Week 6 Sara

What are the underlying thematics of Princess Mononoke? How does it ‘defamiliarise’ its historical setting, according to Napier (2005)?

Princess Mononoke deals with the idea of the essential 'Other'; the values and preservation of the natural and spiritual worlds which is increasingly being encroached on by the steamroll of progress. It sets up a battle between these two vastly different worlds, and unlike traditional Disney fare, does not conclude with a message of homogenity of the two realms. Rather, a question that constantly prevails through the film is the complexity of differing worlds co-existing; and not neccessarily 'becoming one'.

Director Miyazaki sets up a film that defamiliarises its historical setting, according to Napier (2005). The film sets as its focus characters who are normally on the outskirts of history; powerful, independant woman, diseased and the sick. These characters lead the story, unlike the typical sumari or ruling classes who appear in historical features; characters who in this story struggle to control or solve the central problem. Instead, it is the 'underdogs' who lead this story. These characters are especially atypical of the historical period; a time thought highly of for the advent of 'high culture' in Japan, including the tea ceremony, and zen gardens.

References
Napier, S.(2005). Anime:from Akira to Howl's Moving Castle. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan