Spirited Away Flashcards
Rubric
- Upheaval between traditional Shinto Japanese society and corrupt Western capitalist influences
- Characters aspire for and are motivated by greed and wealth such as Chihiro’s parents, Yubaba and the bathhouse workers
- Activates change in audience’s attitudes and perspective regarding capitalism and consumerism
- Represents shifting values and attitudes as Japanese society moved away from traditionalism and towards modernisation and Westernisation
Characterisation of Chihiro
- Link between modernisation and traditionalism
- Recognises corruptive nature of greed and consumerism
Characterisation of Haku
- Allusion to Japanese mythology of Mizuchi (water dragon)
- Allegory for loss of identity due to corruptive influences of capitalism and consumerism
Characterisation of Yubaba
- Allegory for bourgeoisie class as wealthy and exploitative
Characterisation of Parents
- Allegory for greed, overconsumption and failing capitalism in 1980s
Context
- Hayao Miyazaki (2001)
- Japan’s new capitalist economy and modernisation pushed away traditional values and instead brought new greed and consumerism
- Japan’s Lost Decade due to the 1992 economic collapse and recession after overconsumption in the 1980s
- Amusement park and bathhouse are examples of Meiji architecture
- Shintoism has water purification rituals called Misogi (for pollution) which inspired the setting of the bathhouse
- Shinto belief that possessing someone’s name gives you control
Purpose
- Showcase corrupted nature of modern Japanese society
- Convey Japan’s past in noble light
Form
- Animated film
- Based on Japanese culture, traditions and the changing society
- Shintoist and traditionalist messages conveyed
Audience
- Understand impact of modernisation on Japanese society
- Comprehend how Japanese society has changed due to modern Western influences
- Gain understanding for importance of Japanese traditionalism and Shintoism
Capitalism, Overconsumption and Greed
Car is …
- Car is imported as steering wheel is on left meaning the car is imported as Japanese drive on the left
- “got credit cards and cash”
- Parents overeat grotesquely and turn into pigs, food takes up most of frame
- Car symbolises consumerism
- Credit cards and cash are metaphor for reliance on capitalism and consumerism during 1980s
- Pigs symbolise capitalism and overconsumption
- Grotesque imagery and food taking up the frame is an allegory for overconsumption and greed
Capitalism, Overconsumption and Greed
Kamaji’s shadow …
Kamaji’s shadow sprawls across the frame as Chiriho enters dark boiler room with pistons and jagged gears, furnace resembles pig and must be constantly fed by enslaved soot sprites
- Wide shot and metaphor for imposing nature of capitalism and hierarchy
- Contrast against bright bathhouse services
- Pig is allegory for capitalism
Loss of Identity
Chihiro loses …
- Chihiro loses the kanji in her name that means ‘to search’ and is left with Sen which means 1000
- Metaphor for capitalism stealing identity, depersonalising individuals and reducing them to a mere number
Loss of Identity
“If you completely …”
“If you completely forget it you’ll never find your way home”
- Allusion to Shinto belief that names are linked to ancestor worship
Shift from Traditionalism
“Some people …”
“Some people think little spirits live there” with abandoned shrines and torii gate leaning on tree taking up most of the frame
- Symbolism of fading spiritualism in modern Japan
- Diminishing tone
Shift from Traditionalism
Workers …
Workers and Haku dress traditionally but Chihiro is originally dressed in modern clothing, and Yubaba’s house and clothes are western
- Symbolism
- Contrast
