Crossing the threshold
The hero embarks on their quest.
I’ve found the most engrossing moments to have take place in, or to symbolize a transformational / liminal space between the real world and the magic world.
The use of tunnels and portals create an overall sense of magic just below the surface.
Refusal Of The Call: Unwilling to step out of their comfort zone or face their fear, the hero initially hesitates to embark on their journey.
Spirited environment symbolizing being on the edge between two worlds
Spirited environment symbolizing a threshold
Spirited Train Crossing
Spirited Boat Crossing
The Hero steps into symbolic life, embodying the legends of her culture and completing the circle between symbolic past and actualized present, for a better future.
The Man in Blue
In Nausicaa, the Major threshold the Hero crosses is that from a courageous life, to symbolic life through sacrifice. This comes at the end of the story, as opposed to the beginning.
Between blue and gold, air and fire
Early Poster
"Dad, it's terrific! A tunnel of trees!" Totoro is abundant with transformational elements: key details which make this story such a joy to inhabit.
Mei's venture into the magic realm
The house itself is a place of imagination and magic: our heroes recognize this immediately and respond with bravado
... and more bravado.
Even the construction of the house stands on the precipice between two worlds: western style and traditional Japanese architechture
tunNels
Tunnels serve as transformational spaces and compositional elements to suggest that something, maybe magical, lies just below what we can see.
My Neighbor Totoro
Totoro
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
Nausicaä
Castle in the Sky
Castle
Castle
Castle
Spirited Away
Spirited
Spirited
Spirited
There aren’t many tunnel compositions in Porco Rosso. Interestingly, except for where our hero lives, who also happens to be the only character who is inexplicably magical.
Porco Rosso