It's undeniable that they are incredible works of filmmaking and animation, but that doesn't mean everyone has to enjoy them. But anyway, there was no resolution it felt like. I too just got out of the theater (Chicago?) Probably not a popular opinion but so far it is my favorite Studio Ghilbi film. I believe the core meaning to be that the spirit of man is corrupting nature. Princess Mononoke is set during an unspecified period in medieval Japan, an era when ancient gods still roamed in the dense forests and high mountains. Yeah, I don't know where you're getting that from. While I'm watching, on the other hand, I'm fighting to stay on top of things, being less familiar with the pacing and styles of conflict resolution. I believe that Miyazaki uses specific characters, scenes, dialogue, and symbols that express the relationship between humans and nature that aren’t explicitly noted in the film. I also found it visually appealing, there's some nice sequences in there, like the rooftop San and the wormy infected boar.The characters are pretty bland/archetypical, with the short greedy villain trickster being one of the most personable/human characters of the story, but that "bland" feeling does help make the whole story feel more like a folk tale from long ago. Princess Mononoke was beautiful to watch, but as you said the story structure of it lacks seriously. Used in films like Avatar and Pocahontas. It's like he's slamming the door on humanity. I also find it refreshing that it isnt a good guy, bad guy story and depicts the shades of grey conflict usually comes out of. She didn't just provide them work, she bathed and bandaged the lepers, and she bought the prostitutes freedom to save them from their masters. MPAA: Rated PG-13 for images of violence and gore: Certification: I've watched it before on a TV, but the experience in a theater is incomparable. It's not a black and white issue so you don't have a clear hero vs villain. I really enjoyed it. The main theme of the movie is the conflict between human modernization and the old ways of the spirits. The Forest Spirit looks like a deer, but with more antlers and a human-like face; He can transform into a gigantic, semi-translucent humanoid during the night called the Night-Walker. It seemed like the main character was drawn to certain people for just completely random reasons. The tale of Princess Mononoke is a fantasy adventure: an epic struggle between humanity and nature. Everything about it is perfect in my eyes. As for the story, it's a pretty common story. Beautiful film. Both sides do good things and both sides do bad things and that was one of the strongest points of the movie. It's okay, not every likes the same things. Princess Mononoke is an environmental fable about man seeking to dominate nature. Miyazaki makes one aware how devastating our actions are by giving nature a living soul and a medium to express itself. Funny enough, When the Wind Rises also suffers from the same problem. But anyway, there was no resolution it felt like. I remember the first time I watched it realising I was holding my breath when the forest spirit arived. Character's are one-sided evil bad guys for the sake of being evil. The significance of Princess Mononoke’s mask And the key to her is the mask. But it's not about the story for Princess Mononoke, but its execution. A good portion of Ghibli films don't end super conclusively. 02/18/2016 01:49 pm ET Updated Feb 17, 2017 Understanding the human-environmental relationship is vital to addressing more fully some of the impacts we have on the ecosystem. Okkoto is a character from Princess Mononoke. “Princess Mononoke”, an animated film by Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki, … I figured it couldn't hurt to make this and gauge what other redditors think about it. Its story gallops like a Hollywood Western. Princess Mononoke is a reminder that man is still an animal of nature. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Press J to jump to the feed. She's not a one sided evil witch for Ashitaka to square up against. It was hard to figure out who was good and who was bad. Edit: Maybe you also shouldn't piss on kittens. I enjoy that they are often "outsiders" due to the way they see the world which often sets them apart from both the conflicting sides which drive the plot. That's because it's a pretty damn good movie. That scene when San invades iron town is hands down one of my all time favorite cinematic scenes. Personally, this was the first time I've ever seen it, and I am completely enamored. It's okay to dislike the movie. Wow, I had absolutely no idea it was his birthday! At … reddit: the front page of the internet I will introduce my paper with a brief definition and explanation on… So many endless, foolish words have been written about Japanese master animator Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke that it almost made me want to ignore its passing 20th anniversary this week. For example, Lady Eboshi may do some horrible things to the forest and its inhabitants, but she offered a home for prostitutes and lepers. That's definitely why I asked. This relationship, evolving carefully over millions of years, tells the story of all living beings on the earth. Idk if I can argue with a guy whose name is pisses_on_kittens3. Bullets and Horns. She's a fleshed out human being who has more sides than one. So squeeze those joysticks and tweak … Just got back from the theater, one of many that showed Princess Mononoke once more to celebrate its 20th anniversary, and I am completely surprised to not see a discussion thread on r/movies.I figured it couldn't hurt to make this and gauge what other redditors think about it. The first time I saw it I think I was 6 or 7 years old and I've probably seen it a dozen or more times since then. The ending felt very forced and rushed, but I was glad when it was over. Love seeing Ghilbi's characters in motion, charging forward with pattering footsteps. When Princess Mononoke hit theaters, E.T. Ive seen Princess Monoke before but it was great seeing in the theater. Okkoto is an old boar god that took over Nago's place. The Kodama are unnamed creatures from Princess Mononoke. Will someone please explain to me what parts grab people, because I feel like I'm living in bizarro world? Man’s Lust For Destruction Ashitaka is infected by the disease which gives him super human abilities. The movie concluded Ashitaka's initial journey that he set out to do, the conflict between the humans and beasts of the forests/nature concluded. She is meant to represent something truly ancient, the earliest form of Japanese art, mystical clay figurines used for ritual and religious purposes, dating back anywhere … That's the point? Just watched it for the first time. Reddit's premier anime community. I thought My Neighbor Totoro was an okay kids movie, and while I think I can see how it could appealing to people, it didn't really make a visceral impact. Showing all 27 items Jump to: Certification; Sex & Nudity (4) Violence & Gore (8) Profanity (3) Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking (1) Frightening & Intense Scenes (5) Spoilers (6) Certification. Still one of the best birthdays I've had and I am so not ashamed about it. Oh no, that is a very popular opinion lol. Near the end of the film there is a landscape of a hill that i have seen in all his films. For my paper, I am going to delve a bit deeper into the symbolism of Princess Mononoke. Miyazaki clearly wanted to do something big, but ultimately failed to deliver in the end. I honestly thought it was going to be a 2 part movie or something. San rejects her own humanity and even thinks of herself as a wolf. On a basic level, Ashitaka and San are total badasses. Where as the film switch gears half-way into the film and suddenly becomes a film about spoilers. I'm honestly blown away, my favorite Ghibli film so far and probably my favorite animated film in general as of now. 54.1k members in the NerdyGoneWild community. The cycle of death and rebirth was completed. They are a sign that the forest is healthy. 77. and this was my first time watching the film after hearing unanimous praise from friends. Having a conflict with real reasons backing each player makes that conflict feel more grounded. Absolutely beautiful, especially the landscapes. It's an act of a hypocrite to completely antagonize his own kind in a film. Blu-ray DVD VHS Tape $77.77 $ 77. Synopsis. The fact that it's hard to identify the characters as good or bad is one of the film's strengths. Studio Ghibli is known for creating some of the best and highest-quality animated films. Find the best posts and communities about Princess Mononoke on Reddit Press J to jump to the feed. Animation is amazing. I didn't have an issue with the dub, but while it's good to know the quality of a dub it shouldn't really factor into the overall quality of the movie. Her beast side is the oldest of man's evolution, yet she is still tamed by her culture - unlike the ravaging beasts we assume to be neutral in alignment. It'll help you understand it better since that's what seems to be your issue with the movie. Fun little Wind Chime Skeleton Minions that frolic in the forest. With man-made problems such as deforestation, global warming, and pollution negatively impacting the environment, artists, authors, and directors are all starting to incorporate environmental themes into their works. Got to agree with this. Her parents threw San to her feet and ran away. Although you could argue that the humans were more on the greedy/bad side for what happens during the film. There isn't a good or bad, really. The story's competing interests-- comprised of cursed monsters, an assortment of people driven by ambition, a selfless hero, and vengeful gods--are remarkable in that there is no villain, instead portraying darkness and hate as it manifests in everyone. We use cookies on our websites for a number of purposes, including analytics and performance, functionality and advertising. He respects and honors the gods and nature, but he knows he will never fully be a part of that world. The classic foreigner meets princess of the forest story, but colored in a shade of rich Japanese scenery and lore. But Miyazaki’s animated epic … -Does the movie fail to hold your attention at any point? Lord Okotto was blind and he and his warriors attempted an attack on the humans. However, I feel that, for many of you, this is a re-visitation of the past. For all those