Spirited Away: Miyazaki’s Modern Odyssey

The 2003 Oscar best animated feature winner, Spirited Away, belongs to a long line of beautiful films that, under the watchful eye of Hayao Miyazaki, have been hand-crafted with love and care. Spirited Away is, however, not only a product of its culture, but it also looks to comment and critique the culture that birthed it. While it is easy to become lost in the fine detail of each postcard worthy scene, the film is more than just a visual feat. It reimagines and reinterprets the hero’s journey through a Japanese, and female, lens. Through this it reinvents the epic structure for the modern audience. Do not be mistaken by my comparison of Spirited Away to The Odyssey, as it would be a disservice to call Miyazaki the modern Homer as his project moves well beyond Homer’s in both purpose and execution.

Spirited Away is heavily influenced by post-World War II Japan and its adoption of capitalism. While the film does have a few more eloquent analogies of this period in history, it certainly doesn’t shy away from placing its commentary front and center. Chihiro’s parents undergo a metamorphosis after overindulging in what looks like a sickening amount of food. What do they turn into, you may ask? The ultimate symbol of the capitalist west: the pig… the very well-drawn, very gross, pig. That is only during the first couple of minutes, however, and acts more as a thesis statement than a benchmark for Miyazaki’s social commentary. The film then proceeds to juxtapose Western consumerism with Japan’s traditional culture and spiritual practices. This juxtaposition and seemingly clashing ideology serves as the foundation of Spirited Away. The film is set in a seemingly abandoned theme park which is designed in the Meiji fashion. This place is, however, not as abandoned as it seems at first as we discover it is inhabited by spirits found in Japanese culture. The commentary on post-war Japan only begins there as the character of Yubaba, the owner of the bathhouse, is dressed in a western style and surrounded by the maximalist décor of western culture. Those who work for her find themselves housed in a minimalist space. Another interesting thing to note is the isolation of Yubaba compared to the communal arrangement of those who work in the bathhouse. These lines are blurred as even those who work in the bathhouse are rude to the protagonist and often act in less than virtuous ways. Through this I believe Miyazaki is informing the audience that this particular social issue is not merely black and white, but rather has layers of complexity…. Who would have guessed?

While that is certainly a lofty theme to tackle in any film Miyazaki wasn’t happy with stopping there. Instead, he opts to blend coming-of-age with the epic scope of mythology and legend. The aim is to highlight how these lofty themes affect the laymen and how these complexities might be interpreted through the eyes of a child. While he does adopt the classical structure of the hero’s journey, he doesn’t opt for this choice in order to satirize the form, but rather to highlight the socio-political struggle of our everyday lives. Do not think that he does not subvert the genre in some ways: the central figure is not a burly white dude with some phallic shaped weaponry, but rather a small timid girl who is more likely to drown in her clothes than to take down any multi-headed hydra. Despite this shift in physicality, I do believe that the protagonist is far braver than any Achilles; overcoming a rival kingdom seems trivial when compared to navigating an uncertain socio-political climate wherein an entire country is undergoing an identity crisis which is ultimately self-destructive. Dealing with all of this on top of having your parents become literal pigs for the sake of symbolism really does hammer home the stark difference in these heroes’ challenges.

I digress. The hero’s journey tends to be broken up into three general “sections”, each with its own intention and characteristics. The first of these is the departure – the hero begins his/her journey in the “ordinary”, the world which they know. He/she is then met by a call to adventure. In this film the call takes the shape of curious parents and a pushy gust of wind. The hero tends to refuse the initial call. Despite that they are thrust into the adventure. This leads one to ask whether it is destiny or just curiosity that drives the protagonist. The hero then meets the mentor, and in the case of our protagonist it is her meeting with Haku. He shows her the ropes of this new strange world in which she finds herself. Before entering the next “section” the hero is required to cross the first threshold. In the case of Spirited Away that threshold is quite obvious - the scene wherein Chihiro, and the audience, hold their breath as she attempts to, rather unsuccessfully, cross the bridge. Interestingly this passage is defined by some scholars as a form of self-annihilation and the film alludes to that in some ways as Chihiro physically begins to disappear. It is only when she eats the food of this “new” world that she becomes grounded in it. This assuredly ties into the previously discussed dichotomy of Japan and this process of “self-annihilation” might not necessarily be a negative. It may rather be a part of growth and the acceptance of culture and its hybridity. The scholar Joseph Campbell states that once the threshold has been traversed “the hero moves in a dream landscape of curiously fluid, ambiguous forms, where he must survive a succession of trials.” He goes on to stipulate that it is in this dream world where the hero “discovers for the first time that there is a benign power everywhere supporting them in their superhuman passage.” This description, for those who have seen the film, might seem to be directly referencing the world of Spirited Away as it is defined by spirits in “ambiguous” and “fluid” shapes. The parallels are unquestionably present.

The second “section” is referred to as the initiation. This is prominent within Spirited Away as Chihiro is initiated into the bathhouse: she is tested, she meets allies and enemies and approaches the first defining challenge. Where Odysseus had his cyclops, Chihiro has a stink spirit. In both these cases the hero is then presented with a boon that will come in handy later. Campbell describes this stage as one wherein the hero “moves in a dream landscape of curiously fluid, ambiguous forms, where he must survive a succession of trials” and if that won’t serve as a perfect by-line for this film, I don’t know what will.

The final “section” is referred to as the return and this is obviously leading to the conclusion of the film. I would rather leave some of the magic of the conclusion open to your own interpretation; however, I do feel that I need to mention that a certain “magical flight” is part of the hero’s journey and one that allegedly serves an important purpose (if nothing else it is one of the most beautiful moments in this film).

Why am I trying to prove to you that the hero’s journey is present in this film? In short, why should you care? My answer to that question is twofold: firstly, this film marks a significant shift in our cultural history - the contemporary hero’s journey is neither something belonging to the tradition of myth, nor is it something for ripped white guys. The hero is redefined and reimagined through the “coming-of-age” lens. Who, by the rigid definition, is more “heroic” than children navigating the world armed with their imagination? Secondly the hero’s journey serves as a structure to analyze a shift in society. More particularly the film examines Japanese society and how one needs to “cross the threshold” in order to understand how these two seemingly juxtaposing worlds interact and how we fit into it.

Spirited Away’s attention to detail does not cease with its intricate commentary on our complex world. The soundtrack is a thoughtful addition that enhances each scene with its delicate swelling towards a dramatic crescendo of appropriate feeling. Most notable are the visuals and the reason I haven’t spent too much time hammering home the beauty and care of this film’s imagery is that I really believe that it speaks for itself. While I would love to talk endlessly about the love put into a small dumpling drawn in the back of a scene for half a second, I feel as if its only right to point out that your viewing experience will be nothing short of a pleasure. Studio Ghibli has crafted a world that feels more real, yet more magical, than our own and it is a world you will miss by the end of the film.

While this may be a foreign world filled with talking frogs, greedy spirits and a fat baby that acts as an analogy for the American people, I can assure you that among the strangeness is one of the most thoughtful and beautiful films you will have the pleasure of seeing. Do not feel too overwhelmed by all the refences. Rather sit back, relax and enjoy what is a very enjoyable movie on any level.