MovieChat Forums > Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2003) Discussion > Exactly how much time DID pass?

Exactly how much time DID pass?

posted 12 years ago by Leville
55 replies | jump to latest

Okay, has anyone else noticed this? http://2econdp2iioniic.tumblr.com/post/30308055893/shavemeinthemorning -operamatic-ukeaco-i

I've seen this movie countless times and I never thought about how there might be a time difference between the two different worlds. Maybe I didn't pay enough attention to what the entrance of the tunnel looked like at the start of the film compared to the end of the film.

Does anyone know if Miyazaki has talked about this?

"...And in that moment, I swear we were infinite."

[–] Suzume-san 12 years ago

Lovely link, Leville, thanks. I'd never noticed that about the tunnel, either, but it does conform to the tradition about time passing differently in the alternative world.

I sang a song, he let me go,
But now I am home again, there is nobody I know...

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] rapzip1 12 years ago

It looks like 100 years passed from appearance of the growing plants, but the fact is that they passed the shrine gate at the beginning of the movie. Shrine gate indicates the border between a real word and Spirit's world, and thing does not operate logically. So I believe once they drive across the shrine gate again, their time becomes normal.

[–] drakkar 12 years ago

Puzzled me too. We didn't get an impression of exactly how far from their new residental area they drove, but it couldn't have been that far, or else they would have turned and gone back. Hence I cannot imagine very much time passing without anyone discovering the car, removing it. Some days, even a week, OK, but not very much longer than that. The disappeared family would have been searched after, and sooner or later someone would spot their car.

[–] Combat-Carl 11 years ago

My theory is that when they passed through the tunnel time froze and when they returned it started again. The only problem with this is that they just return to their new home. What should of happened is when they got in the car they should of had missed calls from people like the movers

Wasn't a problem for me per se

And here's another curse. May all your bacon burn

[–] tobyrclark 11 years ago

...Did you even look at the linked screenshots? There's no way they came out of the tunnel moments after they went in.

The Angels Have the Phone Box

[–] ttandb 9 years ago

@ combat-Carl: just had to say, love your tag line. Howl's moving castle is my favourite anime, with Calcifur being my best loved character.

If life gives you lemons; you crush them, throw them back and yell “is that all you got?!!”

[–] toddtw 11 years ago

If years had gone by, it makes what Chihiro pulled off even more amazing. Considering how difficult it was, she rescued her parents in a pretty reasonable amount of time.

They would have trouble enough adjusting to the new year they're in as it is, but if they had been there a lot longer, who knows what crazy time period they'd end up in.

[–] flamea 11 years ago

I thought they already enter (or see) mystical world before they arrived at the red building, and return to reality before exiting the tunnel.

So, they only gone for few days (or weeks).

The reasons are: the building looks way much different (tunnel size, missing windows and wooden roofs), and the eroded stone, I think a solid stone will take at least hundred years (or more) before eroded into flat smooth surface, but if it takes hundred years, the car would not survive :D

*I'm still learning english, so feel free to fix any errors I made :)

[–] GuyOnTheLeft 10 years ago

I think this is a good point: if it had been decades, the car would be all rotted, not just dusty. But even if it has been days/weeks, it is going to be interesting to see how the parents react to learning this. Too bad we don't get to see!

--------
See a list of my favourite films here: http://www.flickchart.com/slackerinc

[–] Arlith 11 years ago

Holy sh*t!!!

I never noticed that, how did I not notice???!?!!?!?! Wow, my mind is officially blown :O I'd say the post on the link is about right, perhaps 20-30 years...

What do you guys think happened when they tried to go to their new home? I bet a new family was living there!

"It's so simple a six year old could figure it out."
"Quick! Someone get a six year old!"

[–] Etherdave 11 years ago

There are fallen leaves on the car, and Mr. Ogino notes dust settled in its interior. Chihiro seems to notice that the building facade has changed, and we can clearly see that once-visible cobblestones are now heavily overgrown. Nevertheless, the car starts up, and off they go. Clearly something has happened, but it`s entirely possible that it is all nothing but visual metaphor for the changes experienced by Chihiro, and Chihiro alone. We aren`t privy to what happens when they get out of the forest, but fortunately this is `Spirited Away`, not `Army Of Darkness`.