Spirited Away is an animated film created by Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki. The anime follows 10-year-old Chihiro and her parents as they stumble upon an abandoned amusement park and find themselves in a spiritual realm populated by Japanese spirits. After Chihiro's parents transform into giant pigs, Chihiro forms bonds with Haku, who helps her understand that the park is a place to stay for supernatural beings and that she must work there to free herself and her parents (Perez, 2001). Spirited Away uses techniques from both classical cinema and auteur cinema, forming this hybrid through psychologically complex characters, narrative techniques and the principle of realism. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Classical cinema, known for its strict and rigorous rules that create certain limitations for the process of creating a film, has been a form of film production in Hollywood since the 1920s. Bordwell, Thompson, and Staiger illustrate the various narrative techniques used in classical cinema in their book, The Classical Hollywood Cinema: Film Style and Mode of Production to 1960, with "...Hollywood films trying to hide their artifice through techniques of continuity and 'invisible' narration; that the film should be comprehensible and unambiguous; and that it has a fundamental emotional appeal that transcends class and nation.' Classic cinema films are known to follow the characteristics of classical works of art such as harmony, proportions and respect for respecting traditions. Characters are also commonly goal-oriented through their psychological motivation (Bordwell, Staiger and Thompson, 4).In contrast, art cinema is known to be a completely different way of producing films and was used especially after World War II (Bordwell, , 744). freer and more original narration. Arthouse cinema's characters are extremely complex and multifaceted, with various layers and difficult to place in a single "box". in its reliance on psychological causality; characters and their mutual effects remain central. But while the characters of classical fiction have well-defined traits and goals, the characters of arthouse cinema lack defined desires and goals. Characters may act for inconsistent reasons, or they may question themselves and their goals” (Bordwell, 776). The audience can see aspects of what the director wants to create instead of what he has to create, which is unusual in classical cinema. Spirited Away uses devices from both mediums to convey its narrative cohesively and to create an immersive experience for the audience. An important factor of a film using arthouse cinema techniques includes "...the film's use of 'realistic' - that is, psychologically complex - characters'. Throughout the film, we see the complexity of Chihiro's character who begins as an apprehensive and anxious young girl who has been thrown into a difficult situation and, over time, transforms into a strong and confident character Chihiro has managed to acquire these new characteristics because she does not lose her sense of self due to of the "name thief" Yu-Baaba and, as a result, is able to maintain her own identity; despite the substantial change she experiences in the film under Sen's facade. As Sen, Chihiro was able to increase own strength and courage that had always been within her, becoming more independent and acceptingcircumstances. The first moment the audience is introduced to Chihiro's personality is at the entrance to the temple-like structure and is the most obvious moment of who Chihiro was before the transformation. Here, she is seen as extremely nervous, immature, and highly dependent on her parents. He complained since his father decided to divert onto a forest path, he shows much reluctance in entering the temple-like structure that his parents are eager to explore. Trying to maintain his position outside the temple, he watches in fear as his parents seemingly caught in the darkness. Not wanting to be alone, Chihiro runs after her parents, desperately shouting, “Mom! Father! Wait for me!" Chihiro's hold on her parents is later forcibly broken when she discovers that her parents have turned into pigs. Still dressed in their normal clothes, her pig parents no longer act like humans, but rather like pigs with an endless desire to eat. Chihiro's incredulous attitude is prevalent in this moment – ​​at first, reluctant to believe that her parents have become pigs, she desperately runs towards a sea of ​​dark shadows and screams “Mom, Father !" Furthermore, she tries to convince herself that what she saw was just a bad dream, until she realizes that it is herself who is vanishing, rather than the dream. This doubt is confirmed when a surreal riverboat begins unloading invisible figures – which become tangible when they stop on the shore. Chihiro finds reassurance in Haku, who offers her help in understanding what is happening around her. Given that Haku has the closest resemblance to a human she can find, as well as his knowledge of who she is, Chihiro has no choice but to trust him. Chihiro, from this point on known as Sen, is told that to save herself and her parents she must get a job in the spirit world. After Haku takes Sen to see his parents, we see the first instance of Chihiro losing herself to become Sen as she shouts to her parents “Mother, father! It's me! It's Sen!” Haku, a character who has already lost her name, tells Sen that she cannot lose who she is and brings to her attention the note left in her pocket by her friends. In the pocket of her shorts, a note from her friends where she once lived reminds Sen that she is not what this place made her to be: she is Chihiro. Remembering herself was enough to remind her of her past and her purpose for being in the spirit world. Sen's attention is also brought to Haku's dilemma or inability to remember his own name and thus remains a prisoner under Yu-Baaba. With Sen regaining knowledge of Chihiro, the weakness she once displayed is exchanged for courage and responsibility, which in return frees her from Yu-Baaba's control. Sen's most significant moment of change and development is when he willingly sacrifices his own safety to save Haku, who by this point has been revealed to have a curse that turns him into a dragon. Knowing that to save Haku he must give him a bitter dumpling, he forces his mouth open and lowers it all the way down without regard to the sharp, fearsome teeth in the dragon's mouth. Even though the dragon had shown her threatening gestures before, Sen puts Haku's life before her own, overcoming her fears and forcing her arm into the suffering dragon's jaws. The Chihiro at the beginning of the film would never have considered such an act of courage to save someone and risk her own life in the process. This moment illustrates Sen as a character who has grown and developed into a stronger person. The change is significant; he was the only character to experience such a positive transformation anddynamics. Compared to the other characters, Chihiro's experience allowed her to psychologically conquer much more in her journey and experience a great change in herself, for the better. Narrative techniques, such as music, camera angles and film structure, also play a crucial role in evoking emotions in the audience and attaching great importance to what the characters are experiencing. As Bordwell states, the traits of classical cinema include: “Narrative time and space are constructed to represent the cause-effect chain. To this end, cinematic representation makes use of fixed cutting figures (e.g., 180 degree continuity, transversal editing, "editing sequences"), staging (e.g., three-point lighting, perspective sets), cinematography (e.g. example, a range of shooting distances and lens lengths) and sound (e.g., modulation, voice-over narration).” Spirited Away seamlessly encompasses pure melodies of optimism and courage throughout the entire course of the film as Chihiro encounters her own difficulties and must find the courage to overcome them, almost always alone. In intense, fast-paced moments the music plays at a faster pace, while more serious and dramatic scenes have a slower pace and become louder and grander. For example, in a critical scene near the end of the film, Chihiro has a flashback and remembers Haku's real name; this in turn becomes a very intense moment and, ultimately, the turning point of the film. The music at the beginning of this sequence is victorious and triumphant, a moment where the audience can share and appreciate Chihiro's feeling of accomplishment in discovering the missing piece in Haku's life. Alternatively, when Chihiro informs Haku of who she really is, the music calms down and shows an impactful moment in the plot with a point of emphasis to focus solely on the characters and who they have become. The film is also made up of various angles and shots that are used to enhance some scenes. High angles, for example, can be used to show someone or something as minor and/or unimportant. This can be seen at the beginning of the film when Chihiro and her family drive to the entrance of the amusement park, there is a high angle shot of the car, showing its inferiority to the entrance. Low angles can be used to show someone or something as superior, something that is very significant, or to show intimidation. For example, when Chihiro is trying to get a job from Yu-Baaba, he starts threatening Chihiro. A low angle shot is shown on Yu-Baaba, demonstrating his dominance over Chihiro. Wide angle shots are normally used to give the audience a perspective on a vast landscape. This can be seen when Chihiro and her family first enter the amusement park, there is a wide shot of the grassy hills with the wind blowing over them, which gives the audience a view of the landscape, while also creating time a hint of mystery. Finally, tracking shots are used to follow someone or something nearby, normally in a chase. For example, Chihiro's first moments alone in the spirit world find her running through the streets trying to find her parents. This tracking shot is taken from a distance and evokes emotions of fear and isolation. Spirited Away also follows a very conventional narrative structure championed by classic cinema. The standard basis of classical cinema begins with the “First, 'cause' or beginning; secondly, development; third, crisis; forward, climax or effect; fifth, epilogue or sequence... Now the ideal required a unified chain of causes and effects, varied by complicated circumstances(the development), which concluded with a definite action which resolves the chain into a final effect (the climax) and which lingers until establishing a new status situation at the end.' The cause, Chihiro discovers that her parents were transformed into pigs, dictates the complex situations that Chihiro must overcome: losing her name, convincing Yu-Baaba to give her a job, as well as finding her courage and saving Haku. The climax and conclusion of the film intertwine smoothly, forming a satisfying and successful ending for the characters. After Chihiro gives No Face the rest of the medicine, causing him to vomit up all the people he ate, she brings him to help her deal with Zeniba, Yu-Baaba's twin sister. Meeting Zeniba alone, she discovers that she is Yu-Baaba's opposite and is actually a kind old woman. Haku comes to get Chihiro and she remembers his name. By telling him that he is a river spirit, they managed to free themselves from Yu-Baaba's control. Chihiro wins Yubaba's bet that he will not recognize his parents as pigs, freeing everyone. With her parents unaware, Chihiro returns to the human world, but she is forever changed, no longer afraid of something as simple as moving away from home. Spirited Away also uses the element of realism to connect audiences to real-world issues and personal struggles, such as the power our identities hold and the blurred lines between what is considered good and evil. According to The Art Cinema as a Mode of Film Practice, “art cinema motivates its narratives with its principles of realism and authorial expressiveness… art cinema defines itself as realistic cinema. It will show us real places and real problems” (Bordwell, 776). Understanding the importance of one's identity in Spirited Away comes from the rules of the world in which the film is set. At first viewing, the rules seem distant or simply for the sake of making this film seem "otherworldly", but upon deeper understanding, it is very evident that these rules are not that different from ours as they are philosophical representations of our consciousness and what happens internally rather than having an external effect on our reality. When Chihiro is first brought to the spirit world, she becomes translucent as she begins to fade from existence. Chihiro realizes that she doesn't belong in this world, she has no ties, and it seems that because she has no relationship to that world that keeps her there - no identity or purpose - she simply doesn't belong in that world and must be erased; that is until Haku arrives. “Don't worry, I'm a friend,” he says and as he gives her a piece of food, Chihiro becomes tangible again. While this moment may seem small, it is one of the most noteworthy as by consuming the food, Chihiro is provided with an identity for this society through her alliance established as a result of her bond with Haku; someone in the spirit world to let her in. In this regard, food often symbolizes a "peace offering" within the film, yet this sequence establishes a union that prevents it from floating away; a new persona that allows her to remain in the spirit world due to her ties to Haku. Spirited Away also shows each character with a combination of good and bad characteristics. Characters who seem good at first, like Haku and Faceless, have their share of evil qualities through mysteriousness, secrecy, and literally consuming other characters. On the other hand, those who seem bad at first, such as Zeniba, Kamaji, and Lin, become vital in Chihiro's escape to the human world. Spirited Away and its ability to blur the lines between good and evil is a much more realistic depiction of our world. In the end, evil does not come.