Princess Mononoke (1997)

 

It's pretty insane how many of the animated films that come from Studio Ghibli are jawdroppingly gorgeous and wonderful to experience. Yes, 'experience', because these go far beyond mere 'watching'. In truth, they are closer akin to works of art almost each and every time. Many people will think fondly upon them and with good reason, as they not only provide stunning visuals, but also intricate stories and no simple good-evil dichotomy.

Yes, 'Princess Mononoke' is also a must watch, even if it is one of the lengthiest. 

Ashitaka is a young prince somewhere in feudal Japan or whichever mythical land this is supposed to be. One day, his village is attacked by a massive monster which he manages to slay. It turns out this monster is a corrupted boar god, who only turned evil after having been shot by a piece of metal. During the battle, Ashitaka also has been infected by this darkness and he is sent away to the west to discover what exactly is the cause of this.

When traveling west, Ashitaka finds there is a fortified village that has a massive ironworks and they employ primitive rifles. Lady Eboshi, who runs this village, takes care of women and lepers and wants to expand. This means she has to destroy parts of a nearby forest. This doesn't sit well with Moro, a wolf god and her human stepchild San (the Mononoke hime from the title). In fact, Lady Eboshi thinks that if she kills the Deer God responsible for this forest, that her village will no longer be harried by these spirits. Ashitaka quickly finds himself right in the middle of this conflict, as he understands both sides and advocates for a compromise. But there are people/creatures on both sides that don't wish to see this... 

You'd be tempted to see Lady Eboshi as the villain, but this is not the case. In fact, she is only trying her best to have her village survive. If there is in fact a villain, it could be lord Asano, who wants to usurp Eboshi's village; or even the Emperor, who is merely interested in the Deer God's head because it brings status. As a viewer, it is easy to identify with Ashitaka and he truly is a likable character, yet with flaws that make him exceedingly human. The same goes for San, who of course has only seen the forest's side of things while growing up. So in this respect, the story is an interesting characterstudy of opposing sides who are only trying to survive.

What absolutely makes this film shine, are the visuals. Not only is the hand-drawn animation on point, but once you take a look at the backgrounds and the amount of detail that goes into each and every shot, the admiration can only deepen. Everything feels vibrant and alive and it is always gorgeous to look at, even the 'ugly' parts of life that are depicted here by dark creatures and colours of decay. 

Will this story speak to everyone? No. It can be quite philosophical and heavy for younger children, and some people might balk at the idea of a more or less ecological 'message' in here, but if you can enjoy an intricate story and inspiring visuals coupled with excellent music, then this one is absolutely a must watch.