100 Movies Every Catholic Should See #66: Princess Mononoke (1997)

Written & Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Several times on this blog, it has come to the course of human events to explore movies outside of the familiar Western embrace. And, a couple of times now, Studio Ghibli has been brought up, but not until now has 100 Movies awarded Studio Ghibli a dedicated space on the said list.  When asked to write this article, my first thought was that this could be a tad polarizing, as some may brush Studio Ghibli off as glorified anime. So if the words ‘Animated’ in conjunction with “Japanese” make you roll your eyes, know that you are in good company. Take a moment and walk with me on this journey to Ghibli. 

In this current era of reboots, remakes, and sequels about prequels, Hollywood seems to have thrown up their hands in defeat when it comes to original, fresh storytelling. The good plots have been rehashed and the bad plots have been twisted and the expectations have been subverted  to such an extent that there is nothing new under the sun in cinema, they say. 

To which a Japanese grandfather comes out of retirement for the 85th time and says “Hold my saké”. 

We have living among us a director of almost otherworldly talent. In the magic he weaves from hand drawn storyboard panels to sweeping strokes of visual vibrancy, Hayao Miyazaki would still consider himself merely an artist plying his craft. His artistry has been described as capturing the heart of childhood wonder and nostalgia, making the viewer feel as though they were reliving emotions and experiences from childhood despite seeing the movie for the first time. Those who love the work of Miyazaki will be the first to defend the inherent beauty of his films. Studio Ghibli is a testament to beauty in craft. The visuals are famous for their hand drawn, almost watercolor quality, and their soundtracks are famous for romanticizing the small moments in life, elevating the tiny, achingly human moments that fill our days into a testament of shared experience. Rinsing a bowl, adjusting clothing, preparing a meal-- these moments are highlighted in a contemplative, elegant way, adding a realness to the characters rarely seen in animation. While Studio Ghibli has time and time again proved their skilled and steady hand in action scenes, a far more important and more subtle skill hides in their treatment of the beauty within the mundane. 

So many of his films deserve praise, but this one goes out to the film that rocketed him into relevance in the Western world, won numerous awards, and is broadly considered his most important work, Princess Mononoke. 

The film centers around Ashitaka, a young warrior prince who receives a terrible curse from a corrupted monster. The curse gives him incredible strength, but at a cost, as the curse is a form of hatred and violence that will quickly consume him body and soul. To seek a cure, he must leave his village and travel to find the most powerful forest spirit for aid. Insodoing, he finds himself entangled in a series of vicious, bitter conflicts with no hope for peaceful solutions. These conflicts serve as a reflection of his worsening curse, as hatred and violence feeds into hatred and violence. One of these conflicts will introduce the titular Princess Mononoke, a deeply resentful and dangerous girl raised by forest spirits after her parents’ abandonment. She and her forest guardians clash savagely with a developing factory town invading the woods. As the two sides representing nature and industrialization will not coexist, both sides embrace war. Ashitaka attempts to bring peace, but his curse is unrelenting, and his time shortens by the moment. The movie lingers over the question of redemption, offering many examples of characters, motives, and actions. Which are redeemed? To what extent are negative actions absolved by pure intentions? Can harmony ever be reached when two parties’ interests will always conflict? How can one truly forgive? Greed, corruption, and blindness are prominent themes, as are renewal, growth, and penitence. Miyazaki simultaneously shows the faults and strengths of his characters, showing the conflicts as brutal, sorrowful, and seemingly inevitable. While he shows the snowballing effect of hatred, how ignorance and violence build from small actions into disaster, he also shows the snowballing effects of noble actions, showing very clearly which of the two is the more powerful.  The effect is mesmerizing. Though Miyazaki is not Catholic, he, through nature, uses imagery that is fiercely sacramental. One blunt example of this is a character literally emerging from water with new life and new purpose, though other examples are far more subtle and intricate. If anything, Princess Mononoke is one of the clearest examples of Miyazaki searching for meaning and truth using beauty as a guide. Funnily enough, that guide keeps leading him to make films with overtly religious undertones. (Who knew?)

In many ways, the main draw of the film, beside the obvious beauty of the visuals and soundtrack, is the morality of the main character. Oh how good it is to have a character who is unselfish and sacrificial in his actions. In a weary world where modern movies spend too much time making conflicted heroes and misunderstood villains, we crave films where the hero has an unbudging moral compass that unyieldingly points north, even as an evil curse grows within him.  We crave a hero that, amidst otherworldly amounts of strife and conflict, we can trust to do the right thing, and do it well. Ashitaka represents a fallen man fighting his stain of corruption, doing everything in his power to maintain his virtue and humanity even as he is being consumed. This is a protagonist that truly embodies the Beatitudes, and his effect on the other characters is striking. They see him as different, and though they don’t know why, they cling to him, look to him for counsel, and implicitly trust him. 

Blessed are the merciful,

    for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,

    for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

    for they will be called the Sons of God.

While other characters struggle to find their way, Ashitaka has no hesitation. This is refreshing, because when every character is morally gray, cinema truly loses its vibrancy.

Plot aside, the visuals of Mononoke are mesmerizing, expert montages of elegant color. Miyazaki approaches his films as a love letter to artists everywhere, with the constant inspiration of nature’s raw beauty that he seeks to honor. But guys, it has to be said: This is not a casual watch. To be sure, it's not sexually explicit, or profane, or filled with gratuitous guts and gore, but it is intense, and the action is, in fact, packed. Does it raise the spirit to contemplation? A whole-hearted yes. Will it take an iron grip on your attention the rest of the day so you walk in a daze and can’t focus on anything? Also yes. It’s a risk we take when dealing with Miyazaki.

The elephant in the room here is that many people will be turned askew by Mononoke insofar as they do not see themselves as fans of anime. Though this is not an “us vs them” situation, know that the misgivings are understandable. Indeed, many of those who love this movie would not characterize themselves as someone who would. Unconvinced? That’s okay, but do give it a go. Studio Ghibli has made themselves a giant in the animated world for a very good reason.  Of their many many beloved films, Mononoke is considered one of the most (if not the most) epic and intense film Studio Ghibli has to offer. I may not recommend starting one’s Ghibli journey with it, but for the purposes of the list of 100, Princess Mononoke deserves the spot. To fully round out the cinema experience of 100 Movies every Catholic Should See will include watching one of the best films to ever come out of Japanese animation. 

Just know that this is a movie that exploded Studio Ghibli into relevance in the US. Know that this is a movie that has remained with people after they see it. The effect it has on its viewers speaks for itself. This is not a film people even have the opportunity to movie-talk through. It captivates from the first opening notes far into the end credits, leaving the viewers sitting in rapt and awed silence (I’ve seen it happen). 

In the words of a first time viewer: “That’s one of the best things I’ve ever seen.”

And those are good words. But if you need better words, there are actually no better words to end on Princess Mononoke than the words of Roger Ebert in his own review of the movie: “I go to the movies for many reasons. Here is one of them.”