Directed by:
Hayao MiyazakiScreenplay:
Hayao MiyazakiCinematography:
Atsushi OkuiComposer:
Joe HisaishiCast:
Yūko Tanaka, Yôji Matsuda, 小林薫, Tetsu Watanabe, Yuriko Ishida, Masahiko Nishimura, 近藤芳正, Takako Fuji, 森繁久彌, Toshio Suzuki, 美輪明宏, Sumi Shimamoto, Shirō Saitō (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
Young warrior Ashitaka receives a wound that refuses to heal in a battle with a cursed beast. Searching for a remedy for the supernatural injury, he leaves his remote village for the forbidding forests of the west, where he finds a human enclave under siege from divine powers: deities of times past, the wolf gods, and San, a wild girl of the forest. Hayao Miyazaki's masterpiece depicts the clash of the natural world and its old gods, with the rise of humans and the beginnings of modern civilisation. It shows three elements of the Japanese psyche warring for supremacy in anecological fable of stirring mythic power. (StudioCanal UK)
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Reviews (8)
A hardcore fairy tale set in an imaginative world with a strong appeal to sensitive and conscientious behavior towards nature, which is very ambitious and broad in its many themes and (sub)plots (I honestly got a little lost at times). Miyazaki has really created an extremely diverse world here, which, though rendered (only) in animation, has absolutely full-blooded and morally quite contradictory heroes. [90%] ()
I actually have hardly anything to complain about; whether it's the amazing mythical story, the score, or the stunningly engaging visuals, which would be unimaginable in any other animated movie. The problem is simply that the plot, however brilliantly developed and imaginative, failed to effectively pull me in and make me sit still in front of the monitor for two hours. So all OK, I had fun and enjoyed an unconventional adventure movie, but I still like the top American cartoons much more. ()
I am watching Hayao Miyazaki's films in chronological order, and I like how his work evolves over time, but his signature remains safely recognizable. Princess Mononoke is another story with a strong ecological subtext, but it is one hundred percent serious fantasy with very few moments of lightness, but with a large number of magical and poetic scenes, and with characters who are by no means clearly divided into good and bad – each of them can be understood with a certain vision of the world, which adds to the story's impact. The monster finale is awesome, but there are plenty of memorable scenes. ()
If this is peak anime, I’m not very interested in other representatives of the genre. I didn’t like the animation very much, in fact, though the music was gorgeous. It really makes you feel like you are in an ancient mythical world ruled by animal gods, where humans are not at the top of the food chain yet. The clear eco-philosophical message can be seen throughout, but considering the runtime, it could have been expanded a lot more. As such, this a pretty charming film, but also a bit shallow. 7/10 ()
I'm used to Miyazaki's work being tinged with "let's protect nature – sort trash – don’t burn forests", but this time it was too much. Again, no expense is spared when it comes to fantasy, I really liked the white creatures in the forest, the story was also interesting, the ending was kind of bittersweet (which I didn't mind at the time), yet for me this is one of the weakest films I've seen from Miyazaki so far. It just didn't touch me, not this time. His work has always left something in me, now not a peep. Still, it's a quality piece of work that's definitely worth seeing; me once. A weaker 4 stars. ()
Gallery (172)
Photo © Miramax Films
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