A great initiation story coupled with a very strong ecological message with a more current resonance than ever, “Princess Mononoke” is a pure gem from Studio Ghibli and its creator, Hayao Miyazaki. To watch or rewatch on Netflix.
In this sumptuous tale by Hayao Miyazaki, Ashitaka, future leader of the Emishi clan, sets out in search of the Deer god to lift a curse that is plaguing his body. His quest leads him to meet Princess Mononoke who fights against humans to protect the sacred forest, populated by giant animals and other folkloric creatures.
Released in July 1997 in Japan, the public gave Princess Mononoke a triumphant welcome, with no less than 17 million admissions. A colossal record for an animated film in the Land of the Rising Sun. It is with this film, which takes place in a feudal Japan of the 15th century, in the Muromachi era, that the work of Miyazaki-San – and more broadly the Ghibli productions – truly broke through to the general public.
Of great visual power, elegant, where ancestral legends mix brilliantly with historical references, Princess Mononoke is also a great initiation story coupled with a strong ecological message.
Because in this story where man and nature confront each other with all their strength, the protagonist tries by all means to avoid the escalation of the conflict, advocating harmony between humans and gods without the need to dominate the other to survive and thrive.
Studio Ghibli
“I was not satisfied with the image that Studios Ghibli gave of man facing his environment. In particular the gentle, idyllic way in which we showed the relationship with nature. I think that in the relationship between man and nature there is a terrible aspect, something much more vast…” said Miyazaki, who took three years to deliver this dark and even violent work, not intended for very young audiences.
It is hardly surprising that spectators, notably those of AlloCiné, place this work in the top 3 animated films from Ghibli. 26 years after its release, the strength of the film’s message is still there, intact, as on the first day. And with a resonance that is more current than ever.