Princess Mononoke

(Hayao Miyazaki/1997/Japan)

Set in medieval Japan in the throes of technological change this Studio Ghibli animation is concerned with the environment and our relationship with it as humans. It approaches this political and philosophical issue through a tale of animal gods, woodland spirits, demons and humans increasingly at odds with each other due to industrial progress. Eboshi is the female leader of a village which is clearing away forest to mine for ore to make weapons. Princess Mononoke is a girl raised by wolves who is leading attacks on the villagers in answer to their encroachments and destruction of the woods. Ashitaka is a young prince who has elsewhere killed a boar god possessed by a demon; he’s exiled from his homeland due to being infected by the demons pestilence and wanders into the conflict between the village and Princess Mononoke. From there Miyazaki presents a fantastical array of creatures, characters and settings to play out the concerns of nature versus human progress.

What’s immediately striking about Princess Mononoke is the relative violence or graphic depiction of it. Miyazaki doesn’t balk at showing amputations, decapitations and the bloodiness of close combat. It’s no Totoro for sure and young kids may get a fright. The other thing that stands out is a refusal to reduce things to good against evil, black and white. The world on screen is very much like the world we live in with all its ambiguities, grey areas and multifaceted characters. Eboshi is not strictly bad for destroying the forest; her motivations are pure as she wants to protect her villagers who comprise of ex prostitutes and lepers she has given refuge to. Mononoke herself whilst fighting the good fight for nature is flawed due to her paint brushing of all humanity as evil due to the actions of the village. The wood spirit both gives and takes life as it sees fit, sometimes without any clear reasoning.

This is quite a grown up movie for someone who previously dealt in the light hearted fantasies of My Neighbour Totoro and Kiki’s Delivery Service. My only gripe would be slight flagging in pace, it ebbs and flows at times and runs a little long at over two hours. But for what you get to sit through, the images, themes and emotions onscreen, it is well worth it.

(3/5)