Hayao Miyazaki is the famous mastermind of many memorable Studio Ghibli films including, but not limited to Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Howl’s Moving Castle, and My Neighbor Totoro. As Miyazaki plays a role in every aspect of the creation of the movie from writing the story behind the movie, drawing the beautiful scenes, to actually directing and producing the movies, he essentially had the ability to form the films into his own vision. With the fame he amassed from his popular and scenic animation films, he’s regarded as the most accomplished filmmakers in the history of animation.
Looking into one of Miyazaki’s most well known works, Spirited Away, anybody can truly see his artistic eye in producing and directing the movie. Looking at one of the earlier scenes, Chihiro and her family first entered into the “cave” that leads into the abandoned theme park. The colors of the walls were very plain and dull with soft lighting around the windows to represent a poorly, dimly lit room. The sounds of the footsteps and voices echoed slightly because of the large size of the room. Additionally, the ambient music gave a very mysterious vibe due to the unknown atmosphere. All of these little details are seen at the beginning of the movie and are very representative of what’s to come later. In a different scene where Chihiro is on a train with other spirits, the beauty of nature stands out the most. The sounds of the crashing waves, the sounds of the water splashing onto the ground around the train, and the sounds of the doors closing puts the viewer in the actual setting. The beautiful views of the sunsetting past the ocean and speeding train is very calming. Overall, his superb attention to every miniscule detail is why his films are so magical, scenic, and enjoyable.
In Spirited Away, the major overlying theme is nature. In many sections of the film, nature is displayed in great, beautiful detail to show the audience its importance. Examples of scenes of nature are the forest outside of the abandoned amusement park, the ocean where she takes the train, and the sky when she falls through the clouds. The importance of nature is seen in other parts of the film too. For example, when she was working at the bath house, she had to wash a stink spirit which is known for its smell. After she cleaned it, the spirit turned out to be a god from a polluted river. The fact that such a being was created because a river became polluted highlights how much Miyazaki believes that it’s important to be respectful of nature and to admire its beauty without hurting it. Obviously, each film has their own purposes and messages attached to the film as well. For this one in particular, one of Miyazaki’s inspirations was to teach some useful lessons to his friend’s bad-tempered daughter.
Overall, his works, especially the vastly popular Spirited Away, are intricate master pieces. First of all, the themes of nature is something that resonates with me because I believe we should protect nature at all costs. Doing things like holding onto your trash until you find a trashcan is so simple, yet effective. With our climate changing, we need more people to actively help out with our efforts. More importantly, Miyazaki’s films resonate with me because of his attention to detail. Whenever I write programs, I have to keep track of everything I do to create an efficient program. For example, I have to take care of all current issues while future-proofing as much as I can to decrease difficulty later on.
