INTRODUCTION
The seventh film in my
comprehensive retrospective on The Films of Hayao Miyazaki is the mystical chambara
fantasy Princess Mononoke. Cited as one of the greatest animated
films of all time, this was the first film to bring Miyazaki wide international
acclaim, as it was Mononoke that brought Miyazaki to the attention of US
audiences. One of the few animated films
of its era to travel the film festival circuit, Mononoke gained steam in
the hubs of New York, Toronto, and LA. before bursting onto US screens in
1999. And while this film would become
the highest grossing animated film of all time, this was just the “set” for the
“spike” Miyazaki would deliver three years later with Spirited Away.
PLOT
Set
during the feudal Muromachi period in Japan, Ashitaka, a young prince of the Emishi
clan (Known in the story for riding red elk),
encounters a Boar god that has been twisted into a demon by hate for the humans
who attacked it. Although Ashitaka is
able to slay the beast, his right arm is cursed by one of the demon’s worm-tentacles. Armed with the knowledge that the demon mark
will spread and eventually kill him, Ashitaka uses the time he has left to
investigate the incident. This
investigation causes him to get in between an ancient battle between the Gods
of the Forrest and human prosperity, while trying to see the conflict
“unclouded by hate.”
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
The
only one of his films to be set in Feudal Japan, this is Miyazaki’s one
dalliance with the Samurai
film culture. Typical Samurai films are set in the
Tokugawa era of Japan 1500-1868, usually closer to the Meiji restoration that
saw the Samurai as a class in revolt with the public consciousness. A lot of
Samurai films set in this era center around the toppling of the Shogunate, causing
many Samurai to be released from the service of their feudal lord, creating
Ronin “masterless” (and penniless) Samurai. Many of the Samurai classics from
famed directors like Akira Kurosawa, Kihachi Okamoto and Masaki Kobayashi are
told in this period. Miyazaki on the
other hand, decides to set Mononoke a few dynasties earlier, in the Muromachi
era (1336- 1573). This not only informs the overall look of the characters, but
informs the spiritual dimensions of the film as well
Of Gods and Monsters[1]
The
Muromachi culture during this period was heavily influenced by both Zen
Buddhism and Shintoism. Zen Buddhism is
a spiritual practice that focuses on meditation, self-restraint, insight into
the mind, and into the activities of all things. There is no separation between
practice and enlightenment in Zen. Thus, you do not need to do anything
specific in order to achieve spirituality, as any act is enough. Although,
typical Zen practitioners sit in Zazen (cross legged position) with a keen
focus on breathing as their chief form of meditation. The other concepts of Zen that are important
are the ideas of “No Mindedness” and “The Middle Way”
“No-Mindedness”
is a state of awareness that is only occupied with the present moment. There is
no thought of the past, or the future, nor of any subject, topic or ideology.
The practitioner attempts to just simply “be.” Whereas “The Middle Way” is common in all
types of Buddhism, which indicates a maintenance of focus that is a path
between extremes. This is often
interpreted as a rational and practical “grey” area between bifurcated concepts
that are often presented or develop into exaggerations of isolated ideologies.
Shintoism is a religious practice developed in Japan that
is defined as belief in the kami (spirits). This is a form of polytheism that
sees “spirits and gods” in everything from plants, air, water, the moon, to the
cosmos. Like most religions, the stories
of the gods and spirits act as morality/cautionary tales for social control, or
as ways to explain yet unexplainable phenomena. What separates Shintoism from
other polytheistic beliefs is that within Shintoism the spirits and gods are not
necessarily omnipotent, omniscient, or immortal. Thus, the stories that involve
them are often reflecting a more fluid sense of morality than is typically
found in a Eurocentric polytheism. Modern Shintoism has been interpreted to center
on nature and promote environmentalism.
In Princess Mononoke, all of the gods and spirits
are influenced by Shintoism. The gods
are a part of a polytheistic pantheon without a typically western hierarchy
structure. The three Animal God factions
that Miyazaki presents are the Apes, Wolves, and Boars. Additionally, Miyazaki
includes “The Forrest Spirit” presented as a sika deer, and the tree spirits called
kodama. Even the name Mononoke translates to mean “vengeful spirit”. Each of these spirits represent something
depicted in Shintoism itself.
