Chihiro in Wonderland

Hayao Mizayaki’s masterpiece Spirited Away follows the adventure of ten-year old Chihiro, who traverses an alternate world in efforts to save her parents. Chihiro’s family becomes lost and runs into an abandoned amusement park, where a witch, Yubaba, turns her parents into pigs–a 21st century version of The Odyssey and Circe. The fantasy elements of the plot make the film what it is–a spectacular and captivating visual experience.

And what better method of mimesis than animation? Miyazaki is given many liberties through this technique, but Aristotle may disagree with his heavy use of spectacle. Nonetheless, the plot would not be the same without the magnificent spirits and scenery of the spirit world. The film may seem episodic with its different scenes, but there is a logical flow through them, all leading up to the heartwarming climax. The audience cheers for Chihiro throughout her quest in which she befriends the enigmatic spirit No-Face,  the dragon-morphing Haku, among other memorable characters. We also can’t help but feel concerned for her when Yubaba steals her name or when Yubaba threatens to kill her parents; Aristotle asserts that these feelings of pity and fear are key products of a great drama.

The film is poignantly wrapped to a close with two instances of anagnorisis. Indeed, Chihiro literally does recognize Haku as the river spirit who saved her life as a child and correctly recognizes that none of the pigs are her parents. Catharsis, too, is induced, as all our feelings of distress and sympathy for Chihiro dissolve into sentiment.