Spirited Away
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ith the fantasy of magical entities, the perils of defining one’s identity and the courage that comes with having to face the unknown, Japanese director Hayao Myazaki’s anime, “Spirited Away,” provides a visually stunning, yet perfectly c h a o t i c journey through his imagination. “Spirited Away” tells the story of Chihiro, a young girl who stumbles upon an abandoned amusement park with her parents while on the way to their new home. Chihiro meets Haku, a boy with a dragon spirit, who informs her that she is in a town inhabited by dangerous demons and evil spirits. Exploring the area, Chihiro’s parents decide to dine and dash at
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one of the abandoned restaurants, resulting in them mysteriously turning into pigs. With the help of Haku, Chihiro must navigate her way through this unknown realm in hopes of returning to her world and saving her parents. Unlike other animated films, “Spirited Away” pushes the envelope in that it is both vivid with its artistry and unconventional with its storyline. The characters, from the innocent Chihiro to the vile witch Yubaba, show stark contrasts which are unexpected, making the film that much more striking and compelling. Miyazaki also manages to distort his characters to instill a more realistic human quality of being. He shows the dark and twisted consciousness that lives within them as well as the light, optimistic side, blurring the line between good and bad.
“It’s one of the most vibrant, entertaining and stunning animations that exist,” Jasmine Venet, a senior at Paly, said.Venet is an avid Miyazaki fan. “If you look at each panel of the film, you’re sure to find something beautiful and bizarre that somehow manages to fit perfectly with one another,” she said. “That’s what I think is so timeless about the film: it’s ability to seamlessly incorporate both the weird and the normal.” “Spirited Away” proves itself to be not only a film, but a unique and invaluable experience for the viewer.
PUlp fiction
ulp Fiction” is iconic filmmaker Quentin Tarantino’s masterclass, which soaks the viewer in a delirious world packed full of meditative and funny dialogue. “Tarantino aims to change the way in which stories are told, especially the way you interweave these stories with blood and violence,” Paly senior Dylan Duncan,said. “Every character in the movie is so polarizing yet captivating.” Often called ‘the most quotable movie of all time,’ the release of “Pulp Fiction” in 1994 is now seen as a landmark in cinema history. It made its way onto college dorm
posters, Urban Outfitters t-shirts and into the heart of anyone who appreciates a good film. It tells three stories with three different characters. The first story tracks Vincent Vega, a hitman who just arrived home from Europe. The second is about a famous boxer trying to find his veteran father’s watch. The movie closes with Jules, Vincent’s colleague, being held hostage during a robbery. “Tarantino sets up [simple] dialogue to have the audience entertained throughout the scene and waiting in anticipation to see what will happen next. To him, it’s too easy to fol-
low a traditional story structure,”Paly Senior Nicolas Diaz said. “Pulp Fiction” became a sensation because of the ambiguity of the briefcase; some people think it’s even Wallace’s soul.” Tarantino’s style is famous for a reason: incredibly crafted dialogue said by unique and lovable characters pervade his entire filmography and everyone influenced by him.
Text by MAHATI SUBRAMANIAM and RAJ SODHI • Design by MAHATI SUBRAMANIAM • Art by ELLEN CHUNG
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