The Wolf God and her Children are derived from Shinto’s
idea of the Okami, the wolf spirit. Typically, they are divine messengers or
vehicles of the mountain gods. They also provide guidance to worthy humans. The
monkeys of Japanese folklore often are passive and act as a mediator between
spirits and humans, while at the same time, being tricksters. While Miyazaki’s
“Nightwalker” is related to the Daidabachi which is a large spirit that creates
lakes wherever it steps, the Forrest Spirit it transforms into is a Shi-shigami,
deer spirit. Deer spirits in Shintoism are vehicles and messengers of all gods,
not just those on the mountain. Which is why deer in Japan can roam the
countryside[2].
The Boar in Shintoism is revered for its defiance, bravery determination and
impetuousness. All of these qualities are displayed through the Boar clan’s
actions in the film, as they are felled by the weapons of Iron Town.
As
in Shintoism, many of these gods and spirits in Miyazaki’s story can be
corrupted or destroyed. This is depicted in the annihilation of the boar clan
and the Forrest Spirit itself
The boar clan’s assault
on the human stronghold witnesses the destruction of the spirit clan through
modern explosives and weapons (guns). No doubt a metaphor for the way advanced
technology can become so powerful that it becomes greater than the gods
themselves. Additionally, Shintoism is again invoked in the way the Boar clan
leaders Nago and Okkoto become corrupted by led poisoning and their own hate,
transforming them into demons. To Shintoism, Nago and Okkoto become a Totati.
Totati is a demon in Shintoism that is created by a vengeful spirit that hangs
on to anger.
Production
Miyazaki
began to cultivate a lot of the ideas and character Sketches for Princess
Mononoke while working for an animator in LA on a project he eventually
left. The main production did not start
in earnest until 1994. This is when he had his chief animators and himself come
up with the initial story boards and character sketches. In this process Miyazaki personally approved
all 144,000 single shots of this film and even redrew 88,000 cells himself
during the production. It was this pace
and work ethic, that began Miyazaki’s flirtation
with retirement. Henceforth,
he would announce at the end of every subsequent project, that he was going to
retire; but then eventually come back.
Like
a lot of other Japanese directors that have produced chambira films, Miyazaki
too was influenced by the John Ford western for Mononoke. He wanted “Iron Town” to have more of a
frontier feel to it, rather than accurately depicting medieval Japan. Without
these western elements, Miyazaki was fearful that the film was too deeply
rooted in the long history, culture, and mythology of Japan, which he was
certain would not appeal to a wider audience.
He was not confident people would get it.
In
the 1990’s, The Disney Company owned the distribution rights to all of Studio
Ghibli films.[3]
At the time, Disney charged Miramax and its co-founder, convicted
sexual predator Harvey Weinstein,[4] with Mononoke’s
distribution in the United States. In preparing the film for distribution, Weinstein
oversaw the production of the English dub (translated by Neil Gaiman), and how
the film was going to be presented in theaters.
With the film’s run time being a whopping 134 min, much longer than your
average animated American film (especially since a lot of American animation is
created for children), Weinstein, in an act of aggressive bullying, attempted
to get Miyazaki to cut 45 minutes out for the US release, after previously
agreeing not to. Finding such an idea so
apocryphal and dishonest, Ghibli’s Producer Toshiro Suzuki, at the behest of
Miyazaki, sent Weinstein a katana with the note that read “No Cuts!”. The film was eventually released at the
length Miyazaki specified.[5]
SOCIAL ANALYSIS
Many of the themes of Princess Mononoke have
become the staple of what the world expects from Miyazaki. It is after this, in
the time before his next film, Spirited Away, where lot of people went
back to his previous work and retroactively applied the themes of Mononoke
(Environmentalism, Industrialization Capitalism and Gender) to create thematic
consistency. While some of these themes are present in all of his previous
work, it is Nausicaä
with which Mononoke thematically rhymes; taking on some of the same
concepts, but asking different social questions about The environment, Capitalism
and gender dynamics.
Environmentalism[6]
Even
a shallow interpretation of Miyazaki’s work, especially Mononoke,
understand that it has a lot to say about the
environment and human’s relationship to it. However, when we
look at this through the Sociological Perspective, particularly in comparison
to his other work, Miyazaki is asking different questions about that
relationship with each film, and with Mononoke, making a finer
point than he has in the past.
On
the surface, one could make the simplistic argument that each of the characters
are embodiments of the thematic conflicts Miyazaki is interested in: Eboshi (Industrialization/Capitalism)
San (Environmental Conservation) and Ashitaka (socially conscious consumer) all
represent some aspect or actors in environmental conflicts. Therefore, the
interactions between these characters are the conflation of ideas Miyazaki
wants to say something about. Yet, this film goes beyond just its anthropomorphic
transformation of characters. It also paints an inevitable bleakness that the mere
existence of humanity means the destruction and consumption of the environment;
and while we may stave off this process for a period of time, halting its momentum,
elemental eradication is inevitable.
