The Complex Ecology of Princess Mononoke
A scene from the film, featuring San, or as humans call her Princess Mononoke. Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pinkcowphotography/16407544970
Hayao Miyazaki’s 1997 film Princess Mononoke is often lauded as a great environmentalist work, but Miyazaki’s ecological thought deserves more attention than just being “pro-nature.” He uses unique storytelling techniques to illustrate the intricate, multifaceted social relationships at play in the ongoing battle of modernization.
Set in 15th century Japan, the film follows Ashitaka, an Emishi prince who ventures west in search of the cure to a curse placed upon him after fighting a boar god turned demon. Upon arriving in Iron Town, Ashitaka finds himself amidst a war between Lady Eboshi, Iron Town’s leader, and Okkoto, the leader of the boars. With the help of San the wolf girl, Ashitaka attempts to restore the balance between humans and nature that has been disrupted due to the ravenous industrialization of Iron Town. The film explores concepts of environmentalism, animism, and the complex relationship between humans and nature.
The central theme of Princess Mononoke is the restoration of balance between man and nature. The film, set in the early years of industrialization, depicts the violent nature of industry as it destroys forests, kills the animals that inhabit it, and ultimately destroys the Spirit of the Forest itself. The animals, however, are fighting back, with the boars and wolves attacking Iron Town to protect their territories. Miyazaki uses animism (the belief that all things, even the inanimate, have a spirit or soul) to illustrate the social relations between man and nature, portraying it as equal in complexity to any relationship between humans. The violent nature of industrialism acts as an abuse upon nature, a force we should instead be coexisting with. These acts of abuse and exploitation in turn drive nature to retaliate, though it is ultimately defenseless against the products of industry.
The film’s portrayal of animism is crucial as a storytelling device but also as an aspect of radical ecology itself. In the film, the animism is represented through various animal gods, each leading their own clan. Above them all is the Shishigami, also referred to as the Forest Spirit, a deer-like god who is the protector of the forest. The Shishigami is both feared and revered by humans and animals alike, and its death is seen as a harbinger of doom for the natural world. When Lady Eboshi finally kills it, the ensuing disaster represents the irreversible damage we are inflicting upon our home by treating it as something to conquer, not cultivate.
Lady Eboshi herself is a complex character in the film, and she serves as a cautionary tale for humanity. Lady Eboshi leads Iron Town, a settlement on the edge of the forest built on the extraction of nearby resources. She is depicted as a ruthless leader willing to destroy the forest and its inhabitants to further her own ends. However, her motivations are not entirely selfish. Lady Eboshi is primarily driven by a desire to modernize her town and provide a better life for her people, who are mainly sex workers and lepers cast from greater society. As a result, Lady Eboshi ends up using industrialism to fight the social inequalities that are themselves a product of industrial society.The social marginalization is a product of modern society, yet the system is so isolating that we are left only with more industrialization to empower the marginalized.
San, referred to by other humans as Princess Mononoke, is a central player in Miyazaki’s ecology. Though she is human, San sides with the forest in the war against Iron town, rejecting humanity and its destructive tendencies. Her decision to live with the wolf clan is not only a personal choice, it is a political statement that motivates her to militantly defend the forest. She represents a challenge to human-centric ecology, and is more than willing to kill humans to preserve the forest. Though she later quells her most violent tendencies towards Iron Town, San remains strict in her devotion to the forest and serves as a crucial model for Miyazaki’s ecology.
Princess Mononoke’s exploration of radical ecology, animism, and the relationship between humans and nature is often veiled by the film’s happy ending. However, upon digging deeper we can find a desperate, powerful cry by Miyazaki for humanity to face its own faults and correct it’s infractions upon nature. The film’s portrayal of the natural world as a complex, interconnected web of life, and the need for humans to live in harmony with it, is a message that is even more relevant today. Princess Mononoke is a masterpiece of animation and a testament to the power of film to inspire and educate on systemic issues that call for radical change.