In 2002, film critic Roger Ebert sat down with animation director Hayao Miyazaki to discuss the North American release of his film “Spirited Away.” When Ebert commented on the “gratuitous motion” of Miyazaki’s films—the moments when the characters would “do something extra, not to advance the story but only to give the sense of time and place and who they are”—Miyazaki had an immediate, and perfect, explanation.
“ ‘We have a word for that in Japanese,’ he said.
‘It’s called ma. Emptiness. It’s there intentionally.’ ”
In other words, ‘ma’ is a necessary stillness inserted within the action. In Miyazaki’s mind, constant action “numb[s]” the audience to the story and the moments of tension that should otherwise heighten a viewer’s experience.
I have often talked with fellow creators about “quiet moments” in storytelling: scenes where the plot is forgotten for a brief period of time, and the characters are free to just be themselves in their environments. And while the concept of ‘ma’ from Miyazaki’s perspective is more specific to a literal moment of quiet, I find myself wanting to apply it in a more figurative sense as well.
In the movie Stargate (1994), when Colonel Jack O’Neil humors Skaara’s interest in his lighter and subsequently shares a cigarette with him, that is a moment of ma. The scene has nothing at all to do with the stargate or their inevitable dealings with Ra; it is instead a moment that demonstrates Skaara’s curious nature. It’s a moment that hints at O’Neil’s capacity to be a nurturing (if somewhat irresponsible) parent. And when the scene culminates in him hollering at Skaara when that curiosity ultimately turns to the gun, it gives us a glimpse of the guilt and grief that are his constant companions throughout the film.
In The Shawshank Redemption (1994), there is a fleeting moment when Andy and Red are sitting against a wall in the prison yard, and for once their focus drifts away from the injustices of life and the cruelties that Shawshank has to offer. Instead, Andy tells Red about Zihuatanejo—the promised land that he would seek if he ever managed to get out of prison. This moment shows us that Andy’s desires are simple; that all he is really seeking after his wrongful conviction is peace. But it is also indicative of the friendship he has developed with Red, and how important he has become to him. To Andy, Zihuatanejo means hope, and it is something he wishes to someday share with his friend.
In a season two episode of Star Trek: Discovery (2019), when Spock and Michael sit down to a game of chess it is about so much more than their search for the Red Angel—even though that is the initial reasoning behind it. In truth, it’s about their relationship as an estranged brother and sister. We see them bickering as only two Vulcans can, with relentless appeals to logic in flat monotones that grow steadily sharper as the tension rises. Even as their comments to each other begin to border on cruel, we can sense the truths lying beneath the surface: they care about each other. But they are also angry with each other. And neither of them knows how to properly handle the things that have for too long been left unresolved between them.
Ma is not only about providing a necessary break in the midst of your story’s conflict; it is an opportunity to flesh out your characters and make them more three-dimensional. It is a chance to shift focus from the external conflict to the internal; it’s a moment of “peace” (though not always literally peaceful) for your characters to be wholly and unapologetically themselves.
I recently talked about “the bridge” in music and asked myself if I could find an equivalent to it in a literary sense. And while I don’t think all “bridges” (tonal shifts for the purpose of recapturing your audience’s attention) in prose necessarily count as moments of ma, I do believe every moment of ma counts as a bridge. It’s a moment where the story slows down, and you tell your audience This is also important—even if it has nothing to do with the main conflict.
And I think all the truly great stories have at least one. Even movies or books that I enjoy sometimes feel slightly off to me, as if something is missing. And in hindsight, I’m fairly confident that the missing element is ma.
So if you ever ask me what makes a good story, my answer will have to include an intriguing conflict balanced with bridges and at least one solid moment of ma.
Night Owls, have you included a moment of ma in your stories? Do you have any favorite moments of ma from books / movies / shows, etc.?
