My 5th fav film of all time.

Rating: 10/10 (5 February 2014)

For the first (and thankfully up to now,only time) time ever,I found myself in 2009 becoming completely disinterested in seeing films/TV shows,listening to new music and reading fiction novels,due to none of them really connecting with me at that point in time.Searching round for some DVD's to pick up for a friends birthday in late 2009 at a local HMV,I found myself strangely taken by the cover of a Japanamation title.With having never heard of the film before,I was caught by surprise,when I started to get a strong feeling that I had to pick up the DVD right away.
Watching the DVD later that night,I found myself being left breathless by writer/director Hayao Miyazaki's complex,yet human plot,and also Studio Ghibli's, (the studio which Miyazaki founded) animation work being unlike anything that I had seen before.
As I started to gather up titles to celebrate my upcoming 500th IMDb review,I decided that my 500th review would be the perfect time for me to take a look at my 5th fav film of all time,which led to me excitingly getting ready for a very special meeting with Princess Mononoke.
The plot:
Note:I was originally planning to watch the Japanese with English Subtitles edition of the title,but ended up watching the English language edition,when I discovered that the subtitles on the Optimum DVD did not match either the English or Japanese soundtracks (The DVD included subs for the 'mute' Japanese intro.)
Attempting to stop a demonic boar god from reaching his village,Ashitaka grabs a weapon and kills the demon.Before taking its final breath,the demon wraps itself around one of Ashitaka's arm's and infects him. Relising that something has gone badly wrong,Ashitaka goes back to the village,and talks to the 'wise woman' Oracle.Shocked by how deep the demon's infection has gotten into his arm,Oracle tells Ashitaka that whilst the demon's power's will give him superhuman strength,the infection will soon cover the whole of his body and kill him.Giving Ashitaka some hope,Oracle tells him that he may be able to find a cure from the land that the god originated from .Deciding that this is his only option,Ashitaka heads out to the boar gods original location.
Heading to his destination,Ashitaka runs into a monk called Jigo,who strongly advises Ashitaka to visit a nearby woodland area,which its claimed contains a mythical god called the Great Forest Spirit.Rushing to the woods,Ashitaka is stopped in his tracks by the remains of a battle that has taken place between the residents of Iron Town (led by Lady Eboshi) and a gang of wolves,led by a woman called San,whose main motive is to stop the gods from being killed,and the woods being destroyed by the people of Iron Town.
Picking up the survivors,Ashitaka safely takes them back to Iron Town.Welcomed as an unexpected hero into the town which is run by former brothel workers,whose freedoms were paid for by Eboshi.Asked if there is anything that he needs,Ashitaka requests a meeting with Lady Eboshi.Hoping to arrange a peace deal between Eboshi and San,Ashitaka's hopes are left in tatters,when Eboshi, (who caused a boar god to be taken over by a demon,which would infect Ashitaka) tells Ashitaka that she is determined to get every piece of iron from the woods for her loyal towns people,and to also cut off the head of the Great Forest spirit.
View on the film:
Giving an intelligent cultural context in a narration adaptation by Neil Gaiman,each of the cast members give passionate performances,with Billy Bob Thornton giving the movie a soulful side as Jigo,and Billy Crudup brilliantly expressing Ashitaka's conflicting emotions on the deadly situation that he finds himself in.Joining the guys,Minnie Driver keeps away from giving Lady Eboshi a heart of iron by giving her a firm,but protective voice,with almost all of Eboshi's activates being linked to her wanting to do the best for the people of Iron Town.Perfectly matching her character design,Claire Danes gives a wild performance as San,with Danes showing the survival of the gods to be the thing that drives San's existence,whilst Gillian Anderson gives the film a meditating side,as the voice of the wolf god Moro.
Personally drawing (or redrawing) 80,000 of the titles 144,000 animation cells,writer/directing auteur Hayao Miyazaki gives the last ever title to be filmed on plastic cells an astonishing send off.Showing no fear at all in making the movie 'adult',Miyazaki superbly gives each of the demonic gods a raw visceral edge by allowing blood to flow from every hole of their decaying bodies,with Miyazaki also showing a real eye for tough action scenes,as Ashitaka uses his demon powers to chop peoples arms off,and for decapitations.
Contrasting the gory edges of the action scenes,Miyazaki shows an extraordinary eye for detail,with ever branch and leaf in the forest being individually drawn to beautiful detail that, gives the film a powerful Fantasy atmosphere,with Miyazaki also making the characters brilliantly fully dimensional, by allowing for all of their positive's and flaws to be expressed across their faces.
Avoiding the risk of the screenplay becoming 'preachy',Miyazaki makes the environment issue one that is focused on the characters effects on the location,and not on the location itself.Keeping away from making Eboshi a boo-hiss villain,Miyazaki shows,that whilst Eboshi's battles are extreme,that they are firmly rooted to Eboshi wanting to make the residents of Iron Town's lives better.Giving Ashitaka an infection from the start,Miyazaki shows Ashitaka fight against his infection by developing a maturity in his complicated relationship with San,and also taking on the townsfolk and the woodland residence with an unwavering sense of determination,as Miyazaki reveals his Princess to be an unforgettable film.