This movie is absolutely incredible; simply amazing. I haven't seen an anime so complex and beautiful in a long time. The plot is set in Feudal Japan and deals with many ecological issues. This film teaches the lesson that the environment cannot be replaced so easily, that animals and trees are as essential to us as air and water. It also points out that not everyone is pure evil or completely noble. It presents a very realistic illustration of human behavior (example, Lady Eboshi is destroying the environment, however, she rescues brothel girls and lepers that society has cast aside. And Jigo is a monk, supposedly a position of great honor, yet he's a spy and a thief). Ultimately, we cannot judge anyone, or hate them completely because humans are not pure evil or pure good, nothing is ever as it seems. The animation and music will hypnotize you; this movie has a power about it that captivates you. I left the theater with a better understanding of how the earth is affected by mankind, and our race to "civilize" it makes us barbarians. With new technology and weapons, people lose their hearts and souls. We forget that we cannot rule the environment, we must coexist with it.
The story line takes one microcosm of people to explain a very important issue. The main character, Ashitaka (voiced by Billy Crudup), must go on a journey to meet his destiny and overcome a curse that was bestowed upon him while defending his village from a demon "mononoke", or giant forest spirit. On his way, he meets many colorful characters, such as a sharp tongued, underhanded monk named Jigo (Billy Bob Thornton), the cruel-to-be-kind, magnificent aristocrat Lady Eboshi (Minnie Driver), as well as many rampaging gods of the forest. The Princess Mononoke (Claire Danes) adds a love interest and personifies a hateful, bitter resentment against mankind for their carelessness (ironically, she's the least seen character in the whole movie). Ashitaka tries to appeal to San and her giant wolf God mother Moro (Gillian Anderson), showing them battles are not always the answer. There is no real answer in death. Killing only leads to more killing; it becomes this vicious cycle where no one wins. And in the middle of all this chaos, there are queer clicking Kodamas, playfully-cuddly little white spirits that only exist in healthy forests. The ending of this movie is bittersweet, allowing you to make your own conclusion. This will inspire you to make a difference in this world, because if animals really do think the way they do in this movie, you should be careful.
Hayao Miyazaki enlists the help of Neil Gaiman (of Sandman fame, Stardust and Neverwhere) and animation director Jack Fletcher to Americanize a classic Japanese folk tale that has a moral we can all understand. This movie has something for everyone in it: eye popping illustrations with rich water colors, fantastic music that gets your heart racing, and a storyline that is timeless. Children can appreciate the lavish colors and sounds, especially with the imaginative Kodamas. Adults will enjoy the serious tone and lesson the movie is portraying. I would recommend this movie to anyone. This is Japanese story telling at its best!
This film was brought to America by Disney/Miramax studios and suffered from a very limited release with almost no promotion. Thus, it bombed in the box office but they did (thankfully) release it on DVD and VHS.
Kodamas alerting the Night Walker where to land
The Princess Mononoke - San
Prince Ashitaka riding his red elk - Yakul
(this breed of animal was actually imagined by Hayao Miyazaki and does not really exist)
San & her brother wolves
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The cute Kodamas with their giant mother tree
01. princess-mononoke.com: Official movie site. Nice flash features.
02. Mamano Tribute: Very nice site with information about the movie.
03. Tribute to Hime: Fan site with lots of resources.
04. Princess Mononoke Webring: Find a ton of good websites.
05. Nausicaa.net: Wonderful site all about Miyazaki's works.
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