The animation and storytelling help make Princess Mononoke a masterpiece. After seeing the film, the viewer can understand why Miyazaki is such a respected filmmaker in Japan and want to examine his other works, for example, Howl’s Moving Castle. Overall, if you are a fan of Miyazaki or just like Princess Mononoke, this release should be included in your DVD library. However, it should be noted that Princess Mononoke has a PG-thirteen rating and is not really intended for children. Princess Mononoke is a film directed by Hayao Miyazaki, and is set in the Muromachi period of Japan. The tale exhibits the struggle between the supernatural guardians of a forest and the people who try to devour the forest’s resources.
The movie opens with Ashitaka, the last Emishi prince, saving his village by killing Nago’s kind of devil, the boar god. During the battle, Ashitaka receives a Devil’s Mark on his arm and is cursed with the Boar God’s hatred and pain. He finds an iron ball on Nago’s corpse and it is related to Nago’s curse. Since Ashitaka is destined to disappear due to the curse, he leaves his village and goes in search of a cure for his curse. As he leaves the village with his moose named Yakul, a girl named Kaya gives Ashitaka her crystal dagger so he won’t neglect her.
During his travels, Ashitaka comes to a forest with animal gods similar to Moro, the wolf god. The spirit of the forest also lives there, taking the form of a deer during the day and an evening walker at night. A human settlement known as Irontown is nearby, the people within the settlement cut down the forest for additional iron ore. Irontown’s actions anger the animals and spark battles between the animals and human resolve. It was during one of these battles that Woman Eboshi, the leader of Irontown, shot Nago.
Ashitaka travels between the forest and Irontown to try to make amends. During his first visit, Irontown is attacked by San, a human woman who has been adopted by wolves. Ashitaka steps in to stop the fight and takes San back to the forest, however he is injured while she is doing so. With San’s help, the forest spirit heals Ashitaka’s wounds but not his curse. The Eboshi girl, meanwhile, decides to hunt down the top of the forest spirit. Ashitaka tries to intervene to save the forest spirit, but are his efforts in vain?
Princess Mononoke tells a compelling story. It’s not just a narrative about atmosphere, it’s also a story about how no one is necessarily both good or bad. I admire how Miyazaki was able to tell this story without falling into the trap that the forest animals and animal spirits are the good guys, while the Eboshi woman and the residents of Irontown are the bad guys. The cartoon in Princess Mononoke is wonderful and fully conveys the feelings and emotions that Miyazaki wants the viewer to experience while he watches the movie.