nerdy folk that want to show off their nerdy goods. The main character reminded me a but of Jiro from the wind rises. Happens to all of us. I wonder if this is some special place for Miyazaki? For instance, the people of Irontown just want to live their lives, but their way of life encroaches on the forest, and puts them into conflict with its inhabitants, from the apes, to the boars, to the wolves, to the Forest God itself. All of his warriors died, and he got severely injured. Halfway through the movie, it genuinely felt like I was asleep, dreaming the whole movie. Princess Mononoke (1997) Parents Guide Add to guide . You pretty much identify the flaws in almost every Miyazaki films: guys has some great visions, but he's a terrible story teller and always seems to trip in his own narration when he's not making children anime. For many American moviegoers, 1997’s Princess Mononoke is the anime epic that introduced them to the groundbreaking work of Japanese … Fathom events played the Film on 1/5 because its Miyazaki's 76th birthday. They have a ton of characters and odd cultural details that might go over people's heads on the first viewing. I'm beginning to think I watched the wrong one. 2.3m members in the anime community. But, aren't all main characters in anime badasses? And in the end, what was resolved? As far as the actual movie goes I love it. Things happened for no apparent reason. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, News & Discussion about Major Motion Pictures, Press J to jump to the feed. For me it was a beautiful take on the effects of humanity's ruthless exploration of nature and our surroundings. I think there's a sense of self-awareness in that, too. Here are some basic discussion points: -Do the characters and the story play out well? Shintoism, at its core, is about the connection of man with nature. There is no clear good guy vs bad guy situation and the movie challenges the characters morality. The nightwalker didn't remove the hero's blight in the middle of the the movie. Since it is hand drawn, the film doesn't seem old like a live action film from the same time period does. It is a time where humanity is still desperately struggling to survive in a largely hostile world, made even more hostile by … The ideas they portray. $7.98 shipping. I dislike some popular anime's and get shit for it but oh well. This is one of my favorite Miyazaki film, beautifully animated and also a captivating story. I got that the forest was getting destroyed. I'm eager to hear your thoughts. Agreed, I don't think I've ever been part of a more polite and silent audience in a theatre in my life and the place was packed. Modern interpretations are wildly various, showing kodama as human young and old, or small nature sprites borrowing from European pagan traditions, or just cute animated characters. Like why would Ashitaka love Princess Mononoke right off that bat? I usually watch anime alone or with a few friends so it was nice to experience it with a large audience. A TV really doesn't compare. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts It males the experience much more magical. Pretty much all of the important plot points were resolved. The historical setting also helps make it more timeless. Princess Mononoke is an environmental fable about man seeking to dominate nature. It's hard to find a bad review of this movie. Anybody who hasn't watched this movie in a theater yet, please do. :(. Somewhat a forgettable film to be honest. But anyway, The point of Ghibli films is the messages they send. The oftentimes when there is no 'good guys' or 'bad guys' helps cement this. I also noticed that Miyazaki uses this same green hill with partly cloudy blue skies scene in most of his movies. The death of the Nightwalker is a turning point, the forest has lost its guardian and will have to live on without it. Yestrong Princess Mononoke Wolf Girl Cozy Bed Blanket Fleece Blankets 50"X40" 5.0 out of 5 stars 2. What's also compelling to many is the film's message of living in harmony with nature. It was incredible to see this way. The English dub was horrendous, especially bill bob thornton's character. The only anime I ever watched was fullmetal alchemist: brotherhood - which I thought was good, so I figured I'd give a movie a shot. Maybe I don't have enough background in anime. It goes far to prove that not everyone is evil. Better than basing your opinions around what the "anime community" thinks. Sans fighting style and movements were so well done. After 20 years this film could have been sold to me as a new release if I had not heard about it before seeing it tonight. Sometimes a show just doesn't resonate with an audience member, which seems to be the case with you. That being said, Princess Mononoke is my favorite Ghibli film (only other two are Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro). The Kodama have been living in the forest before the start of the movie. Exploring Environmental Relationships With Princess Mononoke. I see the similarities with Pochahontas and Avatar, but at least the female main characters in that movie saved the heroes life. It's been a couple years so bear with me. As you mentioned, she most certainly was not as clearly evil as so many