Princess Mononoke
It is an exciting week for Studio Ghibli fans this week as The Wind Rises hits the big screen. Not only is it the latest Studio Ghibli film to be released, but it will bring the curtain down on the career of director Hayao Miyazaki.
To celebrate the release of The Wind Rises, we take a look at some of the best Studio Ghibli films... and Princess Mononoke is the movie in the spotlight today.
Princess Mononoke was originally released back in 1997 in Japan, but didn't hit big screen in the UK until October 2001.
Miyazaki wrote and directed the film, and it is widely regarded as one of the finest Studio Ghibli movies of all time.
On a journey to find the cure for a Tatarigami's curse, Ashitaka finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and Tatara, a mining colony. In this quest, he also meets San, the Mononoke Hime.
Princess Mononoke is one of the most perfect animation movies that you will ever see: not only is it beautiful to look at, but it also carries an important and powerful message.
The movie one again contains a familiar theme of war but this time between the human race and the animals that are tied of the human’s domination and destruction of the planet.
And while these are very topical issues, Miyazaki produces these ideas in such a dazzling way as he mixes familiar surroundings of the forest with mythical and wonderful creatures.
The human characters are also well developed as we come to understand their struggles and their fears but they are never demonised or vilified for their actions.
There is a richness and imagination in every frame - Miyazaki really does bring the forest to life, and it becomes a major character in its own right.
From the opening scenes, you realise what an ambitious movie that Princess Mononoke, and at no point do you feel that Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli overstretch their hand.
Princess Mononoke is an animation that you have to stand back and admire and respect, as it is a true feat in filmmaking.
Princess Mononoke was the first Studio Ghibli film to be a major hit outside of Japan, and it really brought Studio Ghibli movies to everyone's attention.
There is not a single weak film in Miyazaki's directing back-catalogue, but Princess Mononoke really does tower over the rest.
The Wind Rises is released 9th May.
Tagged in Studio Ghibli