NY TimesEven more than two decades after its release, Spirited Away continues to be one of the most recognized anime movies ever. Having conquered both critics and the audience, Spirited Away has sparked numerous debates regarding its symbolism. However, no other scene captures the film’s essence like one of the seemingly simplest ones.

In Spirited Away, Hayao Miyazaki gives a twist to other classic stories, like Alice in Wonderland, by making Chihiro’s inner journey the core of the film, instead of just showing her experiences in a different realm. As a result, it’s precisely its most subtle scene, the one that highlights why Spirited Away is so revolutionary and the masterpiece of Hayao Miyazaki.

The Train Scene Showcases Chihiro’s Character Growth

A Quiet One-Way Ride

While the train ride has become a fan favorite moment thanks to the iconic frame of Chihiro sitting next to No-Face, it’s true that it could be considered an extra, as some could argue that it doesn’t advance the plot and only serves to showcase a change of location. However, it contains the entire meaning of Chihiro’s journey in just a short moment.

After Kamaji gives up his ticket to her, Chihiro decides to embark on the train to meet Zeniba even though it is only a one-way ride. This proves her newly gained bravery, as initially, Chihiro was lost and scared after ending up alone in the Spirit World, but now she has matured and is willing to go to an unknown place without a secured return.

Moreover, Chihiro learned to appreciate her surroundings and move forward alone, maintaining a serene expression while observing the landscapes, determined to reach her destination for Haku’s sake. As a result, the train scene perfectly displays Spirited Away’s main theme, the passage of childhood, showing how Chihiro has learned to overcome the hardships and fears that come along with growing up without her realizing it.

The Train Scene Is the Emotional Climax of Spirited Away

The Cathartic Moment of Chihiro’s Journey According to Miyazaki

In an interview with Hayao Miyazaki in Paris at a press conference during the 2001 Nouvelles images du Japon, the director shared his thoughts about the Spirited Away‘s train scene in relation to what he wanted to convey, emphasizing the feelings and importance of the inner journey itself instead of what happens on the outside.

What, for me, constitutes the end of the film, is the scene in which Chihiro takes the train all by herself. That’s where the film ends for me. I remember the first time I took the train alone and what my feelings were at the time.

To bring those feelings across in the scene, it was important not to have a view through the window of the train, like mountains or a forest. Most people who can remember the first time they took the train all by themselves remember absolutely nothing of the landscapes outside the train because they are so focused on the ride itself. – Hayao Miyazaki.

The train ride represents Chihiro’s journey of self-discovery. Chihiro has understood who she is and where she comes from after going back to the spiritual roots of the world, learning the importance of never abandoning her identity, and gaining a renewed sense of belonging and caring for others by going out of her way to help Haku and even letting No-Face accompany her.

By wanting to convey that feeling of taking a significant step towards adulthood, leaving behind what is known,​​ the scenes convey an indescribable feeling of sadness, nostalgia, and melancholia to viewers, which is difficult to achieve in animation. This makes the train ride the most emotionally charged scene in Spirited Away.

The Simplicity of the Train Scene Is What Makes It Nothing Short of Perfect

A Moment of Reflection After the Hustle and Bustle of Yubaba’s Bathhouse

Additionally, the train scene in Spirited Away gives viewers a much-needed moment to breathe and digest the things that Chihiro had lived through until that point. Viewers have followed Chihiro as she experiences a great number of shocking events, having to get used to the atmosphere of Yubaba’s bathhouse, which is stressful, crowded, and noisy.

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For this reason, the quiet train ride featuring Chihiro, Yu-Bird, Bo, and the No-Face, without speaking a single word for most of the scene, has a simplicity that contrasts with the excesses of Yubaba’s bathhouse, which is meant to show greed, gluttony, and consumerism. This lack of gimmicks gives the scene a pure and transparent beauty that allows Spirited Away to touch the viewer’s soul.

The Train Scene Perfectly Displays Hayao Miyazaki’s Brilliant Filmmaking

The Secret Behind The Unique Charm of Ghibli’s Films

In a 2002 interview by Roger Ebert to Hayao Miyazaki, the film critic commented on how Ghibli’s films had a “gratuitous motion”, referring to scenes that don’t progress the story, but serve to give a sense of time and place and who the characters are. To this, Miyazaki answered that the Japanese word for that is Ma, or emptiness, and is added intentionally in his films.

If you just have non-stop action with no breathing space at all, it’s just busyness. But if you take a moment, then the tension building in the film can grow into a wider dimension. -Hayao Miyazaki

This breathing space was magnificently created in Spirited Away thanks to the endlessness of the sea that Chihiro witnessed through the train’s windows, with the ride only interrupted by the haunting presence of the shadowy passengers as they get off at their stations, giving the short sequence that sense of stillness where emotions shine the most. The scene is elevated thanks to Joe Hisaishi’s soundtrack​​, becoming one of the most breathtaking animation sequences by Miyazaki.

Few Films Compare to Spirited Away

Spirited Away’s Legacy Keeps Growing

In a recent list published by the NY Times where 500 actors, directors and other big names in Hollywood took the task of ranking the best 100 films of the 21st Century, Spirited Away reached the 9th position, becoming the best-rated animated movie, surpassing fan-favorite Disney films like Wall-E and Up. This feat was only possible thanks to Miyazaki’s unique approach to touching the emotional side of the viewers in Spirited Away.

What really matters is the underlying emotions–that you never let go of those. – Hayao Miyazaki.

Nevertheless, among Miyazaki’s filmography, the train scene stands out due to its attention to detail, displaying how long the trip was in the darkness as the night fell, which is elevated thanks to Joe Hisaishi’s soundtrack. Because of this care and compromise to transmit its message, the train ride became a treasure among the countless scenes directed by Hayao Miyazaki.

Source: Midnight Eye, Roger Ebert. NY Times.

Spirited Away

10/10

Release Date

July 20, 2001

Runtime

125 minutes

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