Mononoke-hime (1997)

User Rating:

8.3/10   

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 Kondo	...	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)
Jessica Lynn	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version) (uncredited)

Directed by
Hayao Miyazaki

Writing credits
Hayao Miyazaki		(written by)

Produced by
Scott Martin	....	executive producer (english version)
Yutaka Narita	....	executive producer
Seiji Okuda	....	associate producer
Toshio Suzuki	....	producer
Yasuyoshi Tokuma	....	executive producer
Seiichiro Ujiie	....	executive producer
Bob Weinstein	....	executive producer (english version)
Harvey Weinstein	....	executive producer (english version)
Takahiro Yonezawa	....	assistant producer

Original Music by
Joe Hisaishi

Cinematography by
Atsushi Okui

Film Editing by
Hayao Miyazaki
Takeshi Seyama

Art Direction by
Satoshi Kuroda
Kazuo Oga
Yôji Takeshige
Naoya Tanaka
Nizou Yamamoto

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Koji Aritomi	....	assistant director
Masakatsu Ishizone	....	assistant director
Hiroyuki Ito	....	assistant director

Art Department
Yoshikazu Fukutome	....	special art effects
Masayo Iseki	....	color key
Naomi Mori	....	color key
Kanako Moriya	....	color key
Michiyo Yasuda	....	color designer

Sound Department
Tsutomo Asakura	....	sound mix assistant
Dan Edelstein	....	foley editor: US version
Masahiro Fukuhara	....	sound recording assistant
Nobutaka Hirooka	....	dialogue recordist
Kazuhiko Ikai	....	sound effects production support
Tatsuya Ikeba	....	dialogue recordist
Shuji Inoue	....	sound recording mixer
Takahisa Ishino	....	sound effects assistant
Muchihiro Ito	....	sound effects
Mitsuharu Kanei	....	dialogue recordist
Takao Kato	....	sound effects compilation support
Val Kuklowsky	....	adr editor
Eric Lewis	....	assistant adr engineer: English dialogue
Rie Nishijima	....	dialogue recordist
Warren Shaw	....	sound effects editor
Ernie Sheesley	....	dialogue recordist
Tsukuru Takagi	....	sound mix assistant
Dominick Tavella	....	sound re-recording mixer
Shigeru Tokida	....	sound effects production support
James Twomey	....	sound re-recording mixer
Makoto Uchida	....	sound mix assistant
Gary Ulmer	....	dialogue recording mixer
Kazuhiro Wakabayashi	....	sound
Motoi Watanabe	....	sound effects production support
Tsunahiro Yamamura	....	sound effects compilation support
Yuki Yasoshima	....	dialogue recordist

Special Effects by
Tomoji Hashizume	....	special effects
Masahiro Murakami	....	special effects
Toyohiko Sakakibara	....	special effects
Kaoru Tanifuji	....	special effects
Kumiko Taniguchi	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Michael Arias	....	software development (uncredited)

