Out of all the Miyazaki’s films I have seen thus far this has been the most exhilarating film. This film was definitely a coming of age film just like Kiki’s Delivery Service. In the beginning the film sets up Chihiro to be a naïve and easily frightened girl. Even though she was easily frightened, her natural instincts led her to be safe from danger. Her parents are the ones who turn out to be rather naïve. When the family enter the tunnel and find the area completely empty with random food on the table the parents should have known that this was a little unsettling. The young girl seemed to be the only sensible person in the whole film other than Haku. I guess Miyazaki plays with this idea that children can see what adults cannot. Again, parents are absent from the film but Chihiro has a chance to save her parents.
Was Haku human in his past life? I was a little unclear of this because Chihiro remembers Haku saving her from drowning when she was younger. The flashbacks implied some sort of animal or creature saved her, but when Chihiro remembered Haku’s name he returned to human form. So did I miss something?
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The distinction between who is human and who isn't, as was mentioned in class with regard to Lin, is a curious aspect of the film. I guess we're supposed to think that Haku (and Lin) were once human, but it's hard to say. Since Haku evidently saved Chihiro as a river god, perhaps the transformation at the end of the film was Haku changing into a humanoid form on purpose. However, the way it was done, with the 'breaking' of his body, seems to contradict that reading. It's interesting- I'm not sure Miyazaki meant to completely resolve or explain it.
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