Reviewed
October
1999
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In
1998 animation history was made in Japan when the feature length
animated film, Princess Mononoke, became that nation's top
movie of all time... both in terms of popularity and box office
sales.
Created
by master animator Hayao Miyazaki, Princess Mononoke is the
tale of a Princess who fights against the destruction of forests
in a fantasy 14th Century Japan. Mononoke opened in Japanese theaters
July, 1997 and appeared on 250 screens throughout the country, making
it the largest theatrical opening ever for an anime.
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On
October the 29th, 1999, Princess Mononoke opened in theaters
across the United States, marking a historic juncture for anime
in the Western World. Being in Los Angeles I saw the film in a
theater on the world famous Sunset Strip, and the audience of
jaded Hollywood film buffs were spellbound by its beauty!
Distributed
by Miramax Films and featuring the voice talents of Hollywood
Stars Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Billy Bob Thorton, Gillian Anderson
and others... Mononoke was masterfully dubbed into English
and is actually the only anime dub I would highly recommend.
Not
only is the animation and story line far superior to anything
American audiences are used to, but you'll find the gorgeous music
composed and arranged by Joe Hisaishi to be unforgettable.
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Miyazaki
is considered the greatest living animator in Japan, but he's also
held in high regard by lovers of animation all over the world. In
1998 Disney signed a ground breaking deal with Miyazaki to distribute
his films in North America. The first Miyazaki film to be released
by Disney was Kiki's Delivery Service (Majou no Takkyubin).
"Kiki" has enjoyed success in the U.S. video market, but with the
release of Princess Mononoke in theaters all over America,
the brilliant works of Miyazaki are finally being discovered in
the West.
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The
setting for Princess Mononoke is a forested area of an ancient
mythical Japan. Lady Eboshi (voiced by Minnie Driver), leads
a village she wishes to be a kingdom for oppressed people. The village
smelts steel for weapons and so sets itself at odds with the primeval
environment. San (voiced by Claire Danes), was raised by the wolf
God named Moro (Gillian Anderson), and in an attempt to save the
forest becomes locked in battle with the people of Lady Eboshi.
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visual style of this film is nothing short of incredible. It
is the most lavish and detailed work of art you shall ever see
in animation. The background paintings alone for each scene
are masterworks. Princess Mononoke flawlessly combines
traditional cell animation with computer technology. Silicon
graphics workstations were used to assist in digital painting,
composition, and generating images, yet the anime does not have
the "look" of computer animation. |
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The
success of Miyazaki's film lies in its ability to appeal to
all age groups. Children are attracted by the anime's characters
and amazing animation, but adults are enthralled by the emotional
complexity of the film. Princess Mononoke also has
a very strong and timely message about ecological destruction
and how we must work to preserve nature. I can't recommend
this anime highly enough, it is a must see for all film lovers.
A subtitled DVD release of this film is now on the market
- and you owe it to yourself to get a copy.
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