• Third or fourth time viewing- caught it on the big screen
  • Picturesque– still-frame beauty
  • Miyazaki, if he hadn’t already, firmly cements himself as a master of surrealism—as far as cinema- along the likes of Luis Bunuel and David Lynch
  • Wizard of Oz, Alice, pantheism- Yellow Submarine and perhaps early Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands)- like expressionism and influence
  • Miyazaki is a world- creator- filled with color and imagination—draws such beautiful skylines, nature, grass and flowers
  • Love the moving trepidation allegory- very real
  • The narrative is imaginative for sure- but there’s a bit of random number generator feel to it- very unique- especially in animation with the likes of early Disney so formally and thematically buttoned-up and bookended
  • The Chihiro/Sen character is one greatest in cinema animation history- her overwhelming goodness wins over this new world— a blend of spirit, human, animal
  • There’s a darkness to Miyazaki’s world- a bit of realism- there’s isn’t Grave of the Fireflies but it can be haunting
  • Must-See film- top 5 of the year-quality