Spirited Away

[Mesh]

The English language dubbing, is to put it mildy, a travesty that destroys all the magic and power in ambiguilty the original Japanese version had. This version does not allow the scenes to play out in the silence of the characters doing what they are doing as in some scenes, but jams itself with dialogue that tries to push the jokes and meanings of what everything in the world is.

I'd seen only the English dub, and, yes, it left me with this palpable feeling of having had something poorly explained or related to me.  Spirited Away made me feel so non-Japanese, and I wonder if that was the intent or if the film was meant to be mysterious even to those within Japanese culture.  (I actually theorized that knowing the Japanese language might've helped—there are lots of un-translated words onscreen).

Last night, I played the DVD with the dub on and the English subtitles on as well.  The subtitles were far more terse and made the translation seem overly-Americanized—not to mention that factual data seemed "missing" from the subtitles (perhaps it was simply not there to begin with).  However, that same sense that I was getting less than half the story, that some of the plot was governed by meaning while some of it was utterly arbitrary—that sense of the film remained for me.

Too bad, because it feels like even if I re-watch the film in its Japanese, subtitled form, the dub version has pointed my analytical mind in directions that Miyazaki probably never intended—I now want Spirited Away to obey rules and make sense, but it simply might not.

Still, I think no matter what happens, I'll regard Princess Mononoke as the better, more focused, more important, and more restrained of these two outstanding films.  It's the one I think I'm more likely to carefully rewatch.

[Gold Trumpet]

Mesh,
The dubbing controversy on this film is indeed a mess and reminds me of the major difference between direct entertainment minded films and those that are not. I said in another post that Blow Up/Blow Out was a great example between the difference of commercial cinema and art cinema. This is another great example, but is at the cost of a great film in the process to most American viewers. The more and more I see this film in its original Japanese language, it grows. I understand why you would go with Princess Mononoke as best, but I think there is a way for you to get the viewing experience back from this film. Just shelve all viewing of this movie for like a year or so and from then on, only watch the Japanese version and maybe all connections to the english dubbed version will be lost enough to look with "eyes unclouded" (Mononoke term) and let the original grow on you with each viewing. Miyazaki is a great filmmaker and one of the best working today and even in the shit mess his film has been given, this still should be understood of him.

~rougerum

[Mesh]

Just shelve all viewing of this movie for like a year or so and from then on, only watch the Japanese version and maybe all connections to the english dubbed version will be lost enough to look with "eyes unclouded" (Mononoke term) and let the original grow on you with each viewing.

That's a pretty good idea.  I think I'll shelve all of Miyazaki's work (excluding Mononoke) for a year, so that I can sorta cleanse my palate.

It's odd that I actually want somewhat less from Spirited Away than what Disney tried to give me.  Obviously, though, their tactic paid off, at least in the strictly monetary sense.

[ono]

So earlier Friday night, I finally got to see Spirited Away on the big screen.  I was so excited.  Then about a minute into it, my stomach sank as I heard the characters speaking English.  No subtitles.  Crap.  Dubbed version.  On the big screen.  I thought the committee I was on that organized these films for campus screenings knew better, but perhaps it was the company's fault: I don't even know if there's a subtitled version in the US, considering how studios think we're stupid Americans.

But, bottom line is I was looking forward to seeing this film on the big screen with subtitles and everything.  The crazy part is I was very tired going into this screening.  I had just gotten out of a Finding Nemo screening (a film which, yes, gets EVEN BETTER a second time around), and was working on only about four hours of sleep.  So I ended up dozing off for a few minutes, about 20 minutes into the film or so.  I woke up and Sen was pretty much involved with the bath house, so it doesn't seem like I missed much.

Needless to say, GT was pretty much right.  And I think awaking in the middle of a scene adds to this: that this film is so much like a dream, like a creation of another world, that I'm in awe that I have never seen anything like this in my life.  But what bugs me is I feel I'm missing out on the subtleties GT speaks of.  Of course, at the same time I'm thinking that I've picked up on these things, too, because I got that sense of what GT described throughout the whole film without reading what GT wrote before hand.

Question is, now, there's another screening tomorrow night.  Same film, dubbed in English.  I'm debating whether or not I should go and see it again, and perhaps watch Finding Nemo again as well.  Got a poker game to get to, too.  Who knows.  Question really is, what am I really missing by not seeing the subtitled version?  I guess I'm answering my own question, because I'll probably end up buying the DVD eventually.  Any comments on what the DVD is like, though, before I commit?

And yeah, what all I was awake for was amazing.  I was a bit lulled at first.  Some of the dialogue WAS bad, because of the language barrier.  But once that big thing of sludge came in, I knew I was in for something unique, and it really delivered.  So yeah, Badlands, Finding Nemo, and Spirited Away in one day.  That's pretty great.  And I'm ranting deliriously right now so I'm gonna shut up and go to sleep.

[SHAFTR]

I rented this film with my g/f and her parents about a half year ago.  I knew it had received stunning reviews, but that is all I knew.  So, we are sitting down watching it and I notice it is in english.  I spend a good half hour trying to figure out if it's dubbed or not (since the job on matching the mouths, etc is excellent).  I found the film to be boring and I just couldn't believe how long it felt.

Flash forward to a few months later, I find it on dvd for $9.  I pick it up, go home and watch it subtitled.  Now, for whatever reason the film just seemed to run at a brisk pace and I fell into the story.

I don't really know the difference between the subtitled and dubbed versions, but from what I've read is the ambiguity is taken out in the subtitled version.

[Gold Trumpet]

Ono..........STOP. DO NOT WATCH SPIRITED AWAY AGAIN DUBBED. You're lucky to have been able to sleep through much of it the first time around and miss some very crucial flaws in the dubbed version. The film needs to be seen subtitled. The dubbed version TAKES away all the amguilty in the subtitled one. My heart breaks for all the people who know only the dubbed version. You need the dvd because it allows for the subtitled version to be seen.

[pete]

if you like miyazaki at all watch crimson hog, it's his best work.

[ono]

So then I'm thinking about getting it on DVD.  Should I get just Spirited Away, or the Miyazaki three-pack with Castle in the Sky and Kiki's Delivery Service?

[ono]

^^^
What he said.  Anyone have any opinions on those other films?

[Chest Rockwell]

I'm a Miyazaki virgin.

[Gold Trumpet]

^^^
What he said.  Anyone have any opinions on those other films?

They're enjoyable and I own them. Castle in the Sky is much more thought out and and a lot more enjoyable. Kiki's Delivery Service is intentionally minimal, but I still thought there should have been more to it. I'd recommend.

[pete]

they're both great.  kiki's a little girly though, but still great.  Miyazaki really hasn't made a bad film.  his worst one, IMO is nauticaa, and even that was pretty good.

[Sebastian Haff]

I haven't seen Castles, but Kiki and Spirited were both great in their own ways.

[ono]

I'm a Miyazaki virgin.

Pop that cherry already.  Miyazaki is true love, and he'll be gentle.

It really is eerie how amazing Spirited Away was.  Even though I saw the dubbed version, and slept through a portion of it, it has this quality that all the greatest movies have where it sticks with you because of this fanciful, otherworldly tone it sets.

[MacGuffin]

Walt Disney Home Entertainment have announced three animated masterpieces from Hayao Miyazaki, the genius filmmaker of Spirited Away, the Academy Award winner for the Best Animated Feature Film of 2002. My Neighbour Totoro, Nausicaä Of The Valley Of The Wind and Porco Rosso will each be available to own from the 31st August this year, for around $29.99. Each will be presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen along with Dolby Digital Surround Sound tracks for My Neighbor Totoro and Porco Rosso. Nausicaä Of The Valley Of The Wind will receive a Mono track. Each two disc set will also feature the original Japanese language track, complete storyboards, featurettes that go behind the microphone and more.