Summary
- This IMAX restoration reinforces Princess Mononoke's greatest qualities, from brilliant sound design to impeccable visual storytelling.
- Princess Mononoke's violence is pregnant with meaning while exploring the conflict between humanity and nature.
- Ashitaka mediates the conflict in Princess Mononoke, finding inner and outer balance, and presenting a mature, enduring lesson.
|
Title |
Princess Mononoke |
|
Director |
Hayao Miyazaki |
|
Studio |
Studio Ghibli |
|
Release Date |
07/12/1997 |
What there is to be said about Princess Mononoke has already been said over the nearly three decades since it first premiered, yet turning the feelings it evokes into words feels no less imperative. The new 4K restoration playing in IMAX theaters across North America, courtesy of GKIDS, is an impactful reminder - and emphasis - of this film's many aesthetic/narrative triumphs.
Released on July 12, 1997, Princess Mononoke was a record-breaking box office hit in Japan, and despite underperforming in North America, it was no less lauded by critics and audiences alike. At the time, the late Roger Ebert called it Miyazaki's best, and though his later filmography would offer stiff competition, it remains one of the most acclaimed and highly-rated of the director's works.
Hayao Miyazaki's Masterpiece Princess Mononoke Returns to the US In 4K This Month
Princess Mononoke will be re-released in theaters for a limited time, but now in 4K.
How IMAX Helps Princess Mononoke Soar
This restoration didn't so much "add" to the film as it did invite viewers to experience it in its full context, "With eyes unclouded," as the film's lead, Ashitaka, might say. But if you ask me, it's not one's eyes that stand to gain the most from this IMAX release, but one's ears; not just because of the voice acting or Joe Hisaishi's impeccable score, but the sound effects. Princess Mononoke's sound design is brilliant, and never more fully realized than now.
Much like any Ghibli film, it's so easy to become entranced by the animation and artwork, but it's the effects - the Foley art - which grounds this fantasy, and makes its world feel palpable. This is evident in the opening scene, a masterclass in visual storytelling and a lesson in building tension through a soundscape. Every drawn blade, strained bowstring, or crack of wood under the weight of the demon barreling through the plains is perfectly loud, pronounced, and impactful.
Miyazaki's Most Violent (and Precise) Film
Compared to Miyazaki's other works, Princess Mononoke can be unexpectedly violent to those who have never seen it or those who simply forgot. The aforementioned approach to sound design permeates every action setpiece of the film, each one exciting and visceral, but never gratuitous, even at its most spectacular. It's a fine balance, reflective of Miyazaki's attitude toward violence and his condemnation of it, but one juggled masterfully, just as it had to be.
Similar to the environmentalism at the heart of prior classics like Nausicaä, this is a story deeply entrenched in a battle between humanity and nature. It is through this meticulous, expressive character animation, punctuated by such impactful sound design, that Princess Mononoke complements that tension, creating a unique, engrossing vibe throughout. Yet, in keeping with Miyazaki's nuanced approach to storytelling, this is not a traditional tale of "good versus evil".
The Most Interesting Thing About Princess Mononoke
When a demonic boar rampages through the woods near a village of the Emishi people, Prince Ashitaka is forced to put it down, taking on a curse in the process that will eventually take his life. Forced to abandon his home and never return, Ashitaka ventures in search of the land where the boar was killed, to discover what instilled in it such a hatred of humanity. His path takes him to Irontown, where humans are at war with the surrounding forest gods.
The films of Studio Ghibli have always excelled at creating worlds that feel real and lived in. Directors like Miyazaki, especially, wield that atmosphere to pull viewers in and get them invested, but perhaps no film in the studio's history leverages that power quite like this. It's easy to empathize with the plight of the forest spirits, and it would be so easy to paint the people of Irontown as villains, but even by the film's end, it is so difficult to hate them.
There Are No Villains in Princess Mononoke
Lady Eboshi is a prime example. As the leader of Irontown, she bears much of the responsibility for the tensions between humanity and the forest gods. She is understandably loathed by San, the titular princess (and a human raised by wolves), but the people of Irontown respect Eboshi, and the viewer comes to understand that respect. We learn the culture through its people, their laughter, and demonstrations of their livelihood.
In particular, the women of Irontown - many of them former prostitutes taken in by Eboshi - are confident, cheerful, tough, and plain funny, living fuller, more self-actualized lives. Eboshi's compassion for women, lepers, and otherwise downtrodden sorts might seem at first like a facade worn by a villain, but it's completely genuine. The needs of her people simply outweigh her concern for the forest gods. It's an outlook that makes her remarkably complex.
How Ashitaka Excels as a Protagonist
Ashitaka, then, is the mediator - an authority he bears not only as an outsider, but as one with a tangible connection to the gods. The curse inflicted upon him not only gives him great strength but fills him with the same anger shared by the forest animals, at times compelling him to carry out their vengeance, a temptation he has to resist. What makes him a great hero is how he negotiates between humanity's indomitable spirit and nature's vengeful wrath, internally and externally.
That is what it means "to see with eyes unclouded by hate", a notion that initially amuses Eboshi, because to one who has become cynical with age, the absence of animosity feels unnatural. Princess Mononoke is most appreciably mature at the very end, even after its most hopeful ideas have culminated to overcome its dire climax. Forgiveness for humans won't easily be given or earned, but what can be gained from compromise carries its weight in gold.
Is This Miyazaki's Best Film Ever?
So far, this feature has only scratched the surface of what makes this film so cool. We've barely covered the forest gods themselves, like the way their voices carry a haunting and powerful aura that commands respect. Then there's the titular princess herself, who, like Ashitaka, is caught between two worlds but has rejected her humanity outright. Their bond through the film, simple as it may be, is the very heart of the story and its message.
Princess Mononoke is a big film with big ideas, but it never felt cumbersome, and that might be what makes it such an enduring classic. It is expertly crafted and weaves its tale organically, all the while respecting the audience's intellect and its capacity to grapple with its concepts. If it isn't Miyazaki's best film ever, it is undoubtedly a close race.
Princess Mononoke is now playing in IMAX theaters across North America. It is available to stream on MAX and is available to own on Blu-ray/DVD through GKIDS. A 4K home video release has not been announced as of the time of writing, but it would be safe to assume it is on the horizon once the theatrical run has concluded.
Studio Ghibli Announces New Project, Recruiting Artists For ‘Short Animation’ Until April 24
Not only is Studio Ghibli working on a new project, they are currently hiring people to work on it.
Princess Mononoke
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- July 12, 1997
WHERE TO WATCH
- Runtime
- 133 Minutes
- Director
- Hayao Miyazaki
- Main Genre
- Historical Fantasy
- Studio(s)
- Studio Ghibli
- Streaming Service(s)
- MAX
