As a rule, the only films reviewed on this web page are those which are readily available in an English-language format in North America. An exception must be made for *Mononoke Hime*, a film that not only smashed most box-office records in Japan but which represents (to date) Miyazaki's last feature-length animated film. Not only is the film uplifting, but it reaffirms the potential of animation as a dramatic medium at a time when that potential is rapidly being forgotten.
All of the superlatives one could apply to a Disney feature can be used to describe *Mononoke Hime.* The most expensive animated feature ever to be created in Japan (at over twice the budget of *Akira*), *Mononoke Hime*'s animation is flawless. Few of the limited animation conventions typically associated with anime are present in the film; in addition, computer graphics are skillfully interwoven with traditional techniques. As a result, the film has a visual opulence that easily matches the current Disney style. The soundtrack, too, is incredibly evocative and the voice acting is superb. Just as is Disney's current practice, the cast is drawn not from voice actors but from mainstream actors. The message of the film, as in Disney, is a sentimental one albeit aimed more at adults than at children.
This is not to write off Miyazaki as a Disney clone. Unlike Don Bluth, Miyazaki aspires to (and achieves) the trademark Disney-style virtuosity but rejects the cliches and flaws of Disney's features. *Mononoke Hime* is an essentially serious film; Miyazaki does not plug Broadway-style production numbers into it the way that Disney did with *Hunchback* and *Pochahantas*. Nor does Miyazaki interject meaningless cartoony buffoons as allegedly "comic" relief. The visuals of the film are also quite different from the Disney style, which exists primarily as an extension of late 19th-century storybook illustrations. The animals in *Mononoke Hime*, for example, are drawn far more realistically than the typical Disney animals in *The Jungle Book*. Whereas much of Disney (and Bluth's) character design and backgrounds seem as influenced by the "classic" Disney look as by nature, Miyazaki has clearly avoided this mannerism by referencing nature first.
The film also parts company with Disney in the storyline. Story has traditionally been a weakness of animated feature films. In the West, filmmakers typically fall back upon a quasi-fairytale setting and a rather simplistic storyline. Anime usually rates higher on the IQ scale, but most of what's available outside Japan are rather farfetched science-fiction films with outlandish plot premises. Miyazaki is known for literate screenplays and manga, and *Mononoke Hime* features well-developed characters and a plot which doesn't fit comfortably in any genre. Miyazaki is also known for bashing the world view championed in Disney films and has created a message that, while clearly wishful thinking, is far from the goody-two-shoes messages that is too often present in Disney movies. *Mononoke Hime* is an art movie with mass appeal, arguably an animated film for people who don't like most animation.
The plot of *Mononoke Hime* is easy to follow, even for the Japanese-impaired. During a crucial juncture in Japan's history, nature is at war with encroaching civilization. The oversized and ancient Animal Gods (particularly wolves and wild pigs) are viciously defending their forests against further encroachment by humanity. Against this backdrop, a young hero defends his village from an insane boar and becomes infected with a curse from the maggots that swarm about the boar's flesh. He leaves his village and is befriended in a budding city on the edge of the forest. He then encounters Mononoke Hime, a beautiful and fierce young woman who has renounced humanity for the world of nature. Their ensuing relationship is played against the increasing turbulence of the nature-human conflict.
One strong point of the film is that Miyazaki does not create a truly reviled villain. The humans is the story are in conflict with nature, but are hardworking people trying their best to start new lives with integrity. Nature, in turn, is ill-equipped to deal with the ever-spreading human population. Indeed, neither nature nor humanity presents a united front. While moral ambiguity is a hallmark characteristic of Japanese drama (where alliances shift drastically), Miyazaki has created a film in which there are varying degrees of heroics.
Given that Miyazaki is harshly critical of the Walt Disney Company, it is indeed ironic that Disney has obtained the rights to distribute *Mononoke Hime* outside the Far East. It's uncertain to what extent *Mononoke Hime* will be incorporated into the Disney ethos. Will it be distributed by a subsidiary in the way that *Who Framed Roger Rabbit* was distributed via Touchstone Pictures? The film contains a good proportion of semi-realistic violence, making this a poor choice for preschoolers and sensitive smaller children. Children around the age of ten or so should be able to appreciate the movie, but one needs to be an adult with her sense of wonder intact to fully appreciate Miyazaki's work of art.
Get your ownFree Home Page |
Other Anime Reviews Dragonball Z:The Movie Review* Fushigi Yuugi Review* Galaxy Express 999:Eternal Fantasy Review* My Neighbor Totoro Review* Neon Genesis Evangelion Review |