Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Writer: Hayao Miyazaki
Starring (Japanese language): Yoji Matsuda, Yuriko Ishada, Yuko Tanaka, Kaoru Kobayashi
Starring (English language): Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Minnie Driver, Billy Bob Thornton
This was the first Hayao Miyazaki film I ever saw, back when it first came to America. I originally saw it as a dubbed version and it was still amazing. The animation is incredible; the story is rich and beyond imagination; the characters and struggles are unforgettable; the plot is so essential to our time, now more than ever.
It is the story of a man from a small village, Ashitaka, who encounters a demon boar. Whilst trying to stop the demon from destroying his village, he is scarred by it and learns that the scar will eventually consume him. In order to find a cure, he must journey to where the demon originated. En route he encounters samurai, forts, gods, traders, and has his strength and will tested.
To start, Miyazaki is probably the greatest storyteller around in film today, I think. The scope of his movies are beyond comparison. His ideas and style can be imitated but not matched. The animation in this film is superb with the typical scenic, stoic shots that make you forget you are watching a cartoon, as well as fast paced chases and wild camera moves that don't leave a dull moment. I have wanted to watch this film again for a long time and finally did today. While I still consider Naussica my favorite Miyazaki film and Spirited Away as having the best animation, Princess Mononoke is not far behind in either regard.
The detail spent in capturing every emotion and every trait of the characters is incredible. Some of the characters seem more true to life than live action actors. One of the greatest aspects of this film is the many people who populate it and the ambiguity with which they live. No one person is the villain or the protagonist. While Ashitaka is certainly the most selfless of them all, everyone seems to be out trying to fix their own lives without much concern for anyone else.
I love this movie because of the richness and persistence of life it portrays, while at the same time showing its fragility. Everything from the basic story itself, to the humans and gods, and to the drawing techniques, make you realize what an incredible world we live in, and make you worry that it could all too easily slip away.
Wikipedia - Princess Mononoke
IMDB - Princess Mononoke
Official Site - Princess Mononoke
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