and kill Chihiro
if she does not play with him. "Play or I'll break your arm"
- Throughout the movie Chihiro is feeling scared, upset, and confused
on a number of occasions. This may upset young children who may
identify with Chihiro.
Some children in the seven to twelve age bracket could also be frightened
by the scenes listed above.
Sexual references, nudity, substance use and
coarse language
None
The movie's message
- Love is important and it will win over hate or evil at all times.
One of the characters remarks "Can't beat the power of true
love". Chihiro's love for her parents and Haku is what gets
her through.
- Chihiro battles on even though she is frightened. She faces
up to the challenges which are put before her. She displays courage,
loyalty and honesty.
- Chihiro is only concerned with what is important and is not
swayed like other by their greed. For example she does not take
the gold from the white-masked spirit.
Overall comments
This is a movie that adults can enjoy with their children. However,
due to the supernatural themes it is not suitable for children under
seven and for some older children. Young children may also find
the movie a bit hard to follow and may not understand the content.
Teenagers should have no problem being able to watch,
understand and enjoy this movie.
Children under 7
Not recommended
Children aged 8-12
Parental guidance needed, depending on the parents' assessment.
Children over the age of 12
Could see this with or without parental guidance.
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