Mononoke-hime (1997)

Director:

Hayao Miyazaki

Writer:

Hayao Miyazaki (written by)

Release Date:

26 November 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Fantasy

Tagline:

The Fate Of The World Rests On The Courage Of One Warrior.

Plot:

On a journey to find the cure for a Tatarigami's curse, Ashitaka finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest and Tataraba, a mining colony. In this quest he also meets San, the Mononoke Hime.

Plot Keywords:

Forest | Curse | Princess | Animal | Warrior

Awards:

11 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Yôji Matsuda	...	Ashitaka (voice)
Yuriko Ishida	...	San (voice)
Yûko Tanaka	...	Eboshi-gozen (voice)
Kaoru Kobayashi	...	Jiko-bô (voice)
Masahiko Nishimura	...	Kouroku (voice)
Tsunehiko Kamijô	...	Gonza (voice)
Sumi Shimamoto	...	Toki (voice)
Tetsu Watanabe	...	Yama-inu (voice)
Mitsuru Satô	...	Tatari-gami (voice)
Akira Nagoya	...	Usi-kai (voice)
Akihiro Miwa	...	Moro-no-kimi (voice)
Mitsuko Mori	...	Hii-sama (voice)
Hisaya Morishige	...	Okkoto-nusi (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Pamela Adlon	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version) (as Pamela Segall)
Gillian Anderson	...	Moro (voice: English version)
Lewis Arquette	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Corey Burton	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Jennifer Cihi	...	Tatara's Women Song (voice: English version)
Billy Crudup	...	Ashitaka (voice: English version)
Claire Danes	...	San (voice: English version)
Keith David	...	Okkoto / Additional Voices (voice: English version)
John DeMita	...	Kohroku (voice: English version)
Debi Derryberry	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
John Di Maggio	...	Gonza / Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Minnie Driver	...	Lady Eboshi (voice: English version)
Alex Fernandez	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Jack Fletcher	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Julia Fletcher	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version) (as Julia DeMita)
Pat Fraley	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version) (as Patrick Fraley)
Takako Fuji	...	Woman in Iron Town
John Hostetter	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Leslie Ishii	...	Tatara's Women Song (voice: English version)
Yoshimasa Kondô	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
John Rafter Lee	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Sherry Lynn	...	Iron Town Woman / Emishi Villiage Girl (voice: English version)
Tress MacNeille	...	Iron Town Woman / Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn	...	Tatara's Women Song (voice: English version)
Matt McKenzie	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Michael McShane	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Matt K. Miller	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Marnie Mosiman	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Adam Paul	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Jada Pinkett Smith	...	Toki (voice: English version)
David Rasner	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Kimihiro Reizei	...	Jibashiri (voice)
Dwight Schultz	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Tara Strong	...	Kaya (voice: English version)
Billy Bob Thornton	...	Jigo (voice: English version)
K.T. Vogt	...	Complaining Wife (voice: English version)

Also Known As:

Princess Mononoke (UK) (USA)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for images of violence and gore.

Runtime:

134 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:TV-14 (TV version) | Iceland:L | Mexico:B | Japan:PG-12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Finland:K-7 | France:U | Germany:12 (w) | Hong Kong:IIA | Ireland:12 | Italy:T | New Zealand:PG | Portugal:M/6 | Singapore:G | South Korea:All | Spain:7 | UK:PG | USA:PG-13 | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Nova Scotia)

Company:

DENTSU Music And Entertainment

Trivia:

Leonardo DiCaprio was originally considered for the part of Ashitaka.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Ashitaka swims to Iron Town during the battle, there is a shot of the water. In the next shot there is a floating corpse not visible in the previous shot.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: In ancient times, the land lay covered in forests, where, from ages long past, dwelt the spirits of the gods. Back then, man and beast lived in harmony, but as time went by, most of the great forests were destroyed. Those that remained were guarded by gigantic beasts who owed their allegiances to the Great Forest Spirit, for those were the days of gods and of demons.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Making of 'MirrorMask' (2006) (V)

Stunning and sharp (in any language)

I saw this film in Japan, in Japanese with no sub-titles, I don't speak a word of the language and I was still enthralled! It is Miyazaki most visually intense (surpassing, at long last, Nausicaa) and is alive with color and movement the like not yet seen in anime.

The story is complex, and after talking with Japanese friends, it is clear that much of it went over my head (particularly that relating to specific Japanese myths), but the important elements came through. Miyazaki's long infatuation with technology verses nature and man's relation to God (or gods) weave throughout the film as does his trend for strong women characters.

Even with the language barrier, the film is of such intense emotion that it caries you through to the end. The change in dynamic between the crashing fight scenes and the quiet scenes of healing by the lake is so broad and so well paced that I can't remember a film where my emotional state was so expertly varied.

If you have a chance to see this film, in any language, I recommend you do.