Princess Mononoke
When I first saw Princess Mononoke more than 25 years ago I thought it was weird, but a very pretty and visually striking film. Rereleased into theaters in a remastered 4K version, the film still looks terrific. Credited with helping to elevate anime to a new level and discussion as a serious art form, Princess Mononoke remains a favorite of many, including influencing several modern-day filmmakers. Sadly, it's still a little too weird for me with emotional beats that don't always hit their mark.
Playing on environmental themes with characters who often don't fit into simple black-and-white stereotypes of heroes and villains, the film follows cursed warrior Ashitaka (Yôji Matsuda / Billy Crudup) from his village to a faraway land in search of the cause of the poison that turned the boar god Nago into the demon Ashitaka was forced to kill in the film's opening scenes (and whose curse he's now stuck with).
Along the way he'll meet the industrious Lady Eboshi (Yūko Tanaka / Minnie Driver) whose city is responsible for the destruction of the local forest to feed Irontown creating the rifles and bullets that killed Nago and which Eboshi plans to use to kill the Forest Spirit. However, Ashitaka struggles with learning that the woman isn't all bad, providing jobs and safety to hundreds of women and taking care of lepers who had been ignored by the world. Ashitaka will also meet San (Yuriko Ishida / Claire Danes), the adopted human daughter of the wolf god Moro (Akihiro Miwa / Gillian Anderson) who, like all the animals in the forest, is at war with Eboshi and Irontown.
Ashitaka's relationship to these two women, and his choice to search for a different path than war, is the focus of the film which features numerous visually striking designs and a host of other supporting characters. For me, Princess Mononoke lacks the accessibility of My Neighbor Totoro that comes from the childlike wonder or the more personal stories of The Wind Rises and The Boy and the Heron not found in the more epic tale of Ashitaka's quest. It's inarguably a memorable experience, and one worth seeing in the theater, but not one I need to revisit more than once every three decades.
Watch the trailer- Title: Princess Mononoke
- IMDb: link
