Saturday Evening Cartoons: Princess Mononoke (1997)

My fourth foray into the world of Miyazaki (I've also seen Spirited Away, Kiki's Delivery Service and My Neighbor Totoro) is much darker and violent then I expected...

     Princess Mononoke was released in 1997. It is written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It tells the story of Ashitaka (Billy Crudup in the English dub), an Emishi prince from medieval Japan who becomes cursed after killing a demon who attacked his village. He sets out to find a cure in the western lands and, along the way, becomes embroiled in a conflict between the residents of Iron Town, lead by Lady Eboshi (Minnie Driver) and the gods of the forest. He also meets and falls in love with San (Claire Danes), a young woman raised by the wolves of the forest.

     Princess Mononoke is a somewhat strange entry in Miyazaki's filmography. He made it at a time when he was feeling rather pessimistic about the state of the world. As a result, it's much more dark and violent than anything he's done before or since. People are decapitated, limbs are dismembered, death and destruction seem rampant and it's all shown in bloody detail. This violence and destruction of human life corresponds with the film's theme of ecological destruction.

     The film really handles this theme deftly. The technological progress represented by Lady Eboshi is pitted against the ancient, mystical, natural order represented by the spirits of the forest. Rather then being one-sided, as stories like this often are, Miyazaki portrays both sides as having positive and negative attributes. Lady Eboshi, though she serves as an antagonist, is not really a villain. She is a liberating figure to the brothel workers and the lepers who she brings to iron town. The progress she represents also offers liberation for figures like this, who would usually be marginalized. There is a purity to the world of the forest but there's also something to be said for Lady Eboshi's more "enlightened" and complex vision of the world. Ultimately Princess Mononoke is about finding a balance between the two. Minnie Driver commented, "Miyazaki gives a complete argument for both sides of the battle between technological achievement and our spiritual roots in the forest. He shows that good and evil, violence and peace exist in us all. It's all about how you harmonize it."

     The animation in Princess Mononoke is absolutely stunning. Utilizing mainly hand-drawn animation with some CGI enhancements, the animators at Studio Ghibli went all out with this film. The mixture of light and shadow, the fluidity of movement, and the sheer scale of many scenes is all just breathtaking. There's a real sense of awe and wonder in the scenes in the forest, particularly when the Great Forest God is shown. Joe Hisaishi's majestic score adds to this sense of grandeur, mixing Japanese instruments like the shakuhachi and Taiko drums with a traditional western orchestral ensemble to great effect.

     I do have a few issues with the film. The biggest problem is that the resolution feels rushed. After a rather exhausting climax, we're given almost no breathing room, no time to really appreciate what's just happened or to have any real closure. This is rather puzzling to me, as Miyazaki is generally a filmmaker unafraid to have slower, quieter moments in his films. With that said I do really like the films final image: a single kodama (a dryad-like forest spirit) emerging from the undergrowth of the newly restored forest. As a side note, I'd really like to hear the original Japanese audio, as the English dubbing doesn't sync that well with the characters faces. Billy Bob Thorton is a good actor but his southern drawl sounds unnatural coming from a short, fat Japanese man.

     Princess Mononoke is one of Hayao Miyazaki's most challenging films. It's complex narrative and stunning animation are sure to bring me back for more viewings despite the films darker nature and, at times, unforgiving pace.

Score: 9/10