My childhood movie

Rating: 10/10 (24 November 2013)

If I had to pick one movie that describes my childhood, this would be it. I saw it for the first time when I was 7 years old and have loved it ever since.
The magical thing about Princess Mononoke is that there's something in it for every age. For young children, it's a beautiful story about love and protecting nature. For older people, it tells of the clash between nature and culture, old and new, anger and peace. Each time I watch this movie, I notice something new. I can even say it has shaped most of my spirituality, and I've always felt a strong bond with nature thanks to Princess Mononoke.
Of course, San has always been my favourite character due to her courage and devotion to nature and the Gods - but what's wonderful is that all the other characters have fully rounded personalities too, which you can identify and sympathise with. Even Eboshi has her own motivations and does a lot of good actions throughout the movie (though also a lot of bad ones). Ashitaka is an admirable diplomat. And of course one cannot help but love the Gods!
The movie itself doesn't require any of the 3D effects used in theatres nowadays. It's simple, yet conveys the story in a powerful and touching way. As for violence and adult themes - even as an extremely sensitive and easily scared 7-year-old, I wasn't bothered by what I saw, and I can assure you the (one or two) mentions of brothels go unnoticed.
In short: you will smile. You will cry. You will be changed. And you will want to see the film again.
I would recommend Princess Mononoke to anyone.