Animation Department
Akihiko Adachi	....	inbetween animator
Akiko Aihara	....	ink and paint artist
Sigeko Akanuma	....	ink and paint artist
Masashi Ando	....	animation director
Kaori Anmi	....	ink and paint artist
Naomi Anzai	....	ink and paint artist
Sadayuki Arai	....	background artist
Yoriko Asai	....	ink and paint artist
Naomi Atsuta	....	ink and paint artist
Tsutomu Awata	....	animator
Seiko Azuma	....	inbetween animator
Reiko Daigo	....	ink and paint artist
David Encinas	....	inbetween animator
Masaaki Endo	....	animator
Kiyomi Fujihashi	....	ink and paint artist
Kaori Fujii	....	inbetween animator
Masayo Fujikura	....	inbetween animator
Maya Fujimori	....	inbetween animator
Sachiko Funasaki	....	ink and paint artist
Hiromi Furuya	....	inbetween animator
Sumiko Furuya	....	ink and paint artist
Makiko Futaki	....	animator
Keiko Goto	....	ink and paint artist
Chiharu Haraguchi	....	inbetween animator
Chie Harai	....	ink and paint artist
Kimiko Hatano	....	ink and paint artist
Keiichiro Hattori	....	digital ink and paint artist
Yoshie Hayashi	....	inbetween animator
Kazuhiro Hirabayashi	....	ink and paint artist
Kazuko Hirai	....	inbetween animator
Mari Hitokurai	....	ink and paint artist
Yoshiko Igarashi	....	ink and paint artist
Natsuko Iimori	....	inbetween animator
Takeshi Imamura	....	animator
Mihoko Irie	....	ink and paint artist
Michiyo Iseda	....	ink and paint artist
Megumi Ishido	....	digital ink and paint artist
Shizuka Ishiguro	....	ink and paint artist
Hiroaki Ishii	....	digital ink and paint artist
Eriko Ishikawa	....	ink and paint artist
Kaori Ishikawa	....	ink and paint artist
Shin Itagaki	....	inbetween animator
Toshiko Iwakiri	....	ink and paint artist
Emiko Iwayanagi	....	inbetween animator
Megumi Kagawa	....	animator
Yukiko Kakita	....	digital ink and paint artist
Yoshinori Kanada	....	animator
Junko Kanauchi	....	ink and paint artist
Yuriko Katayama	....	ink and paint artist
Manabu Kawada	....	inbetween animator
Toshio Kawaguchi	....	animator
Hana Kikuchi	....	inbetween animator
Yumiko Kimura	....	ink and paint artist
Yumiko Kitajima	....	inbetween animator
Kazuo Kobayashi	....	ink and paint artist
Sachiko Kobayashi	....	inbetween animator
Atsushi Kodama	....	ink and paint artist
Komasa	....	inbetween animator
Katsuya Kondô	....	animation director
Katsuya Kondô	....	animator
Rie Kondou	....	inbetween animator
Yoshifumi Kondo	....	animation director
Ken'ichi Konishi	....	animator
Kitaro Kosaka	....	animation director
Yuriko Kudo	....	ink and paint artist
Misuzu Kurata	....	inbetween animator
Kazuko Kurosawa	....	ink and paint artist
Ikuo Kuwana	....	animator
Kinuyo Maehara	....	ink and paint artist
Kiyoko Makita	....	inbetween animator
Reiko Mano	....	inbetween animator
Mariko Matsuo	....	animator
Megumi Matsuo	....	ink and paint artist
Masaru Matsuse	....	animator
Atsuko Matsushita	....	inbetween animator
Michio Mihara	....	animator
Hiroko Minowa	....	animator
Junko Miyakawa	....	ink and paint artist
Chiemi Miyamoto	....	ink and paint artist
Chiyomi Morisawa	....	ink and paint artist
Shinobu Mori	....	inbetween animator
Kaoru Morita	....	ink and paint artist
Noriko Moritomo	....	animator
Emiko Motohashi	....	ink and paint artist
Yuki Murata	....	digital ink and paint artist
Hisashi Nabetani	....	ink and paint artist
Junko Nagaoka	....	ink and paint artist
Sayuri Nagashima	....	ink and paint artist
Yoko Nagashima	....	inbetween animator
Kaoru Nakagama	....	ink and paint artist
Keiko Nakaji	....	inbetween animator
Daisuke Nakayama	....	inbetween animator
Rie Niidome	....	inbetween animator
