After bringing down a rampaging boar that threatens his village, Prince Ashitaka (Yoji Matsuda) sets off in search of the evil that is poisoning the forest. Cursed himself by the mysterious plague that turned the boar wild, Ashitaka has only a short time to live, unless he can lift the curse. He soon reaches Irontown, ruled over by Lady Eboshi (Yuko Tanaka), who has destroyed large areas of the forest in order to mine for ore to manufacture weapons. When a young girl, San (Yuriko Ishida), who lives with the wolf god Moro (Akihiro Miwa), attempts to destroy Lady Eboshi and the humans who are damaging the forest, Ashitaka is forced to choose between the worlds of men and nature.
“Princess Mononoke” is a thrilling, fantasy adventure, following the central protagonist on a hero’s journey of sorts. However, the film is far from straightforward, with a number of subplots, including Lady Eboshi’s war against rival samurai Lord Asano’s forces; the magical Lord of the Forest which is being hunted; San’s history as a girl whose soul was taken by the wolves and who was transformed into a feral guardian of the forest. All of these characters and stories lend a sense of scale to the world and allow for the exploration of various themes. Even the central narrative of nature versus the predations of human society is not black and white, as we see Lady Eboshi caring for lepers and women saved from forced prostitution. The dynamics between the various factions carry real weight and it feels as though Ashitaka faces a genuine dilemma in who to protect. The animation is stunning, showing a true love of the natural world, from torrenting rivers, wind sweeping the grasslands, and vast mountain ranges. The wolves, boar and the red elk that Ashitaka rides are also given as much personality and motivation as the human characters. The action sequences are kinetic and oftentimes brutal with no shortage of blood, severed heads and limbs. Joe Hisaishi’s majestic score, filled with heroic themes and mysterious melodies, is the perfect accompaniment to this incredible film, nuanced and uplifting, yet at times dark and troubling.
The film’s central theme about mankind’s destruction of the natural world and their violent natures is brought to life here in grisly detail. The bloody battle sequences and industrial Irontown are in stark contrast to the beauty and tranquility of the forest. However, as mentioned before the film shies away from characterising all the human characters as evil. Even Lady Eboshi, the ostensible antagonist, is shown as caring and democratic in her running of the town; while the animals are not averse to violence, anger, and destruction themselves. Likewise, San’s backstory suggests that the animal god’s are temperamental and prone to revenge. Ashitaka is plunged into a world of complexity to which there is no easy answer and at the end of the film we are left with this same sense of unease about the potential future we are facing and the realisation that while the solutions to our many problems may not be easy they are however worth fighting for.
