(The full name of the main character is blocked by Epinions' unintelligent language filter, hence the asterisks.)

Prince Ash*taka, the last of the Emishi tribe, has been wounded by a demon boar that was attacking his village. He killed it, but the wound will soon spread through his body and kill him. As his last work, he sets out for the lands from which the boar came to find what drove it mad.

After journeying far to the east, he finds the last of the great forests in conflict with Irontown, led by the aggressive Lady Eboshi. They must clear forest to extract more iron ore, but the gods of the forest are fighting them every step of the way. Princess Mononoke herself is a human girl raised by the wolf goddess Moro, who has sworn to kill Lady Eboshi to stop the destruction of the forest.

This sets up a classic tale of man versus nature, and no one is entirely in the right. The animal spirits hate all humans, even those who are sympathetic to their cause, and Lady Eboshi, while stopping at nothing to get the ore she needs, has given ex-brothel girls and lepers useful work and self-respect in Irontown. Ash*taka himself frequently shows divided loyalty, which lends realism to his character but occasional confusion to the story.

The kodama are tangential to the main plot, but give Princess Mononoke a large part of its otherworldly feel. They are tree spirits, indicative of a healthy forest, and manage to be adorable without being insufferable (something I thought was impossible in modern theater).

The soundtrack is magnificent - grand and sweeping without being overwhelming, perfectly complementing the epic tone of the movie. (I'm seriously considering purchasing it, and I almost never purchase soundtracks unless they're by John Williams.)

Princess Mononoke unfortunately has the feel of a movie that was a little too heavily edited. There are so many conflicts and story threads going on that very few of them feel adequately fleshed out. And, while trying not to give too much away, the ending was disappointing. The goals of the two sides are in fundamental conflict, yet after the final battle Ash*taka simply says "Well, you go back to the forest; I'll go help rebuild Irontown; and we'll see each other now and then." It's as if the entire movie never happened, for no suggestion is made that anything will be done differently this time around. Perhaps that was supposed to be the point: that the cycle never will be broken; but if so, it was a pretty big letdown. It would have been better, in my mind, for him to have said nothing at all.


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12