Sound and emotion in Spirited Away

How does sound evoke emotion in the film Spirited Away?

In the film Spirited Away directed by Hayao Miyazaki sound in the form of music and sound effects is widely used as a means to accentuate our emotional response, or give a spatial orientation of an area. This occurs in relation to the events happening on screen. There are few instances throughout the film where music or sound effects are not used to heighten our awareness of the 'expected' response to a situation, "sound engages viewers perceptually, provides key spatial and story information, and affords an aesthetic experience of its own." (Corrigan and White, 178) An example of key spatial information being given by sound in the film we can look at the scene in which Chihiro enters the boiler room to ask for a job from Kamaji. When Chihiro enters the room we hear all of the sounds we would expect to hear coming from a boiler room, despite the room itself being a fantasised twist on what a real life boiler room would really be. We are given aural cues as to where Chihiro is meant to be going and we are therefore able to take the journey with her, experiencing all of the noises she encounters as she makes her frightened way to her destination. We are able to get a sense of distance and proximity as this is the practical use of sound effects in a film, as seen through most uses of diegetic sound. However when we look at the effects of non-diegetic sound in Spirited Away such as the music we hear we are introduced to a new effect of sound which is creative rather than practical. An example of this is in the closing sequence of the film where Chihiro is flying on the back of Haku in his dragon form as he learns his real name. Here, his dragon state flakes away and he and Chihiro fall towards the earth. The music during this romanticises the scene greatly as we are not focussed on the fact that they are falling but rather on the fact that they are in love. "Music quite literally underscores what is happening dramatically" (Corrigan and White, 198) This is a common effect of music in cinema. Much like with practical diegetic sound, as with creative non-diegetic sound we are given aural cues to events that are likely to happen. If the music in the scene was panicked and fast paced we would be more aware of the danger and the impending ground coming towards them. However, the music is slow and romantic which in a sense slows the scene down to give us time to appreciate what is happening between the two characters. There isn't any danger associated with this scene, only emotion, and because of this we sympathise and relate to Chihiro and Haku. "Music is a crucial element in the film experience; among a range of other effects, it provides rhythm and deepens emotional response." (Corrigan and White 195)