Whenever I’m asked about my favorite Hayao Miyazaki film, my answer is always Spirited Away. There isn’t necessarily a right or wrong answer, but I’ve often had people tell me that Howl’s Moving Castle or Princess Mononoke were their favorite films. However, what works to Spirited Away’s advantage and longevity as a piece of cinema is the personal growth, character development, and timeless coming-of-age journey for its protagonist, Chihiro.
One of the film’s memorable scenes takes place on a train ride across a clear sea. It carries those themes with minimal dialogue and the accompaniment of Joe Hisaishi’s beautiful piano score. This scene shows Chihiro, No Face, as well as her fly and mouse companions, boarding the two-car train to visit Yubaba’s twin sister, Zeniba, at Bottom Swamp. It’s a transitional sequence that’s part of Chihiro’s maturity, demonstrating her personal determination to save someone she cares about in Haku, who is stuck in servitude to Zeniba’s twin sister, Yubaba.
The scene establishes itself with the arrival of an unassuming train riding along tracks that have been submerged under a large body of water. The train door opens and we see Chihiro greeted by a conductor, whose face we don’t see, taking the tickets for entry. White clouds fill the sky outside the train as Chihiro and friends encounter some shadowy apparitions inside. They’re all silent, with some of them sitting alone with bags or large suitcases.
No Face accompanies Chihiro, who tells him to sit down beside her as the train drives to their distant destination. Chihiro herself remains largely quiet on the train ride, adopting a stoic, emotionless expression as she and her friends peer outside the window. There’s plenty of gorgeous imagery of the things they see outside as the train passes by. The waters on the tracks are calm, clear, and serene as the scene focuses on a lone island house with a single tree. It then passes a small platform with two shadowy individuals on it and a loud bell that rings.
During this sequence, I often wondered who lived in that island house and why all the tracks were covered in water. The backgrounds look minimalistic at times and are just plain beautiful, evoking the power of nature and its awe-inspiring grandeur. We’re never given any answers or clues into the background of the environment outside of the spirit world bathhouse that Chihiro stays in, and I think that was for the best. There’s ambiguity and mystery Miyazaki wants to keep in Spirited Away, so that the focus is on Chihiro's story and her emotional growth. It’s her journey at the end of the day and although she has been in the spirit world for some time, her ultimate goal is to return to her world with her parents.
Returning to the scene proper, we see the shadowy apparitions of the passengers gradually disembark from the train. leaving Chihiro and their friends sitting by themselves. The train ride drags into the night and it feels like an eternity that we’ve been with them. The apparitions all looked like humans in their past lives and have now become shadows of what they once were. We’re never told who these ghostly apparitions are, but their forms resembled people of varying genders, ages, and shapes. This moment establishes that the real world may have strong similarities with the spirit world, but both are still quite different from each other. Yet, even after meeting various spirits and creatures, Chihiro remains unphased on her journey, with the train ride representing a respite from everything that happened to her.
There’s a shot of her on the train, where the scene slowly zooms in on her stoic face. She has a fearless gaze that displays her determination to accomplish her goal. A lot of Miyazaki’s works take their time to linger on the protagonist and the environment they’re in. The film’s story doesn’t necessarily rush the main character on their narrative journey, but takes its time to examine and focus on their motivations and choices. Chihiro’s group eventually makes it to Zeniba’s house in the swamp and are then greeted by a moving lamp post, transitioning to the final act of the film.
There are many iconic moments in Spirited Away, yet the train scene feels somewhat short and insignificant in comparison. Despite this, it’s an important scene and one of my favorite moments that I come back to whenever I do a rewatch. Chihiro’s train ride shows us how much a protagonist can grow and transition to becoming a different person.
