Today’s quick review: Princess Mononoke. Ashitaka, a warrior from a small forest village, strikes down a demon-possessed boar in defense of his village and receives a curse that threatens to consume him. Expelled from his village, he seeks a cure in Iron Town, a frontier town on the verge of a technological revolution. But the town’s hunger for natural resources has pitted it against the spirits and animals of the surrounding woods in an escalating conflict. The humans are led by the stern and pragmatic Lady Eboshi, while the forces of nature are led by Princess Monoke, a feral young woman who was raised by a wolf spirit. With no allegiance to either side, Ashitaka sets about resolving the conflict with as little bloodshed as possible before his own time runs out.
Princess Mononoke is an animated fantasy film from Hiyao Miyazaki and one of his best works. Sound writing, haunting fantasy, brutal conflict, and gorgeous animation combine to produce a film unlike any other. Unlike many of Miyazaki’s other works, Princess Mononoke is mature in its tone and writing. The film does not shy away from violence, using it to emphasize the severity of the conflict and the consequences for the losers. The otherworldly beauty Miyazaki is known for is masked by the brutality of the story, but it peeks through in select places, showing signs of a world beyond the war.
Princess Mononoke offers a surprisingly nuanced take on the question of Man versus Nature. Miyazaki achieves the difficult feat of portraying a conflict with no unambiguously correct side. The humans of Iron Town are greedy, short-sighted, and uncaring, yet they are loyal to each other and their efforts secure a better life for the innocents within their walls. For their part, the spirits of the forest are simple, stubborn, and hostile, possessing all the primal majesty of nature yet rightly fearful that the humans represent a threat to their existence. With both sides blinded by fear and hatred, only the outsider Ashitaka has any hope of ending the conflict with anything short of a bloodbath.
Watch Princess Mononoke if you are interested in an animated masterpiece with thematic storytelling, rich animation, and a mature take on questions of nature and industry. While recognizable as a Miyazaki work from its imagination, its animation style, and its themes, Princess Mononoke is distinct from his other work, tapping into a darker tone to show different sides of nature and humanity. Skip it if you are looking for a gentler story.
8.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 8.5 for outstanding quality.