A beautifully realized tale of civilization versus nature, PRINCESS MONONOKE is a true epic by Japan's master animator Hayao Miyazaki. While protecting his village from a rampaging boar-god, the warrior Ashitaka (Billy Crudup) is cursed with a rapidly spreading scar that threatens to end his life. Seeking a cure and a reason .. Read more
| Starring | Gillian Anderson, Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Corey Burton |
|---|---|
| Director | Hayao Miyazaki |
| Genres | Animated, Children |
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A beautifully realized tale of civilization versus nature, PRINCESS MONONOKE is a true epic by Japan's master animator Hayao Miyazaki. While protecting his village from a rampaging boar-god, the warrior Ashitaka (Billy Crudup) is cursed with a rapidly spreading scar that threatens to end his life. Seeking a cure and a reason for the animal-god's attack, he journeys into the sacred depths of the Great Forest Spirit's realm. On the edge of this once serene forest, however, the Tatara clan have begun to destroy the surrounding land to produce iron. In retaliation, San (Claire Danes), the adopted daughter of the wolf-god Moro (Gillian Anderson), has begun raiding the Tatara fortress to stop their encroachment. Soon Ashitaka is caught in the middle and must stop the war between the humans and the forest dwellers before they destroy each other.
Miyazaki, who was personally responsible for 80,000 of the film's 144,000 hand drawings, uses the story's lush feudal setting as a character unto itself, filling the screen with vast mountainous landscapes and gorgeous wooded glens that recall his early film, NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND. The film also features battle sequences that are reminiscent of the stunning live action warfare in Akira Kurosawa's RAN. The startlingly fluid movements of these mythological characters are detailed far beyond any other hand-animated production, easily making this one of the most spectacular animated films ever made.
| Starring | Gillian Anderson, Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Corey Burton, Keith David, Minnie Driver |
|---|---|
| Director | Hayao Miyazaki |
| Studio | OPTIMUM RELEASING |
| Run time | DVD: 2 hrs 10 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Animated, Children |
| Language | English |
| Dubbed | Japanese |
| Hearing-impaired | English |
| Subtitles | English |
| Released | DVD: 22 Oct 2001 Production year: 1997 |
| Format | DVD |
The highest-grossing Japanese film of all time is a luxuriously animated legend of ancient gods going head to head with mankind and industry over the balance of nature. Released through Disney offshoot Miramax, the English-language version of this boldly surrealistic and starkly experimental cartoon is beautifully drawn, using the inspiration of classic Japanese artwork, and drums home a modern ecological message with a feminist bias. Set in the 14th century, it's a complicated tale of cursed Prince Ashitaka condemned to roam the land looking for a way to lift the malediction that has given him various supernatural gifts. After encountering bloodthirsty samurai, corrupt priests, friendly sprites and the evil Lady Eboshi who owns a giant iron foundry, he joins forces with San, the Wolf Princess, to ensure capitalistic progress will not be won at the expense of the woodland creatures. Director Hayao Miyazaki expertly weaves Asian folklore and contemporary issues with breathtaking designs and colour palettes. The realisation of the Deer God as a psychedelic Godzilla is a masterstroke.
"...It's hard to deny the ambition of the storytelling, the ferocity of the action, or the sheer weirdness..." -- 4 out of 5 stars - Watch More Than Once
If you have never come across the work of Hayao Miyazaki you are in for
a wonderful surprise. The Japanese anime director and writer has earned
global fame for his extraordinary work - the latest, 'Spirited Away' won
an oscar - and Princess Mononoke bears all the hallmark style of this
great creator.
It is a story of humans pitted against gods and spirits, set in a
lavish, beguiling landscape. Disney it isn't... Miyazake's work has a
luminous, transcendent quality with a consistent gift for the visually
memorable. There are moments in this film when you completely forget it
is animated, the visual quality is that good.
This production features some surprisingly heavyweight Hollywood stars
dubbing the English language version, but your attention will remain
firmly fixed on the haunting forest landscapes.
A must-see.
Being a creation of Miyazaki, this film promises something special. The plot is well-formed, although the initial premise is very similar to other Miyazaki films: A lone young person steps out into the big wide world to meet their destiny. However, he plot is to be commended, as there is no clear definition in the film between good and evil. Epic battles are fought, but both sides fight for their own needs and interests, both equally capable of love and hate.
The animation cannot be faulted. Although, it is at times, a violent and bloody movie, so it is not one for the very young children.
All-in-all, it is well worth renting, the only reason I have not given it five stars is because it just felt like it didn't quite match up to Spirited Away in ceaseless creativity and addictive story telling(the Miyazaki animation produced after).
Francis Ford Coppola's Vietnam war epic Apocalypse Now has been named as the number one film that cinemagoers should watch before they die by a panel of experts. Channel 4 compiled a list of 50 films that best displayed a "unique and creative approach to filmmaking", with Rio de Janeiro slums epic City Of God, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Donnie Darko all making the top ten. Based upon Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness, Apocalypse now, starring Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando and Robert... Read more