PRINCESS MONONOKE still has the 3rd box record in Japanese cinema history ( NO1. is Sprited away and 2nd is Howl’s moving castle ). From this work, Miyazaki became the carismatic movie director, not only a magical animation producer.
Princess Mononoke has a strong theme or message to today’s society. In that sense, PRINCESS MONONOKE is often discussed in comparison with Nausicaaof the valley of the wind because Nausicaa also has deep and sharp message to modern industrialized society.
Around the time of 1990, when PRINCESS MONONOKE was released, Japan was suffering from increasing crimes of younger generation and their desparate attitude about their future. Young generation at the time seemed to have lost their dream and future with a big flustration to modern Japanese society with no bright future. There also were a lot of suicides of young generation at that time.
Miyazaki once said in an interview that ” we can prospect our future by looking at our children’s faces “. I suppose Miyazaki was also disappointed with young generations faces, or their attitude with no hope and ambition.
He also said that this movie, PRINCESS MONONOKE, has a message, “LIVE ! “. He said that he and all the staff discuessed the movie theme, but they found it was no longer like TOTORO. Japan is no more faced with TOTORO like message situation, necessary message now must be much stronger one.
PRINCESS MONONOKE is a story of human and animals, and maybe nature and god. It’s really hard to describe correctly about the movie because it has various understanding by the people who see it. But something we can commonly say is Princess Mononoke is a strong and beautiful animated movie to all the adults over 18 years old. Maybe it’s not proper for kids because the story has destructive expression and too strong message for kids. Princess Mononoke is more than an entertaiment animation. It’s a very solid, sharp, deeply considered movie.
This movie got a number of awards both in Japan and in foreign countries. Also the theme song became a big hit like Spirited Away’s song. Since Castle in the Sky, Miyazaki movies’ music has been conducted by Joe Hisaishi. He also always did a splendid job for the movies.
Without any hesitation, I can recommend this movie to all of the adults in the world. You will see Japanese culture here, which we have fostered with our God nature, and you will understand how Miyazaki wanted to make message to Japanese socity then. That also was the social aspect that we Japanese were faced at the time.
In ancient time of Japan, animals and crops were thought to be a blessing of God. There people live with the nature and wild life in the name of God. To stay with God meant the strongest and peaceful rest of mind . People live to eat by the blessing of God, and they thank God for yearly crops with which they could live over to next year.
I once heard this kind of story from my already passed aunt a long time ago. Now this kind of tale is no more existing in mothers’ knowledge in Japan because we don’t have those who tell us the tale when we are kinds.
Seeing Princess Mononoke reminds me of the tale from my aunt. Nature is always hard for us but we must live with them in a harmony. Wild life and crops give us power to live, at the same time we need to grow them to live together. Killing and harvest is temporary pleasure but growing them is everlasting happiness. For the happy life, we always need to work for it. Labour is a beautiful thing but it’s also a hard thing.
Today, young generation don’t have to lead a hard life in this well supplied society. But ignorance of the meaning of living, it’s too hard to live a long life time. At the time of Mononoke, Japan produced a lot of young people who don’t have their future vision, toughness for life, nor the kindness to nature or our food. That was a tragic thing, and when I saw this movie, I remembered my aunt tale.
Also Miyazaki wanted to say a message or something meaningful through this kind of old Japanese spirit which existed in the mind of ancient people of Japan. I hope Japan will once again get this old society’s minds back to the present time.
I first saw this animation movie, Princess Mononoke, about 10 years ago. This movie became the top hit movie ever produced in Japan, and this Japanese box record continued until the next one, Spirited Away is released. Pricess Mononoke became a kind of social phenomena at the time in Japan. The reason for that was probably because this movie depicted Japan at the time.
As you know, Miyazaki produced TOTORO before this one. That was a total fantasy for families in the world even if the stage was set in good old time of Japan. However, Princess Mononoke gave us the strongest message of his mind, which was ” we must live “.
This movie presented us the precious concept toward life, nature, spirit, and hope. All of these essence of this movie requested our strong will to survive. This movie showed us how to live again, how to cooperate with the earth and nature, and how to get back to beauty and toughness of our mind again. I think Miyazaki wanted to tell us the forgotten power and mind.
Consequently, that concept is similar to any people of the world. That’s why this movie was accepted by other countries audience too.
Even for us Japanese, we need to bring our old sensitivity back to our mind when we watch this movie correctly because this movie requests us some conceptual and spiritual understanding in some parts.
One thing I can really understand is that Miyazaki says ” we must live, but we can’t live if we ignore what grows us on the earth “. I also think this is his never changing message from the first movie, Nausicaaof the valley of the wind.
