There is something very satisfying about a story being perfectly told. It’s even more satisfying when it’s aided by visual cues and music, just like films. Imagine watching a film and not engaging with what’s on the screen. What is the point of watching if it doesn’t grasp you from beginning to end? Sure, some films are made with a purpose, but besides those unique cases, a film should grab you by the hook and never let you go. It is important the filmmaker remembers that because no matter how he or she decides to tell the story, the telling of it must be engaging and interesting.
Fantasies, especially fairy tales, have the advantage of following a mold that makes storytelling easier to follow. Most of the movies in this genre are based upon stories told long ago, by the oral tradition and the written one. Disney, the epitome of fantasy, has had lots of success because of these stories. But you must ask yourself: how much of their success has to do with the story itself rather than the way the story is being told? Remember, these stories existed before the studio and the studio has gone through dark times TWICE even though the stories selected during those periods were good. What about original stories? The Harry Potter saga, before coming to the big screen, was a complete literary success thanks to J.K. Rowling’s way of telling such a complex story to kids. Although she was creating a new world, she made it easy for her young audience to understand everything.
Film is the same; you must be conscious of your audience, even if you do the film for yourself. I’m not saying you should make it easy for the audience to the point of treating them dumbly. That is a big mistake some new filmmakers make, especially with exposition. There is nothing more distracting than too much exposition, even when the world is new. A storyteller’s job is to make sure the story being told is easy to understand without the need to explain too much. In other words, give the audience the instructions, but let them tie the shoelace themselves. It is a give-and-take kind of game. Two films that do this perfectly are two of my all-time favorites. Both are members of the Fantasy genre and are also helmed by two of the best storytellers cinema has ever given us.
Spirited Away (2001) by Hayao Miyazaki and Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) by Guillermo del Toro are two films that are very alike in many ways, but so different in others. Both are fantasy films, both are original creations based upon existent mythology, both are led by girls in a crucial moment of change in their lives, and both of them end up in a world beyond the real world they live. As for differences, obviously the style (one is animated, the other is live-action), the circumstances of their arrival to their respective fantasy worlds (one wants to go there, the other doesn’t want any of it), their reality (one lives in a dark moment of history while the other is fine), and their respective fates (no spoilers). Those are the details that they share, but this is just touching the surface. Their real connection, what makes them a worthy back to back is how both stories are told.
A story begins and quickly introduces the characters we’re going to hang with for a while. We hear their first words, we notice their attitude, we see their atmosphere. We also identify other characters: antagonists, secondaries that help the protagonist, and others. Both Miyazaki and Del Toro do this in the first 20-25 minutes of their respective films. Miyazaki has Chihiro, Haku, and Yubaba. Del Toro has Ofelia, Mercedes, and Vidal. We are also introduced to their respective fantastic worlds rather quickly. In one case we stay there for the entirety of the film, while in the other we enter and exit when necessary. This is only the introduction, the first act. It runs smoothly because both directors use the natural flow of the story to do this.
Take Spirited Away: we meet Chihiro, we end up in an unknown place, Chihiro meets Haku while walking to learn what is this place, we discover what the place is, we know she needs to get out but can’t (conflict), we learn who is Yubaba. Now, let's take Pan’s Labyrinth: we meet Ofelia (and her mother), we learn where are we going, we meet Mercedes, we meet Vidal, we see the labyrinth. We confirm what it is with Mercedes’s info; a fairy we already met takes Ofelia to the labyrinth at night, we meet the Faun, and we learn our conflict. In both cases, as I said, this occurs in the first 20-25 minutes of the films. The directors gave us the instructions we needed to understand everything that happens hereafter. All of this is done through the natural flow of the story; there was no comment added or a flashback, or an unnecessary stop. Everything is very linear and easy to follow without giving too much.
The rest of both movies is filled with moments like these, where the storyteller needs to introduce something, but it uses the instruments that cinema has that makes storytelling easier to follow. Clever editing in Pan’s Labyrinth is used at various times as a bridge to move from one setting to another without leaving the same frame. One great example is when Ofelia is doing her first task. In that scene, we are with Ofelia moving through the forest, but at the same time, Vidal and his men go to the forest. Instead of doing an abrupt cut that let us know we are changing from the storyline, Del Toro and editor Bernat Vilaplana use an almost invisible wipe transition, taking advantage of the shared scenery (the forest) of both storylines. It’s a creative way of continuing the story without disrupting the flow and rhythm.
In Spirited Away, Miyazaki and composer Joe Hisaishi use the music to let us know the mood of the scene. One example is the way music changes in the scene when Chihiro reveals Haku his real name. We already know how Yubaba uses names to control her people, so we also know the importance of names. This scene, which is already beautiful because of Miyazaki’s scenery work, takes another level when the name is revealed because it means freedom for Haku, but above all happiness, something the celebratory music let us know.
Another element is the cinematography. Yes, animated films have cinematography. One small scene that perfectly exemplifies this is when Chihiro and Haku try to cross the bridge to the bathhouse. Pay attention to how the camera angle changes various times in a lapse of 35 seconds, from an establishing shot to a medium three-shot. The establishing shot is used so we can see the location we’re going; the various medium shots are used so we can see Chihiro’s and Haku’s reactions while crossing the bridge. There are also two full shots that show us the height of other characters relative to our two main characters, various points of view to see what Chihiro is seeing, and an over the shoulder full shot that introduces one special character to the story. Cinematography is used to tell without talking.
Del Toro and Miyazaki also give themselves some favor by making their stories relatable. Del Toro engages us in Pan’s Labyrinth from the beginning by telling us the ending, just like that. He knows we will be interested in knowing how we got there, but he also knows the journey must be as engaging. That is why the introduction is so smoothly told and so is the rest of the story. As if that wasn’t enough, Del Toro uses a real historical event (the Spanish Post Civil War Era) to hook us because most of us know it happened, and we know how horrible that moment in history was. We sympathize with Ofelia because no one wants to be in her situation. We also want to escape to the labyrinth and the fantastic world it promises.
Miyazaki, on the other hand, uses a simple event (moving out of town) as a catalyst because almost all of us at some point in our lives have moved from their original home. An adult might take the change easier, but a kid might not because for them any change seems big, especially if it happens after a while. We understand Chihiro and her childish behavior, we were all kids at some point, right? We also understand her fear when everything turns upside down for her in the Spirit World. We also understand the frustration of beginning anew. Not only that, but we also know that life, for it to become better and obtain what we want, we must endure. Chihiro represents every person that’s afraid of change, but that after tasting it, we evolve and become a better person.
These films are more than entertainment. Both represent life in a fantastic way, but also serve as lessons of what to expect from it and how to overcome its difficulties. Like fairy tales before them, Spirited Away and Pan’s Labyrinth are Miyazaki’s and Del Toro’s way of sharing valued lessons of life in the only way they know to, by telling a story. Using the abilities and imagination life itself has given them, they have done more for humanity than politicians would ever dream of. If you feel like watching something fantastic, well told, and with something to learn, you might consider this double feature night I highly recommend. Both films are excellent and although I’m biased, I don’t say that plainly. Both also serve as a great way for future storytellers to learn how to do that and become as masterful as these two legends of the craft have done with their works throughout their careers. Trust me, these films are a great journey you will like to visit again and again for years to come…
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