Princess Mononoke
Film details
| Film Title | Princess Mononoke |
|---|---|
| Suitability | |
| Genre | |
| Length | 134mins |
| Year | 1997 |
| Country | Japan |
| Director | Hayao Miyazaki |
| Actors | Yôji Matsuda, Yuriko Ishida, Yûko Tanaka |
| Language | Japanese |
| AKA | Mononoke-hime |
| Showings |
2022 marks the 25th anniversary of this complex work which was written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and has been described as a ‘dark and angry film, full of strange spectacle’. The English dubbed version was scripted by author Neil Gaiman and significantly increased Studio Ghibli’s success outside Japan. The story takes place in the 14th Century, when harmony between humans, animals and gods begins to crumble. The main character, the young prince Ashitaka, is infected by a boar attack and seeks a cure. During his travels, he sees humans ravaging the earth, bringing down the wrath of wolf god Moro and his companion, Princess Mononoke. Ashitaka attempts to broker peace but this causes more conflict.
Author Neil Gaiman commented that, “This is real film making. This is David Lean-level film making. This is Akira Kurosawa film making.” He went on to say, ”Miyazaki built a film in which there are no bad guys. There are only consequences.”
“This movie fuelled my passion for anime and mythology, because many of the fantastical creatures are based on Japanese folklore.”
Coco Miller (15), project team volunteer
