-Written by John Cajio.
Princess Mononoke is a film that definitely does not suck. Princess Mononoke is a masterpiece by Writer-Director Hayao Miyazaki. Full of lush, sweeping landscapes, intriguing characters, and an immensely powerful score by composer Joe Hisaishi, this is a must watch for anyone that’s a fan of cinema.
When a demon invades a sleepy medieval village, Ashitaka (Yōji Matsuda/Billy Crudup), the village’s prince, does not hesitate to rise up and defend his home. He successfully defeats the corrupt creature, but not before being cursed by it. The curse provides Ashitaka with greatly enhanced strength, but causes great pain and will eventually lead to madness and death. Told there is no cure at home, but that one might exist out west where the boar-god-turned-demon came from, Ashitaka is forever exiled and told to “see with eyes unclouded by hate.” His journey eventually takes him to Irontown, run by Lady Eboshi (Yūko Tanaka/Minnie Driver), who is fighting a war on two fronts: against the animal gods of the surrounding forest thanks to her attempts at deforestation to get to the iron underneath the soil, and against an opportunistic samurai warlord who wants the riches of Irontown for himself.
In a change of pace for a Miyazaki film, this is a movie very much intended for adults. It is a violent film—oftentimes brutally so. In a scene early in Ashitaka’s exile, he stumbles upon a pitched battle and must defend himself and those that he perceives to be innocent. The arrow from one swift shot from his bow amputates both arms from a would-be attacker and pins them to a nearby tree. A second shot decapitates a second warrior, his head flying backwards through the air. There may not be grotesque fountains of blood everywhere, but the violence in Princess Mononoke is swift, shocking, and frequently brutal.
Miyazaki’s omnipresent concern for the environment is once again on full display here. There is almost always some thread of environmentalism that gets teased out in his films. Here, it takes center stage, as it did in Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. The various factions in play in this film continue to double down until things finally come to a head in the final act. Lady Eboshi continues to decimate the forest to get to its vast stores of iron (worth a lot in iron-poor Japan). The animal gods continue to ramp up their attacks on Irontown to save their homes. Things continue to spiral out of control culminating in a series of desperate actions by all parties. Few get what they were really after, and all pay a high price. The film’s conclusion leaves plenty of food for thought.
The characters are a major strength in Princess Mononoke. The major characters are far from simple. They are complex, with multiple motivations driving their choices and actions. There is a lot to like and a lot to dislike about Lady Eboshi, for example. It is clear that her people look up to and respect her, and equally clear that, while she is definitely in charge, Eboshi respects her residents in turn. She uses her influence and her wealth to buy out prostitutes from nearby brothels and, instead of using them for sex work, effectively frees them and asks them to work her forges—something these women gladly do. But, on the other hand, in order to support this laudable habit, Eboshi thinks the only way is to continue mining iron and forging firearms, at the cost of the nearby forest and its inhabitants. San (Yuriko Ishida/Claire Danes) on the other hand, is a woman raised from infancy by the great wolf god, Moro (Akihiro Miwa/Gillian Anderson). All San sees in Eboshi is a dangerous and powerful woman hellbent on destroying her home. Things are black and white for San. San cannot comprehend, then, that Ashitaka would simultaneously save San while allowing Eboshi to live. For his part, Ashitaka takes his charge to “see with eyes unclouded by hate” seriously. He admires Eboshi’s treatment of her people but does not support her actions towards the land, for example. I could continue to wax on about this, but suffice to say, the major characters in Princess Mononoke are complex with complex motivations. And that is a very good thing.
Needless to say (but I’m going to say it anyway), Princess Mononoke is a visual feast. There are sweeping mountain vistas and lush forests aplenty to gape at. It’s hard to see many of these visions of nature and not quote Liz Lemon: “I want to go to there.”
Princess Mononoke is supported by an outstanding musical score by Miyazaki’s longtime compositional partner, Joe Hisaishi. This is unquestionably his best score to date. Long, lyrical string lines, bombastic low voices, deadly percussion, sensitive reed flutes, and more bring the film to life. Hisaishi’s ability to tap into the emotional center of a character or of a scene is unparalleled, and helps to push the film to the max. This is one soundtrack worth buying.
Princess Mononoke is a masterpiece in a master filmmaker’s oeuvre. A wonderful testament to Writer-Director Hayao Miyazaki’s ability to craft wondrous worlds, interesting characters, incredible music, and a story that will leave you aching for more, this is a film that should not be missed.
Written & Directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
Starring: Yōji Matsuda/Billy Crudup, Yuriko Ishida/Claire Danes, Yūko Tanaka/Minnie Driver, Kaoru Kobayashi/BIlly Bob Thronton, etc.
10/10 = DROP EVERYTHING AND WATCH IT NOW (DEFINITELY DOES NOT SUCK)
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