# Mononoke Hime (1997)

### reviewed by
James Sanford

When it was released in Japan in 1997, the animated epic "Mononoke Hime" captivated audiences -- it's currently second only to "Titanic" in the list of Japan's biggest box office hits -- and attracted the attention of American producers. But director Hayao Miyazaki (whose other creations include "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Kiki's Delivery Service") wasn't about to let his work be reshaped to suit U.S. tastes. That's why, even with the addition of some familiar voices on the soundtrack, "Princess Mononoke" retains its distinctively Japanese flavor.

Miyazaki's film is a far cry from the Disneyfied world of animation. Its complex, winding plot does not pause for musical numbers or comic relief, and the violence in the story is not bloodless. Most of "Mononoke" is dark and unsettling, and yet it's weirdly lovely as well. Even if you lose track of the story -- and it is sometimes a challenge to keep up with all the developments -- the movie's steady flow of exotic, powerful images remains riveting.

"Mononoke" is set in Japan's Iron Age, "the days of gods and demons," according to the narration. While saving his village from an attacking Curse God (which looks like a gigantic, maggot-infested boar), the young hero Ashitaka (voice of Billy Crudup) is wounded by the animal and is forced to head west to search for a magical cure.

While journeying through a world full of "angry ghosts," Ashitaka encounters the haughty Lady Eboshi (Minnie Driver), who runs the community of Irontown and who has managed to round up a band of warriors and lepers to help her destroy the elusive Forest Spirit. But this magnificent semi-transparent creature is under the protection of Eboshi's arch-enemy San (Claire Danes), a girl raised in the wild, who bewitches Ashitaka.

"Mononoke" delivers a none-too-subtle message about conservation and respect for nature, but the film is so well-crafted it never feels preachy. Although it's slightly disconcerting at first to hear the easily identifiable Gillian Anderson speaking for the wolf mother Moro or Billy Bob Thornton reading the part of the scheming monk Jigo, the voice work is generally fine and most of the performers have been smartly cast.

Even without the dialogue, "Mononoke" would still be compelling for its visuals alone. Inspired by Japanese mythology, Mizayaki and his teams of animators have conjured up an eerie dreamscape full of monsters both good and evil, as well as the tiny spectral "koodamas," curious sprites with rattling, rotating heads. Whether you're a devotee of animation or simply interested in Eastern culture, seeing "Princess Mononoke" is a must. James Sanford

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