Sumie Nishido	....	inbetween animator
Hiromi Nishikawa	....	inbetween animator
Toyomi Nishimura	....	ink and paint artist
Yoshimi Nishiwaki	....	ink and paint artist
Takehiro Noda	....	animator
Minori Noguchi	....	inbetween animator
Yukie Nomura	....	ink and paint artist
Fumiko Oda	....	ink and paint artist
Noriko Odaka	....	inbetween animator
Mayumi Ohmura	....	inbetween animator
Kumiko Ohta	....	inbetween animator
Kimiyo Okunichi	....	ink and paint artist
Akiko Ono	....	ink and paint artist
Masako Osada	....	background artist
Masako Osumi	....	ink and paint artist
Kiyomi Ota	....	background artist
Makiko Ota	....	ink and paint artist
Atsuko Ôtani	....	animator
Shinji Otsuka	....	animator
Kazumi Ouchi	....	ink and paint artist
Mito Ozaki	....	ink and paint artist
Hisae Saito	....	background artist
Masako Sakano	....	inbetween animator
Sonoe Sakano	....	ink and paint artist
Yukie Sako	....	inbetween animator
Hiroaki Sasaki	....	background artist
Keiko Sasaki	....	ink and paint artist
Shinsaku Sasaki	....	key animator
Keiko Sato	....	ink and paint artist
Makiko Sato	....	digital ink and paint artist
Kuri Sawa	....	inbetween animator
Eriko Shibata	....	inbetween animator
Kazuko Shibata	....	inbetween animator
Ritsuko Shiina	....	inbetween animator
Miyoko Shikibu	....	inbetween animator
Hiroshi Shimizu	....	animator
Mariko Shimizu	....	ink and paint artist
Rie Shimizu	....	inbetween animator
Yumiko Shimoe	....	digital ink and paint artist
Masako Shinohara	....	animator
Akira Sugino	....	digital ink and paint artist
Sachiko Sugino	....	animator
Wakako Sugiyama	....	ink and paint artist
Eiichi Suzuki	....	ink and paint artist
Makiko Suzuki	....	inbetween animator
Mariko Suzuki	....	inbetween animator
Fumiko Taira	....	ink and paint artist
Sayuri Takagi	....	ink and paint artist
Kanako Takahashi	....	digital ink and paint artist
Naomi Takahashi	....	ink and paint artist
Atsushi Tamura	....	inbetween animator
Seiki Tamura	....	background artist
Masae Tanabe	....	inbetween animator
Atsuko Tanaka	....	animator
Kumiko Tanihira	....	inbetween animator
Tomomi Tenma	....	ink and paint artist
Akiko Teshima	....	inbetween animator
Hiroko Tetsuka	....	inbetween animator
Tae Tochihara	....	ink and paint artist
Yoko Toju	....	inbetween animator
Yoyoi Toki	....	inbetween animator
Masae Tomino	....	inbetween animator
Keiko Tomizawa	....	inbetween animator
Tomoko Totsuka	....	ink and paint artist
Hiromi Tsuchiya	....	ink and paint artist
Shinobu Tsunegi	....	inbetween animator
Kazuko Tsunoda	....	ink and paint artist
Koujirou Tsuraoka	....	inbetween animator
Akihiko Uda	....	inbetween animator
Mineko Ueda	....	inbetween animator
Kazue Urayama	....	ink and paint artist
Keiko Watanabe	....	inbetween animator
Natsuko Watanabe	....	inbetween animator
Nobuko Watanabe	....	ink and paint artist
Alexandra Weihrauch	....	inbetween animator
Hisako Yaji	....	inbetween animator
Kaori Yajima	....	ink and paint artist
Kazuko Yamada	....	ink and paint artist
Ken'ichi Yamada	....	animator
Tamami Yamada	....	inbetween animator
Eiji Yamamori	....	key animator
Mayumi Yamamoto	....	inbetween animator
Tomoko Yamamoto	....	ink and paint artist
Yukari Yamaura	....	inbetween animator
Morihiko Yano	....	inbetween animator
Hiroko Yasutome	....	inbetween animator
Mayu Yazawa	....	inbetween animator
Hiromasa Yonebayashi	....	inbetween animator
Ken'ichi Yoshida	....	key animator
Miyoko Yoshida	....	ink and paint artist
Noboru Yoshida	....	background artist
Hideaki Yoshio	....	animator
Keiko Yozawa	....	inbetween animator
Tatsumi Yukiwaki	....	ink and paint artist

