Princess Mononoke

Princess Mononoke
1997
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

I often debate with myself whether Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away is Miyazaki's finest film, but the fact is that they are both pretty much flawless. You'll have to excuse me if I sound more like a fanatic than a critic when reviewing this animated opus; it's just that good. Full of wonder, action, and romance, it is also a surprisingly complicated and nuanced moral and spiritual allegory, exploring various motivations and perspectives without plotting any clear villains or heroes. A Disney film this ain't.

Princess Mononoke takes place in a mythological Japan at the brink of the iron age. Predominantly a wilderness populated by a multitude of forest gods and other mystical creatures, industry and the desire for conquest is causing a rift between the advancing humans and the gods of old. When Ashitaka, the young prince of a forgotten tribe in the east is cursed by a rampaging demon, he sets out west to find out where it came from. His journey takes him to Tataraba, "Iron Town", an iron manufacturing centre run by the fearless Lady Eboshi, who has pitted herself against the local gods in her quest for land and resources. She is locked in conflict with a mysterious human girl, the Princess Mononoke, who was raised by Moro, a wolf goddess, and who fights by their side. Ashitaka also meets Jiko, a shady character with a task to perform in the forest of the legendary Deer God. Doomed by the demon curse and fascinated by Mononoke, Ashitaka finds himself trying to create peace between the humans and gods.

Princess Mononoke is markedly darker than most of Miyazaki's other films. "The land teems with the twittering of bitter ghosts, dead from war, sick or starved and fallen where they stood," says the cynical Jiko at one point. "A curse, you say? This world is a curse." The overall tone of the movie reminded me most of the bittersweet sadness of the Lord of the Rings novels - a land experiencing the painful transition from mythical to modern, and losing much of its majesty and wonder along the way. In spite of this, there is a typically Miyazakian hopefulness just beneath the surface. The writing is quite eloquent, and the cast of characters is notably free of any clear villains. Miyazaki distances himself from the tradition of Walt Disney by way of exploring the motivations of his many characters. There are no evil witches or treacherous advisors to be found in Mononoke. Each character has his or her own reasons for their actions; each feels that they are acting justly, and in some ways, they are. Lady Eboshi, for instance, appears at first to be overly proud and disrespectful of the gods. With her new technology, she is able to even the playing field, and is responsible for creating the demon which curses Ashitaka. However, she is intent on creating a better society for the many marginalized people she employs and trusts; prostitutes, lepers, she treats these people with respect, and protects them from the ruthless warlords with the dream of creating a united country. Princess Mononoke is seen as a savage and an enemy by the people of Iron Town, but she is fighting to maintain the balance of nature and to protect the gods and the old ways. Ashitaka, as an outsider with nothing to lose, comes to "see with eyes unclouded," in his own words; the result is a nuanced view of the various players and their dreams, fears, and ultimately their humanity. The depth of character and the complexity of the story really puts Mononoke on a higher level than most of the competition. The result is that it isn't exactly a movie for children. Violent and frightening at times, and probably too morally ambiguous for youngsters, Mononoke is definitely geared towards an adult audience. It's no surprise that this was the only one of Miyazaki's films not to be distrubuted by Disney in North America.

I think that a lot of reviewers have miscontrued Princess Mononoke as a mainly ecological moral allegory. However, I think that it has more to do with humankind's rejection of spirituality. Certainly it connects this spirituality with respect for nature, and there is a concern for striking a healthy balance between progress and the preservation of nature. But I think the main theme is humanity's inability to reconcile itself with the mysterious and unknown quantities of mortality - death, as represented by the Deer God, a force of creation and destruction. Humanity struggles against the perceived evil of creative and especially destructive powers that are beyond its control. The allegory of setting out to kill a god in a quest for self-determination and immortality is timeless, and elevates the story beyond a simple tale of fantasy.

I've already spoken of Miyazaki and Studion Ghibli's outstanding artistry in my review of Kiki's Delivery Service, so I'll just say that Princess Mononoke looks and sounds even better. The animation is truly breathtaking. I guarantee you that you will not have seen any animated film that looks better than this, with the possible exception of Spirited Away. The sound is as realistic as it can get. And Joe Hisaishi's beautiful, mournful musical score is one of the best I've heard for any movie, animated or not.

I can't recommend Princess Mononoke highly enough. It is without question a masterpiece, and if you are at all interested in cinema, you owe it to yourself to see it. I can't think of any reason not to give it a perfect rating.

10