Princess Mononoke

Long ago, a war rages in a once peaceful land.  While saving his village from a demon, Prince Ashitaka was wounded with a curse.  Banished from his village, his only source of salvation lies with The Great Forest Spirit on the other side of the land.  Ashitaka’s journey brings him to Iron Town, a town building an arsenal for war on the spirits of the forest.  Among their enemies: a tribe of wolves with a human girl called Princess Mononoke.  Between war and peace, love and hate, creation and destruction, Ashitaka must find a way to return a balance long forgotten.  And time is running out.  
 

Welcome to the first official review of 2016.  As promised, we’re starting the year off with a month of Hayao Miyazaki films.  Talk about starting off strong.  Princess Mononoke has long been hailed not just as Miyazaki’s greatest masterwork, it’s been called among many the greatest Anime ever made.  I personally don’t think so (we’ll get to that one in due time) but that doesn’t mean I don’t think this is ONE OF the greatest Anime features ever put to film.
 

This is a very different kind of Miyazaki movie.  While most of this works are family fare with their share of thrills and spooky imagery, Princess Mononoke is his most intense.  The violence factor is a whole other level for him.  Early on, Ashitaka’s encounter with a band of murderous samurai results in him firing an arrow that takes off both upper arms of a spearman.  Sure the spearman is in disbelief at this (Miyazaki humor ever present) but even that’s something you don’t want to share with your young one.  Why make this movie so violent?  Could be a way to emphasize the message of the film more than to make it more exciting.  In a world so in chaos as this one, it’s no wonder things are so grim at times with the violence.
 

Many of Miyazaki’s films share the same environmental message but this one is just straight that, no filter, no subtlety.  The forest and humans are at war and a balance is in dire need.  Balance is the main theme of the film.  And much like a wayyyy less whiny Kira Yamato from Gundam Seed, Ashitaka is willing to do whatever it takes to keep the violence down and the talking to a maximum, even if he can throw down if he has to.  He may be the main hero of the story, but Ashitaka is one of many extremely well done characters.  There isn’t really a main villain in this movie besides misunderstanding itself.  Ashitaka wants peace.  San wants to protect the forest.  Iboshi, for all her want to kill the Great Forest Spirit, has a deep and non hidden agenda care for her people.  Jigo might be the closest thing to a villain in this movie as he’s just looking for a payday.  Even so, the lack of a clearly present main enemy is a good twist.  San and Iboshi are two women who can stand on their own without aid of men to fight their battles, this is a definite girl power flick.  No weak links in a cast, that’s rare for me and Anime as there’s always someone to dislike.  Nope not here.  
 

Ok I tried to hold off on this as much as I could but ive gotta say it now: THIS MOVIE IS BEAUTIFUL!!!  Well most Miyazaki are but there isn’t a single frame of bad animation in this movie.  Every background, movement, action scene, flow of water, character, animal, all is just a whole new level of perfection.  The Great Forest Spirit is such a great idea that is pulled off masterfully, both as the Elk like creature during the day and the giant Kaiju at night…and the chaotic Kaiju it turns into at the end of the movie.  Oh and there’s Joe Hisaishi’s magical score that you could fall asleep to and dream about.  The main theme of the film, both orchestrated and vocally performed, named after the film, is about as good as movie themes get. 

Princess Mononoke is more what the early 90’s film Ferngully should have been: a deeper story with no singing, exciting action, stronger characters and a much more mature way to deliver a stronger message.  It is about protecting nature. But more so the movie is about sitting down and talking to each other and finding a new balance to co-existence.  The films terrifying and awesome finale is a perfect example of what happens when things great REALLY bad and a reminder it should never get that far again.  Coupled with a beautiful score and the best animation, Princess Mononoke lives up to it’s own hype and surpasses it in everyway.  Besides the violence being too intense for younger viewers, I cant really think of a flaw to talk about.  This is about as damn near perfect as Anime gets.  It may not be my favorite of all time (that still goes to FLCL for series and Summer Wars for movies) but it is a film easily in my top 5, and a film id recommend to anyone who just needs to see one Anime in their life that isn’t Akira.  This movie is a freaking masterpiece…find it if you can and experience it for yourself.

 

10/10

 

Next week we take a look at the amazing follow up.  Remember when I said I had a favorite Miyazaki film?  We’re gonna review it next.  The only Anime to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature: Spirited Away, comes to the Anime Corner next week, see ya then.