We cannot change fate, but we can rise to meet it.

Rating: 10/10 (25 June 2017)

Something is wrong. A shapeless rage and powerful demon appears on the outskirts of a small village. Animals as well as humans are poisoned and cursed at its touch. Ashitaka, a perceptive and valiant young man and peacemaker who is wise beyond his years, recognizes that this demon is blinded by its own agony. He attempts to quiet its rage and direct the sinister power away from the village. Despite his efforts and care to avoid the demon, and his success at saving the village, Ashitaka is touched by the curse. The village oracle encourages him to journey with unclouded eyes and open mind to the source of the demon's rage - a distant forest - where Ashitaka may be able to find a way to lift the curse. The journey takes Ashitaka to an ironworks encroaching on the forest, where people, animals and demons are at war with each other, and with themselves. As Ashitaka looks for a way to lift the curse and keep from harm, he uncovers secrets of the place and characters. This includes a mysterious and beautiful young princess allied with the wolves; Mononoke.
Twenty years ago, in Georgetown, a Japanese embassy sponsored advertisement of the film caught my eye. I encouraged my fiancé to come. It was our first Miyazaki film and I was stunned by its insight, wisdom, artistry and beauty. It touched on some of my basic beliefs about human nature, love and the environment. A recent trip to Japan and the remote island of Yakushima (used as a model for scenes in the film) deepened my appreciation for Princess Mononoke.
The artistic beauty is timeless and dazzling to the senses. Mist rises from the mountains and ancient forests of gigantic cedars. Rainstorms, shadows, clouds and rivers appear to rush over you as they pass on screen. The landscape character is revealed in the variable light of the sun and moon. The incredible attention to detail is evident in eyes that sparkle in the night, light and ripples on water, wind on grass, haunting bird songs, different shades of stone, the flash of gunpowder and a night sky filled with stars.
There is incredible complexity to the characters; female and male, animal and human, earth and supernatural. This complexity is heightened by immersion in the Japanese culture wherein spirits and demons take human or animal form, or something in between - or even beyond - both. Twenty years ago, I ruminated about my fiancé and wondered what characteristics she shared with the fascinatingly intricate, attractive, stylish and spirited female characters. Mononoke and Lady Eboshi, both willful, fearless and independent, deftly navigate the male oriented world. The two are separated by belief. Eboshi is realistic. "We have more to fear from ourselves than from demons or monsters," she wisely maintains. Mononoke is idealistic about the forest and, of course, wolves. Ashitaka, the peacemaker, is respectful and observant of others. He has the admirable ability to see through the eyes of strangers and understand how they feel. Tough and vulnerable at the same time, he helps others and shrugs off aggression.
There are so many bits of wisdom scattered throughout the film and in surprising places. One important and recurring theme is the precarious balance of the natural world and our relationships to others. We are connected to the environment and others in all we do, and this film underscores this point. Destruction and violence just create more hatred. The film pushes us to be non-judgmental and hopeful like Ashitaka. New life is always on the threshold and within reach, if we allow it. We may not know what form it takes, but we must leave space for it to grow. We are alive, and we have each other. The film dialogue is delightfully intricate and unpredictable. The competing interests, changing circumstances and shifting balances of life are skillfully portrayed. We cannot change fate, but we can rise to meet it.
The story is based in a time when Japan, 150 years ago, was suddenly transforming from the ancient ways, to iron, gunpowder and other technologies and beliefs. Listening to the film in Japanese, with English subtitles, adds another wonderful dimension to the film. One of my favorite films ever.