Spirited Away (2001)

The piano notes of Spirited Away's main theme "Summers Day" play non diegetically over the opening high angle shot of Chihiro lying in the back seat of her parents car. Chihiro is a spoiled little girl in a new place as demonstrated to us by the expository dialogue delivered between Chihiro and her parents and also point of view shots of her staring up at the big trees out of the windows of her parents car. This cinematography is the first time we are introduced to the technique of low angled shots being used to demonstrate to us not only a mysteriousness of the outside world but a sense of scale in relation to the characters placed on screen. Chihiro's father drives them through the woods and arrives at a large building with a black tunnel leading into it's unknown depths and a grimy statue guarding it's entrance. A high angle shot is used to show us the size of the building as the camera pans up its length. Violins play over this shot as the non diegetic score rises to portray a sense of wonder at the size and mysteriousness. Great use of mise-en-scene of the car placed beneath the building also serves to give a sense of proportion. Chihiro and her father are placed at the mouth of the tunnel in the following shots, we are shown a point of view shot looking into the dark tunnel, an ominous ambient diegetic sound is heard and a close up of Chihiro's feet is then shown as leaves and rocks blow into the tunnel past her. An ignored and scared Chihiro states "the wind is going in". Chihiro's father and mother decide to enter the dark tunnel and explore beyond. A scared Chihiro almost decides to stay behind before running after her parents. This use of film form and style give us a glimpse at the themes that are present throughout Chihiro's adventure beyond. We know that Chihiro is a scared girl and especially without her parents she has to find the determination and strength to save them. Another common theme closely related to this one is Chihiro finding the strength to let go of the world she has left behind and find her own identity. We see this later through repetition.

The closing scenes of Spirited Away also contain the main theme as we are shown a Chihiro having saved her parents and overcome boundaries to get where she is. As Chihiro leaves the mysterious world behind her and heads back through the dark tunnel she entered in the opening scenes she lingers the same way she did in the opening scenes, with a close up shot of her face, except this time she lingers because she doesn't want to leave the spirit world behind, then runs after her parents and we see a shot for shot repeat from the opening scenes, of Chihiro and her parents walking back through the long tunnel. The use of repetition in the film form and style here act as a conclusion for the themes that were introduced to us in the opening shots. The last close up of Chihiro's face and point of view shot of the dark tunnel bring the films themes to a conclusion. A once scared and spoiled little girl is no longer afraid, having found an identity. 

Spirited Away Scenes