![]() The time in between my clapping is ma. If you just have non-stop action with no breathing space at all, it’s just busyness. He calls these moments of calm, of cinematic downtime, “ma”. Miyazaki’s films are also famously filled with a certain type of calmness – the same kind of calmness that characterizes the daytime scenes in Spirited Away. The shift from warm to aggressive, saturated colors ties to themes of capitalist influence (Chihiro’s parents turning into pigs, the greed of the guests when No Face manufactures gold out of thin air, etc.) Thus, Miyazaki uses different hues and saturations of color to generate two spheres in the film: one of solitude and serenity, and another sphere of capitalistic chaos and greed. Miyazaki displays quaint scenes of nature and calmness and juxtaposes these with moments of greed and chaos inside the more brightly colored bathhouse. This ties into the commonly mentioned theme of losing and regaining innocence, of growth through trials, and of Miyazaki’s opinions on the perils of capitalism. ![]() On the other hand, the fluorescent, artificial lighting inside the bathhouse and the hustle and bustle of the guests in a brightly lit setting often signifies that something bad or “adult-like” is about to happen. In accordance with this temporal consciousness, Miyazaki also associates the more innocent, childlike moments of the film with warm, pastel colors. Miyazaki most likely wanted to showcase his use of color and animation techniques, but beyond that, the color serves to orient the characters and the audience in a certain time frame. As we see the color transition from pastel, calming colors of the day to the bright, fluorescent lights at night, the danger of spiritual elements and the creeping presence of artificial lighting becomes predominant. In the opening minutes of the film, Chihiro is faced with the daunting challenge of escaping before nightfall. For much of the film, the transition between day and night serves as a signifying device for danger and devolvement, both into the world of the bathhouse and into spiritual decay. It is a film between two worlds: the world of spirits and of humanity the world of youth and of experience the world of night and of day, and so forth. Miyazaki used this color matching to convey time masterfully in Spirited Away. We create time by changing the colors for different times of the day.” “We use different colors for the same things: colors for morning, sunset and twilight. ![]() “It is often said using different colors is something that Japanese people are good at,” explained Kihara. One of Studio Ghibli’s earliest producers, Hirokatsu Kihara, stressed the use of color and of color matching in creating and conveying meaning. Miyazaki’s illustration of night and day also highlights this. This nifty bit of animation by Miyazaki not only shows off his illustrative prowess, but also illuminates how thin the line can be between the human and spiritual world. This transition from human to spirit and vice versa is properly conveyed by animative processes: Chihiro’s body turns semi-transparent before she becomes solid again. For starters, Chihiro’s journey is one of a spiritual nature: she quite literally starts turning into a spirit, before Haku gives her an antidote. A lot of the themes and emotions are demonstrated through Miyazaki’s use of color as well as his manipulation of sound. Themes of spirituality, humanity, environmental consciousness, and capitalistic greed permeate the film, among others. ![]() This coming-of-age story has been acclaimed for its depth and mystical qualities, but also for Miyazaki’s masterful handling of various themes, emotions, and social issues. Chihiro thus grows through her triumphs and setbacks and emerges with a mature, intelligent demeanor when she finally leaves the mystical land with her (human) parents. She persists and earns a job from Yubaaba, the bathhouse witch, then earns the respect and trust of many bathhouse guests by cleaning the river spirit and by taming the No-Face spirit. Despite these unexpected changes, Chihiro handles the challenges with aplomb. However, she encounters a series of shocks: her parents are turned into pigs she cannot leave because the river has flooded she starts turning into a spirit herself before Haku helps her, and so forth. Chihiro first appears to be a normal, if a bit sullen and introspective, child. Hayao Miyazaki’s masterpiece Spirited Away (2001) tells the story of a ten-year old girl, Chihiro, and her trials through the world of spirits.
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