of the villans in animated films often are. They appeared when Ashitaka was helping Kohroku and an injured man get to Irontown. Edit. Princess Mononoke is the classic battle of Man and Nature. What I love most is when he let's the wooden gate down, how it slams with the weight. Little details in Miyazaki films is really what sells them for me. Maybe you should watch a good subbed version. The viewer is supposed to think him an imbecile, right up until his reveal, and he played it perfectly. Lots of enjoyable scenes and themes. While I think a lot of folks (albeit possibily a minority) didn't even notice that the fundamental conflict regarding the use of the forest by the town still exists at the end of the movie, in retrospect I think that lack of resolution may have been intentional, to provoke reflection on the dynamics of environmental conflict. When San was a baby, the wolf goddess Moro attacked her parents, who were found damaging the forest. I'll try to watch it with a friend or my gf at some point and see what they think because my jaw is on the floor with respect to how people praise this movie so much. I wish they had played that up a little more before the film, I don't think many in the audience were aware. It's also something of a watershed for anime in the West, as it was the first anime movie to be given a wide theatrical release in the U.S. and a dub voiced by a Hollywood cast. Miyazaki Hayao used kodama extensively in his film Mononoke Hime (Princess Mononoke) and illustrated kodama as dual-color bobble-heads. That's pretty compelling, even if he is magic/curse aided. It's like the illustrators realized that they were over the 2 hr mark right as they killed the nightwalker thing, so they're just like "hey, why don't we just have him explode and repopulate the forest." It is right behind Spirited Away as my favorite Ghibli film at the moment, but I still have quite a few to watch! I absolutely love this movie so much and it really was amazing to watch it on the big screen for the first time. Just got back from the theater, one of many that showed Princess Mononoke once more to celebrate its 20th anniversary, and I am completely surprised to not see a discussion thread on r/movies. That was my favorite part too! Beautifully animated with a fantastic setting and interesting group of spirits. The motivation of Mononoke is to rid the … Which makes Ashitaka such a great protagonist as the middle ground. The movie isn't about good or evil being absolute black and white, but differing shades of morally grey. One of my all time favorite animations, it looks absolutly beautiful. Kodama have white skin with black and grey, glowing eyes. During the fight, Ashitaka receives a demon mark on his right arm, and he is curse… The story was bland. Structurally they're really not complex, but they can have a ton of details and depth, which I think is really their appeal. Most people usually enjoy these fairly quickly, so don't force it if it isn't going to be your thing. The cuts of the forest spirit/deer god when there's complete silence gave me chills and I've seen this movie at least a dozen times. I thought it is a beautiful film that definitely will stand the time of time. It's quite impressive how the film doesn't shy away from violence and other mature themes it really makes it feel ahead of it's time. $29.99 $ 29. Environmental themes are becoming more and more common in modern cultural products. It's not quite as "magical" as some of Ghibli's other films as it's a bit more grounded in reality, but it still makes you feel like you've been transported to an entirely different world (which albeit you are considering talking animals don't exist, but you get my point). Moro raised San as her own daughter, and in turn San treats Moro as her mother and Moro's two natural pups as her siblings.San’s primary concern is protecting the forest and the animals she lives with. Londoners, Laputa subtitled Saturday and Mononoke dubbed on Sunday at Prince Charles Cinema. Shinto-Inspired Themes. So perhaps I should have read the plot summary. Just a few days ago I read this post-chain on /r/all and out of nothing it made me remember this movie and how mordern its themes were. It's hard to find a bad review of this movie. The story is engaging and tackles a few pretty interesting motifs, the visuals and score are spectacular, and the action and pacing are excellent as well. This is the part where I think you're trolling. First, it's gorgeous. Did you miss the scene where he lifts the gate, carrying San, after being shot through the chest? Billy Bob Thornton's character was right on the money as far as I'm concerned. I recently watched Princess Mononoke and loved it, but I have two questions and I’m hoping a more seasoned Ghibli fan might be able to answer. Studio Ghibli announced it has begun construction on a major attraction for its upcoming theme park, a giant re-creation of Howl's Moving Castle. It is in my top 3 for Ghibli movies along with Grave of the Fireflies and Howl's Moving Castle. She has suicida… It's like the illustrators realized that they were over the 2 hr mark right as they killed the nightwalker thing, so they're just like "hey, why don't we just have him explode and repopulate the forest."