Casting Department
Jack Fletcher	....	casting: English voices

Music Department
Kenji Furukawa	....	music recordist
Joe Hisaishi	....	music arranger
Joe Hisaishi	....	musician: piano solos
Kazumi Inaki	....	music production
Hiroya Ishihara	....	music recordist
Hiroshi Kumagai	....	conductor
Makoto Morimoto	....	music mixer
Masayoshi Okawa	....	music mixer
Toru Takigawa	....	music production
Yukio Yamashita	....	music production
Joe Hisaishi	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Stephen Alpert	....	overseas promotion
Jack Fletcher	....	voice director: English version
Keiji Hamada	....	overseas promotion
Kenji Imura	....	production assistant
Haruyo Moriyoshi	....	overseas promotion
Minako Nagasawa	....	public relations
Koji Otsuka	....	production assistant
Tara Strong	....	additional voices
Kin'ichirô Suzuki	....	production assistant
Tamami Yamamoto	....	public relations

Production Companies

• DENTSU Music And Entertainment
• Nippon Television Network Corporation (NTV)
• Studio Ghibli
• Tokuma Shoten

Distributors

• Toho Company (1997) (worldwide) (all media)
• Buena Vista International (2000) (worldwide) (all media)
• Intercontinental Film Distributors (HK) (2000) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)
• Alliance Atlantis Home Video (2000) (Canada) (DVD)
• Dimension Films
• EDKO Film (1997) (Hong Kong) (all media)
• Gaumont Buena Vista International (GBVI) (France)
• Intercontinental Video (2000) (Hong Kong) (DVD)
• Miramax Films (1999) (USA) (dubbed)
• New Films International
• Universum Film (UFA) (2003) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Avaco Creative Studio  dialogue recording
• Avaco Creative Studio  music recorded at
• Chroma Colour  technical cooperation (as Chromacolour International)
• Dr. Movie  digital print
• Horai Town, Aichi  sound effects compilation cooperation
• Imagica  film processing and prints
• Imeger  
• MIT Studio  dialogue recording
• Masamune Kogei  sound effects compilation cooperation
• Naigai Carbon Ink  technical cooperation
• Omnibus Promotion  sound production
• Screen Music Studios (SMS)  adr recording facilities
• Sound Ring  effects production
• Stac  technical cooperation
• Studio Ghibli  music production
• T2 Studio  digital print
• Taiyo Shikisai  technical cooperation
• Takahashi Production  digital print
• Tokuma Japan Communications Co. Ltd.  soundtrack production
• Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra  music performer
• Tokyo Kita-ku Archery League  sound effects compilation cooperation
• Tokyo TV Center  recording
• VDX  effects cooperation
• Wonder City  music production
• Wonder Station  music mixed at
• Wonder Station  recording studio

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:

Mononoke Hime replaced E.T. as the biggest grossing film of all time in Japan until Titanic (1997).

Goofs:

Continuity: After Ashitaka is shot through the chest, San rides with him on the back of his red deer Yakul, and blood from his wound is seen on Yakul's back. The blood stain disappears after Ashitaka falls to the ground.

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:

Featured in The 100 Greatest Cartoons (2005) (TV)

One to convert the sceptics, a rich, thoughtful and charming animation

If, like me, your heart sinks at the prospect of another pious, sanctimonious, tub-thumping eco-fable, give "Mononoke Hime" a chance all the same. It does have a distinct, and far from subtle, ecological message, of the "can't we just live together?" variety, but on the other hand it's far from clear that the answer the film suggests is "yes", and there are plenty of nuances and subtleties along the way. More to the point, there's a proper story, well-conceived and well told, there's a memorable, beautiful and violent world, credible characters and a good deal of charm.

The animation is mostly very fluent and careful, though not flashy in the way we're getting used to in this CG age. ("Mononoke" uses cgi, but subtly and with restraint, so that the feel remains that of a group of traditional craftsmen under one guiding hand). Quite often one finds that there are more static elements in a tableaux than you'd expect in a Disney animated feature, but I think this is an aesthetic choice rather than a mere economy: it stylizes and formalizes, while focussing attention on the important elements in the frame. But there is occasional jerkiness, though not enough to detract seriously, and perhaps it wouldn't trouble audiences whose frame of reference isn't so western as mine - I'm not sure.

Talking of the western and eastern sensibilities, the Region 2 DVD which I'm reviewing gives you a choice of English and Japanese dialogue, and though I watched the American dub first, I'd generally prefer the Japanese version, for the key roles of Ashitaka and San. Billy Crudup is appealing but too low-key, and Clare Danes strikes me as badly miscast: she sounds a bit too old, and altogether too urban to bring out the core of wildness or the steely sense of loyalty to her world. Like other reviewers, I have trouble with the Texas drawl of Billy Bob Thornton, which is just too regionally specific to match the look of the character (please understand that I'm not suggesting the cast should all have done fake Japanese accents!). On the other hand, it's pretty much a toss-up between Yuko Tanaka and Minnie Driver (who's very closely attuned to the aesthetic of the original) as Eboshi, and Gillian Anderson and Jada Pinkett Smith are just right. Still, overall you get more vividness and conviction from the original voice cast. Oddly, the lip-sync seems more approximate in the Japanese version, perhaps a fault in the synchronization on the R2 DVD. The subtitles unfortunately but understandably come from Neil Gaiman's adaptation of the screenplay rather than re-translating the Japanese - one's aware, for example, that Gaiman has added bits of extra, explanatory dialogue.

With all that out of the way, let's concentrate on what makes the film work: it delineates a world that's at once mythological and believable, and refuses to sentimentalize or simplify (even if it occasionally allows itself to preach). There are feuds and failures of trust not just between the humans and the animals, but within each world - and the animals seem as ready as the humans to exclude the other from their world. Indeed the conceit of the film seems to be that language, rather than being a product of distinctly human evolution, was originally shared among mammals at least, and it's as the war with the humans goes on that the animal kingdom becomes more brutish and less coherent. For all the prince's idealism and the delicate rapprochement some of the characters inch towards, one gets the impression that the logic of conflict will be hard to resist.

Perhaps the most appealing and intriguing element in this world is the kodoma: the little, voiceless tree-spirits seem to be a cross-between a mushroom, a toddler and a rattle, and I defy anyone not to be captivated by them.