The Near-Perfect Synergy of Style and Substance

Rating: 9/10 (20 July 2018)

Don't be fooled by the outward appearances of Princess Mononoke. Don't be fooled by the Studio Ghibli tag, or the Disney distribution, or its princess-fantasy genre, or the animated format. This is far from a kid-friendly film. It's intentionally paced (aka "slow), jarringly violent (decapitation, ripped-off limbs, intense physical transformations), and almost oppressively heavy in tone. It's also one of the most lush, colorful, and beautiful creations of Miyazaki's astounding career, combining his undeniable animation skill and boundless imagination with overwhelming success.
Oddly enough, Mononoke isn't our protagonist here. Instead we follow Ashitaka, a recently cursed Prince who, in his search for a cure, finds himself mixed up in a battle for the future of the forest and its inhabitants, both animal and spiritual. Its effortless mixture of compelling story, well-placed humor, naturalism and fantasy is like great literature, only told with unspeakably perfect hand-drawn animation. Each cartoon cel and 2D creation is given its own character, style and care. Possessed-like apes with blurry skin. Cute but unsettling forest nymphs with Picasso-inspired faces. Snake-like demons drowning giant boars, personified wolves and blood-covered humans with chaotic precision.
Not that its all style and no substance. Miyazaki and writer Neil Gaiman are running the gamut on thematic presence here, much of which will be familiar specifically in the bible belt. Fate versus chance, the relentless power of hatred, the danger of false prophets, the difficult power of choosing good, life springing up from death, the frustration inherent in being an ephemeral creature. It's all presented with a wonderous mystery, only suffering from moments of over-explanation. Princess Mononoke represents an entirely imaginative spirit rarely surpassed in storytelling.