Introduction

Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke is an animated fantasy film that tells a tale of forest gods,
humans, and demons set in the Muromachi period of Japan [##]. The movie was first released as
a Studio Ghibli production in 1997 in Japan, and later worldwide in 1999. The film was a
commercial blockbuster and became the highest-grossing film in Japan of 1997. Its success
allowed for the increase in Studio Ghibli's popularity and influence in the western world. Today,
Princess Mononoke is the seventh highest grossing anime film of all time worldwide [##]. The
film's message has proven to resonate with its large audience.

In a historical context, the film is a symbolic reflection of Japan's evolution with technology and
industry. On top of being a leading technological giant, Japan has also historically suffered from
the atomic bombs of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, as well as the recent 2011 Fukushima Nuclear
Accident. Japan's problematic relationship with modernization has served as the inspiration for
the themes of Princess Mononoke [##].

Argument
With a duration of over two hours of intricate storyline/screen time,
In the midst of all the whimsy and anthropomorphism,
the film is incredibly layered that can be interpreted in a multitude of ways. However, at the core
of the film, Princess Mononoke is a commentary about not only how society influences the
environment, but also how women influence society.

The film is a tale of gods, humans, and animals set against latter period samurai Japan and the
country's industrialization process.

Princess Mononoke is a blend of ecocinema and ecofeminism in one film.

The film depicts various themes of change. Firstly, there is the transition from the natural to
industrial landscape and secondly, the changing roles of female in society.

Miyazaki wished to leave his audience with one grand final statement:

The anthropomorphism of nature/clash of industry and society is achieved through Miyazaki's

strategic use of mise-en-scene. Miyazaki emphasizes the use of symbolic colors, natural sounds,
and wide angle shots to convey his message. The use of animation allows for Miyazaki to give
his ecological commentary in a fantastical setting. Animation rips viewers from their current
reality into another, and forces them to contend with the unexplained, the magical, and the
illogical, thereby creating a skirmish with their conceptions of nature.

The mise-en-schene of Princess Mononoke illustrates the antagonistic relationship between

human industrialism and nature.

Miyazaki uses animation to experiment with the real world—retaining some elements and
overturning others at the same time. The world he creates aren't the same as reality, but they're
not completely different. It is simply an alternate world of possibility, different enough to be
imaginative and similar enough to be comprehensible and feasible in our own world.
Environment
The environmental setting in the film is as much of an active character as the humans, animals,
and gods that inhabit it. Visually, the scenes are intricately hand-drawn and they depict a fantasy
world of lush trees and majestic lands seemingly untouched by human hands.

I. Opening Scene
The opening shot of the film initializes the "perfect" and majestic landscape of the film. There is
a large depth of field and a deep focus on mountains with no apparent end as they cover the
horizon. They tower high above a wispy fog, concealing parts of this darkly mysterious and
foreboding setting. The landscape is homogenous, like an unending uniform sea of mountains
and fog that appears to be symmetrical.

The majority of the colors are green

The purpose of the opening shot is to introduce the world of Princesss Mononoke as ancient,
majestic, and foreboding. These scenes show nature "as it should be" because it is so calm and
peaceful—free of any human interaction or influence.

II. Industrialization
In stark contrast, Miyazaki's demonstration of nature's struggle with industry greatly opposes that
of the initial natural landscape.

Demon is machine-like. As it moves, it physically leaves a path of destruction in its wake. It is

later discovered that the birth of the demon is due to human technology. A bullet of iron ore that
struck the god caused his transformation into a demon. This reflects not only technology's
poisonous effect on nature, but also man's attempt to master it.

The colors are gray, foggy, gloomy. There is rain. It looks painful. The contrasting colors
directly demonstrate the contrast of nature and man. The environment is depicted as a victim of
the corruption of industrialization.

Industry is represented through hues of Purple and red are hues of destruction
Even the purple color of his infected arm is purple. Industry infects.

Killing of the deer god.

III. Harmony with Nature

The only scenes that humans are seen in harmony with nature are those of that of Ashitaka and
San. Either together or separate.
Miyazaki argues that the only way for humans and nature to coexist is to not industrialize.

Restoration of the Deer God. The purple and black recedes. The color of green—of nature—is
restored and overcomes the browns and blacks and purples. This demonstrates nature reclaiming
the land hurt by death and destruction.
Irontown is destroyed and becomes green and lush. This shows that Miyazaki's argument that
there is no place for industrialization in a healthy environment.

Key to Ashitaka's moral authority is his refusal to take sides in the war between the forest gods
and the humans of Irontown led by Lady Eboshi, who appears to have no qualms in destroying
the old growth forests in order to facilitate industrial progress. As the two sides edge closer to an
all-out-war that will destroy everyone and everything, Ashitaka must carefully negotiate the
contending forces that threaten the existence of life itself. ** The main antagonist in the film is
not a character, but the impulse to destroy extistence, the fragile harmony of life and death.

Conclusion
The film gives a voice to the abused environment. The environment speaks through color and
through the animals that live within it. The audience feels its hurt.

Furthermore, the Forest Spirit takes the form of a deer with a human face and is a

personified version of Mother Nature. It becomes apparent that all of natural life and death is

held within this spirit. The animals all share the same sentiment: Humans destroy, but the Forest

Spirit heals. From the Ape clan, the leader utters "We plant trees. Humans tear them up. The

forest does not come back. If we kill the humans, we will save the forest." Later, the lead boar

emphasizes that "humans are gathering for the final battle. The flames of the guns will burn us

all." These feelings of bitterness coming from the animals exemplify Miyazaki's painful truth.

The Earth can only accommodate one group, either nature or the humans. [quote]

At the peak of the battle between man and nature, the Forest Spirit is beheaded and death

spreads throughout the land—destroying man, nature, and Irontown.