The critically acclaimed Studio Ghibli film Princess Mononoke presents a beautiful and vivid exposé of how men ain’t shit, and how we are fucking over the environment.
This masterpiece follows a basic male protagonist, Ashitaka, who deals with a demon plague (and infection), and falls in love with his saviour and true hero of the story, San (who is way too good for him). As the film progresses he is educated about the importance of nature, in a tale of greed, animal cruelty, and environment abuse.
As per usual with Studio Ghibli movies, we get cool animated scenery, complex characters, strong female characters, and a well-written and substantial story that appeals to audiences of all types. No spoilers but as with most Ghibli movies (looking at you Grave of the Fireflies), you get a happy ending.
Kudos is owed to Miyazaki, who delivers a visually stunning film that serves as a moral allegory around the greed of humans. The storyline gives the audience an introspective view of how our society’s material values around resources and money take precedence over preserving the environment. It offers great insight about the destructive forces of colonization, and reinforces the scarily real threat of climate change, shown through gruesome scenes of a vengeful force ravaging beautiful lands barren. The film expresses the mess that is humanity, in a bundle of Miyazaki styled perfection.
Take home for the day: SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT. RECYCLE PROPERLY, AND PICK UP YOUR DAMN RUBBISH.