Movies - Princess Mononoke

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	Movies - Princess Mononoke

Princess Mononoke ( — Mononoke Hime) is a Japanese animated film by Hayao Miyazaki and was first released in Japan on July 12, 1997 and U.S. on October 19, 1999.

It is a jidaigeki set in late Muromachi period of Japan, and centers on the struggle between the supernatural guardians of a forest and the humans who need its resources, as seen by the outsider Ashitaka. "Mononoke" is not a name but a description that might be rendered in this context as "spirit", making the title of the film "Princess of the Spirits/Spirit Princess".

Plot

Ashitaka's Background

Ashitaka is an Emishi prince , who saves his village from a demon. After trying to reason, he finds the demon would not listen, and had to kill it. When it died, Ashitaka found out that it was a boar god suffering under a curse, and having biten Ashitaka's arm, Ashitaka is cursed in the process himself, though just on his arm. However, after consulting the head medium of the village, it was found that a ball of iron is in Nago's corpse and is the source of the curse. Though only limited to his arm, the curse will eventually spread throughout Ashitaka's body, and then Ashitaka will die. Because of this curse, should Ashitaka come under any rage or hatred, black tendrils will come out of his arm, and may curse other people.

Ashitaka sets out from his home to find a cure, though only as a low priority. The head medium tells him that only a very powerful god who can go against the power of fate can save him now. This god is the great forest spirit, which can give and take life. Ashitaka's true mission as is given him by the head medium is to "see with eyes unclouded by hate" what is the matter in the lands to the West, since Nago came from there. In doing so, he leaves his village forever, never to return, because his people have been living in exile for generations and shun any contact with the outside world. Ashitaka sets out with only Yakul, his loyal elk, with him. Since it was considered taboo to see off one who is banished, only one girl dared to see Ashitaka off, giving him an obsidian knife in the process.

Journey to Irontown

As Ashitaka goes toward the West, he sees a group of samurais that seem to be attacking some people. Angered, Ashitaka takes out his bow and arrow, but then he noticed that Nago's curse came into effect. This curse gave him supernatural strength on his infected arm, so that his arrow was able to cut off a samurai's arm. Ashitaka also noticed that the curse has spread to a greater region in the arm. As he continues West, he meets a strange monk, Jigo. Ashitaka shows Jigo the iron bullet that was in Nago. Jigo tells Ashitaka that he may be able to find where it came from at a town called Irontown.

At Irontown, there is a pack of wolves fighting a battle with some humans. One particularly large wolf, the wolf goddess Moro, was shot and fell over down a hill. One of the wolves is ridden by San, the mononoke princess, who has been raised by Moro.

Before Ashitaka reaches Irontown, he had to pass the forest, where the battle between wolves and humans just occurred. Ashitaka noticed San sucking blood from Moro in order to heal Moro. Ashitaka asks them if either of them is the great forest spirit, but is met by cold stares. Ashitaka also seems to be taken in by the sight of San.

At Irontown

He reaches a smelting settlement named Irontown, ruled by Lady Eboshi. This town's purpose was to extract the iron from the mountains in order to make high quality weapons. Eboshi also shows Ashitaka their newest weapon, the ishibiya gun, a sort of a cross between a musket and a grenade launcher, which shoots a ball of iron and causes a little explosion upon impact. Seeing the bullet, Ashitaka realizes that this was the bullet that was in Nago, and tells Eboshi about what has befallen him. Eboshi replies that she has no doubt that Nago was shot by the bullet; in fact, she herself had shot Nago. Eboshi expresses sorrow over Ashitaka's curse, and lets him stay in Irontown as a guest, and gives him some work to do at the bellows.

Eboshi explains that she is fighting a war against the spirits of the forest so she may more easily extract the mountain's resources. Tribes of intelligent boars, apes, and wolves have struck back against Eboshi's efforts, with the boars and wolves attacking and the apes planting trees to reforest the mountain. The boars have just recently be eliminated, with the death of Nago. San, who has rejected her humanity and considers herself a wolf, has taken the forest spirits' side in the struggle as well. Only the tiny, humanoid kodama—tree spirits too childlike to understand what is at stake—remain uninvolved. However, Ashitaka soon realizes that he cannot completely condemn Eboshi for trying to destroy nature. Her efforts are to secure the welfare of her followers - a group of lepers, freed slaves, and former prostitutes - and of Irontown itself, which is besieged by neighbouring samurai who want to control the smelter.

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Movies - Princess Mononoke

Plot

Ashitaka's Background

Journey to Irontown

At Irontown

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