PRINCESS
MONONOKE: Amazing in almost all departments
Princess
Mononoke tells the story of Ashitaka, a boy who is inflicted with a deadly
curse upon saving his village from a demon-god. In his search for a cure, he
embarks on a journey to the forests inhabited by animal gods. There, he finds
himself in the middle of a looming war between gods and men.
From
the mere premise, it is clear that Princess Mononoke is one of those stories
that will require tremendous amount of world building. This is very crucial,
because this kind of story is often victim of too much information dumping in
the beginnings. But this is not the case for Princess Mononoke. The
establishing of the world is perfectly interwoven with the main plotline,
making the flow of the story very natural. Aside from that, this gives the
viewers an impression that the world of Princess Mononoke is so vast that not
even the story is able to grasp some of its aspects. This makes the viewers
exercise their imagination and fill in the other details of the world.
The
storytelling is also worth praising. It doesn’t dwell on random details, and
every sequence drives the story to the right direction. However, in the middle
of the film, the direction of the story seems to have a shift.
In
the beginning of the story, it is established that the goal is to find the cure
for the curse. But half way through, the goal changes into convincing the
people and animal gods to live in peace with each other. Don’t get me wrong.
This is incredible storytelling. The shifting of goals is a good way to move
from one story arc to another. In truth, it doesn’t feel like a transition of
story arcs; the film itself feels like an overarching story. But the problem I
have with it is the lack of focus on the original goal, as if it is just set
aside to make the story more plot-oriented and less character-driven.
Speaking
of characters, Princess Mononoke has its fair share of interesting ones. What I
really like about the characterization is the fact that it doesn’t create a
clear line between good and evil. This makes the characters more human and
believable, and tells the viewers that nothing is purely evil just for the sake
of it.
The
best example of this is Lady Eboshi, the one responsible for sparking the war between
the animal gods and men. She shows sympathy to fellow humans, and she has goals
that are noble and admirable. It just turns out that her ideals don’t coincide
with that of the animal gods. San, the girl who the title is paying homage to,
is also a worth-noting character. Her background is established but not
portrayed, adding a sense of mystery in her identity. But this doesn’t make her
a bland character, as many mysterious character in stories are bland. Her
actions and relationship with Ashitaka clearly shows the depth of her
character.
Aside
from the story and characterization, Princess Mononoke is also excellent in the
department of themes and symbolisms. To
put it simply, the film is a huge allegory of the battle between nature and
humankind. The amazing thing about this is that it is not spoon-fed to the
viewers. The underlying concepts are there for the viewers to dissect on their
own.
Overall,
Princess Mononoke is an excellent film. It strives in story, storytelling,
characterization, character development, and theme. These departments are all
done so well that seeing them interwoven in a singular plot makes them more
powerful and influential. Layered with incredible musical soundtracks and
detailed animation, they become even more powerful and influential! This is a
must-watch for both anime enthusiast and not. I couldn’t recommend it more.
100% agree with your review. Princess Mononoke is an excellent film, and it is right there as possibly my animated film ever made. Compared to the other three Miyazaki films I have seen, this is definitely the most mature and more specifically for an older audience, which I really liked about the film. The world the film created was very engrossing and engaging, and I also agree that the world building was very well executed.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for recommending this, I think I have been a Miyazaki fans now.
-James
It's also my personal favorite! As much as I like Spirited Away, I'll choose Princess Mononoke and Castle in the Sky any day. I'm looking forward to your reviews of the films too! I'm also looking forward to your take on Code Geass! That was an interesting watch.
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