Another Miyazaki masterpiece

Rating: Null/10 (30 September 2003)

More overtly political than Miyazaki's masterpiece SPIRITED AWAY, PRINCESS MONONOKE nonetheless still manages to spin its own amazing web of visuals and segments comparable to the latter (and deservedly much lauded) SPIRITED AWAY.
Pitting industry versus nature (and the combatants therein) the lines between protagonists and antagonists are blurred, effectively forcing the viewer to consider the actions and consequences from both perspectives, and overall, the need for balance emerging as the only true solution.
Brilliant in conception and execution, in particular several of the groups of animals (my favourite has to be the night time appearance of the group of apes complete with glowing red eyes, wishing to `eat the human' intoned in spooky, electronically-delayed voices. I actually went back and watched this sequence in both Japanese and French, just to hear the dialogue in another language) , the film is also effectively paced, featuring a strong, engaging story, and - as in SPIRITED AWAY - moments of pure movie magic featuring transforming Forest Spirits, talking boars and wolves, rattling-headed Tree Spirits and other assorted enchantments. Thank God for men of imagination like Miyazaki-san. We are all the richer for it. Another recommendation to fans of anime and non-fans alike, quite simply, another example of filmmaking at its most magnificent.
One note of caution: First-time viewers may wish to consider avoiding the English dialogue dub (the method Miyazaki himself recommends for Western audiences when viewing his films so as not to distract from the visual). While SPIRITED AWAY came off effectively in this regard, my recommendation here is to go against Miyazaki and enjoy the Japanese track with English subs for MONONOKE. Save yourself the pain of trying to picture the voice of Billy Bob Thornton coming out of a short, squatty Japanese man. Ugh.