Princess Mononoke 4K 1997 Ultra HD 2160p

Story Movie

After killing a boar, the young prince Ashitaka brought a deadly curse upon himself. An old shamaness predicted that only he himself could change his fate, and the brave warrior set out on a perilous journey. That is how he found himself in a mysterious land where people, led by the evil Lady Eboshi, were at war with the inhabitants of the forest: spirits, demons, and giant creatures the likes of which Ashitaka had never seen before. And with them was Princess Mononoke—the ruler of the beasts and the daughter of a she-wolf. Now everyone’s fate depends on just one warrior—Prince Ashitaka.

Review 4K Movie

Anime isn’t even in my top 10 favorite genres. I guess it’s a matter of taste—some people are thrilled by the unique style of Japanese animation, while others just don’t understand a culture that’s foreign to them. Anyway, I rarely watch anime, but every time I do, I try to pick out the very best. *Princess Mononoke* was the third anime film by Hayao Miyazaki that I’ve watched. And they’ve all turned out to be good. But with every Miyazaki film I watch, I come to the conclusion that his work should be viewed as an adult—or at least at a mature age. These are definitely not family cartoons in the sense we’re used to—the kind you watch for entertainment and to enjoy quality time together.

*Princess Mononoke* is a very serious, thought-provoking, multifaceted, yet at the same time fantastical work. There are a great many violent and tragic scenes. The conflict is starkly defined: on one side is civilization—humankind’s thirst for subjugation and domination of nature; on the other is the forest, which the girl San defends. As for San, her character is the most fully developed—a girl raised by wolves who knows how to stand up for herself and her loved ones, and who despises humans.

The main character, the boy Ashitaka, in a sense, doesn’t take sides with either of the opposing factions. The characters are complex, their actions unpredictable, and the plot itself isn’t formulaic. It’s impossible to predict what will happen in the next scene. And that’s why not everything is always logical; sometimes the characters behave strangely, to say the least. Overall, the story is original, beautiful, and relevant, but… For me, there’s a “but.” Around the middle of the film, I started to get tired, and the anime runs for over two hours. Not everything was clear to me, so I didn’t always manage to focus on the story itself. As for the pros, there’s no need to say much—the atmosphere is stunning, the visuals are still beautiful even after nearly 30 years, the soundtrack is great, and, most importantly, at the heart of it all is the brilliant idea of the conflict between humans and nature. It’s about how we need to coexist peacefully, not fight.

I’d definitely watch *Princess Mononoke* at least one more time—to fully understand it and, perhaps, rethink my views on certain things.