Mononoke

           


Princess Mononoke (もののけ姫 Mononoke-hime) is a 1997 epic Japanese animated historical fantasy feature film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli. "Mononoke" (物の怪?) is not a name, but a general term in the Japanese language for a spirit or monster. The film was first released in Japan on July 12, 1997, and in the United States on October 29, 1999.

Princess Mononoke is a period drama set specifically in the late Muromachi period of Japan but with numerous fantastical elements. The story concentrates on involvement of the outsider Ashitaka in the struggle between the supernatural guardians of a forest and the humans of the Iron Town who consume its resources. There can be no clear victory, and the hope is that relationship between humans and nature can be cyclical.

A giant boar-demon attacks an Emishi village and the protagonist, Ashitaka, is forced to fight and kill him. In the struggle, Ashitaka receives a curse on his right arm,which grants him superhuman strength but will eventually kill him. Under the advice of the village wisewoman, he leaves to travel to the west in search of a cure. After some traveling, he meets Jigo, a wandering monk who tells Ashitaka that he might find help from the forest spirit of a mountain range populated by giant animal-gods. Iron Town, located in that range, continually clears the nearby forests to make charcoal to smelt ironsand and produces advanced firearms, leading to battles with the giant forest beasts. Among these animals are giant wolves accompanied by San, who the villagers of Iron Town call "Princess Mononoke." She is a young human woman who was adopted by the giant wolf goddess Moro.

Ashitaka finds two villagers injured by the wolves near a river. He returns to Iron Town, passing through the forest, where he catches a glimpse of the forest spirit, akirin-like creature by day and a towering "night-walker" by night.

In Iron Town, Ashitaka learns from Lady Eboshi, the manager of the settlement, that she created the boar-demon by shooting it. Though upset, Ashitaka also finds out that Iron Town is a refuge for ancient Japan's social outcasts, including prostitutes and lepers, and thus finds himself unable to condemn Eboshi. That night, San infiltrates Iron Town to kill Eboshi. Ashitaka intervenes, using his curse's power to stop the fighting between Eboshi and San. While leaving the town with San, he is shot through the chest and very nearly dies. San takes Ashitaka to the Forest Spirit, who heals his gunshot wound but does not remove the curse. San starts to develop feelings for Ashitaka. Boars, led by the boar god Okkoto, arrive to attack Iron Town, and San joins them. Eboshi prepares for the assault and sets out to destroy the Forest Spirit. Jigo, now revealed to be a mercenary-hunter, intends to give the head to the emperor, who in turn promises to give Iron Town legal protection from localdaimyos.

The Imperial hunters kill the boars, and Okkoto is corrupted by a gunshot wound. The Forest Spirit comes and kills Okkoto, but Eboshi appears and shoots off the Forest Spirit's head. Jigo collects the head as the Forest Spirit's body transforms into a "mindless god of death" that begins destroying everything in its vicinity in search of its head. Ashitaka and San chase down and take back the head from Jigo, returning it to the Forest Spirit. It collapses into the lake, turning the land green and healing all the lepers and accursed, including Ashitaka and San. Ashitaka and San part to resume the lives they are used to, but promise to meet again; Ashitaka decides to stay and help rebuild Iron Town, which a reformed Eboshi vows to remake as "a better" village. The film ends with a Kodama appearing in the rejuvenated forest.

The visual and aural qualities of this movie make it a true feast for the senses. The artwork is simply some of the most beautiful work I've seen in an animated movie, and the animation quality is excellent. Everything is rendered in painstaking detail, the highlights being the teeming forests in which the movie takes place. Everything is so vivid and detailed that I often sat in silent wonder simply absorbing the stunning visual imagery. Studio Ghibli has truly created a wondrous work in Princess Mononoke. Multiple conflicts abound with humans against humans, humans against nature, and even nature against itself. The conflicts are such that they are woven into an incredibly deep and satisfying plot. It's very refreshing to see a movie that is capable of such story-telling without resulting to simple cliches and tired rehashings of the same old story lines.

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Trailer of Princess Mononoke: