I had the privilege of attending the summer institute this year. When I was told that I needed to do a film review about a film from east Asia, I knew immediately that I needed to do it on Princess Mononoke. I first watched Princess Mononoke in college with a friend. Even though I found the film strange at first, I was drawn in by the films lack of duality. At the end of the film, there is no clear delineation between what appears to be the “good guys” and the “bad guys”. In fact, the hero of the story ends up helping the group of people that I had categorized evil – after all, the miners and industrialists were destroying nature! Instead of the traditional Disney good guy/bad guy ending, the film reminds the viewer that life is cyclical and that as a society, our goal should be to live in harmony.
This departure from American culture makes Princess Mononoke an excellent film to introduce a class to the difference in thought between eastern and western cultures. According to my research Princess Mononoke takes place during the Ashikaga Era – a time where Shintoism was still the primary religion in Japan and Buddhism was the new religion on the block. This duality is shown in the movie, as one of the major antagonists in the film is a Buddhist monk who is working for the Shogun.
Princess Mononoke also touches on the feudal society of the Ashikaga era, but the main thrust of the film is philosophical or religious. The films primary use in the classroom, then, should be used to discuss similarities and differences in culture and religion. Most American students will think that the film is “weird” but with some discussion, the film can effectively introduce students to early elements of Japanese culture and religion.
edited by sthroop on 8/25/2013
You are here
Princess Mononoke
12/01/2014 05:22 AM
#1
Princess Mononoke
I have never been into anime, but with the new knowledge I have about the importance of it in Japanese culture, I will give anime another chance. Perhaps I can borrow your copy.
Your enthusiasm for this movie has really made me want to watch this.
The one thing I noticed on the DVD that was passed around was that so many "American" actors had lent their voice to this anime - Jada Pinkett Smith, Billy Bob Thorton, Minnie Driver, and so many more.
I did throw "teaching lesson Princess Mononoke" into google and came across this site. There are many discussion questions towards the end.
http://www.teachwithmovies.org/guides/princess-mononoke.html
Thank you for the link! It is probably a bit snobby, but I prefer to watch most anime movies in the original language with subtitles. Maybe Princess Mononoke will be one that I try in English.
Not snobby at all. Now that I know there is a non-English version I will make an effort to see that one first. It would be interesting to see if anything is "lost" in translation.
This is not like any Japanese animated movie or any other animated film. It is not a lost adventure like Pokemon, neither is it a classic cutesy by Disney or Dreamworks. This is a film that quickly caught my eyes and ears because of its rare beauty and incredibly poignant feelings(I love anything that is poignant and this film is no exception). I was quickly captured by the story of a young warrior cursed by a demon god. The demon itself was cursed by anger and hatred it held towards the destructive humans. The animal gods and the humans fought many wars against each other, but their hatred only brought destruction to themselves. There also was the forest spirit who brought both life and death, and could give life to some, but death to others. The whole story I found to be gripping and thrilling. The curse, that evil hating curse that could eat people and animals alive. The conflict between man and beast that did not have to happen. The wolf girl, San, also known as Princess Mononoke, who was neither wolf or human. And the mysterious forest god of life and death, pain and relief. One thing that distinguishes this move from others is that no one is a good guy or a bad guy. Just about every person has good and evil in them, but hate and anger can infest and destroy anyone. I have never known of a more captivating movie. The animation was beautiful and not over done, but very simple and artistic. The gore and violence is hard to stomache, but it brings more poignant feelings to the viewer. The music is also very beautiful and ethereal(some might say it sounds very "Enya-like"). There is absolutely no reason why you should not see this movie. If you think, "oh, it's just an ordinary Japanese movie", or "Oh, it's not as great as it sounds", you're wrong! This is one of the greatest films I have ever seen. If you do not see this movie,you are missing out on a lot.
Subject: Princess Mononoke
I had the privilege of attending the summer institute this year. When I was told that I needed to do a film review about a film from east Asia, I knew immediately that I needed to do it on Princess Mononoke.
http://www.taioperamini10.net/tai-zalo-cho-pc-download-zalo-cho-may-tinh-phien-ban-moi-nhat/
I first watched Princess Mononoke in college with a friend. Even though I found the film strange at first, I was drawn in by the films lack of duality. At the end of the film, there is no clear delineation between what appears to be the “good guys” and the “bad guys”. In fact, the hero of the story ends up helping the group of people that I had categorized evil – after all, the miners and industrialists were destroying nature! Instead of the traditional Disney good guy/bad guy ending, the film reminds the viewer that life is cyclical and that as a society, our goal should be to live in harmony.
While watching the film Princess Mononoke, I came up with several ways to link it into my curriculum. First of all, the animated film is depicted in the time of the sixteenth century in Japan. It has gods and demons and an Iron town where Princess Mononoke is discovered to protect the animal spirits from the forest. This film can be used to open up a discussion on our present environmental issues and compare them to those in the movie. During the days surrounding Earth Day, I present a unit to my students about saving our natural resources and this movie can be shown to help them understand how to nurture their environment such as those from the film. Another way that this film can be used in my class is the discussion of powerful figures such as the role of the male figure Ashitaka and female figure Princess Mononoke in the film. These strong characters can be compared to other characters from other movies such as the popular Disney character "Mulan". Mulan and Princess Mononoke's character can be used to compare and contrast their strong female characteristics.
This is one of my favorite movies!
I love that movie so much
http://m3loooma.com
Hayao Miyazaki is one of my favorite directors. I use parts of Howl's Moving Castle (another film he has created) to teach my students magic realism. Though I do not think that it's meant to be a part of the genre, I find that it's an interesting and easy piece to use to show students realism and magic side-by-side.