This
inevitability was set in motion as our society transformed from a premodern
Society (from which Ashitaka hails from) into Modernity[7] (Iron Town). As societies shifted
from an agrarian to urban organization, resources were mined from the earth through
industrial means with greater ease than ever before. This process, and its results, were then
given value beyond what was needed to sustain a labor force (basic exchange
value capitalism), which fueled the desire of overproduction for profit rather
than necessity (greed). Historically, because there was an inability to measure
the overall global impact of these practices at that time, a False
Consciousness developed in humans regarding the environment. Humans of the time
generally did not understand the lasting effects they were causing. This
ignorance continued for so long, that by the time humans gained the ability to
measure their effect, not only had irreputable damage occurred, but generations
of cultural norms and values were centered around this consumptive mentality
which has the capacity to bring society to ruin, if unchanged. This mentality
developed into climate change denial and transformed the environment into a
political issue.
Contrarily, Lady Eboshi in the film, does not
present this form of blind ignorance. She is very much aware of her impact on
the environment and relishes in its eradication. This is the perspective common in the”
Reganite” late stage Capitalism, that seeks to control the overall environment
in a structured and organized way. What makes Mononoke revelatory sociological
storytelling, is that Miyazaki puts this post war (Vietnam) mindset in a person
living in during Capitalism’s infancy. By that subtle shift, Miyazaki is
foreshadowing the end of the story. Regardless, of what transpires between
Ashitaka and San after the film ends, Lady Eboshi will rebuild and expand Iron
Town, eventually ushering in the concrete jungle of modern Japan. Lady Eboshi
is not just Capitalism, but a type of destructive corrosive and consumptive
Capitalism which is emblematic more of our current culture.
Eboshi as a Disaster Capitalist
Coined
by Journalist Naomi Klein (2007) Disaster Capitalism is defined as the practices
of generating profit through the creation or exploitation of disasters. While
the term "disasters" was originally taken literally to mean natural disasters
(fire, hurricane, flood etc.) and the profitability of reconstruction. The term
has also been applied to social,
economic, political or Health
Disasters. The key is to use the “shock” of the disaster to adopt
or enforce social or political policies that would enrich elites. These are
usually policies that the public would not agree to under “normal”
circumstances. Instead, they prey on the public’s disorientation (due to the
“shock”) to gain their acquiescence, and then only provide Pro-market capitalist
solutions. We’ve seen this with 9/11 and the passing of the Patriot act which
allowed for the monetization of meta data[8], the gentrification after
Hurricane Katrina, and now with the Coronavirus: the manufacturing of masks and
other forms of PPE (personal protective equipment), the pharmaceutical profits
from the eventual vaccine, Stimulus packages, and the propping up of industries
through government bailouts.
Lady
Eboshi demonstrates this perspective in the way that she exploits the Disaster
she helped create by warring with the Boar clan. From the direct outcome of the
battle, she gets her people to go into the forest, and kill the Forest Spirit
for its healing powers. This singularity
of thought and purpose toward Disaster Capitalism, is demonstrated when she
does not send help back to Iron Town when it is being attacked by a rival clan.
She is willing to sacrifice the lives of the women and disabled protecting Iron
Town, because there is money in its reconstruction. She can also sell the viscus
extract from the Forest Spirit’s decapitated head as a miracle cure.
In other
reviews, Eboshi is often individualized and not viewed through
this anti capitalistic lens. For instance, several reviews cite Eboshi’s garden
as a representation of her complexity and lack of hostility toward the environment,
as if to say “See she likes plants! She can’t be all bad.” That is like saying
people who had house slaves weren’t racist. A person can admire a resource and
still objectify and abuse it. Eboshi’s plants are only admirable to her because
she has power over them, in what plants are in her garden, and being able to
control how they grow. It is order that she craves, and she is willing to
obliterate the world to achieve it. Lady Eboshi can, through this
socio-economic lens, be seen as the
primary villain of this story.
San and Climate Activism
Climate
activism has always been an antithesis to industrialized Capitalism. Our
current form of resistance began in the 1970’s with the celebration of the
first Earth Day, the fight for improving air quality and exacting policies to
achieve it[9]. Modern Environmentalism focuses on three
areas: environmental conservation, reduction of pollutants, and increase in
biodiversity. In that charge, activists have come to the basic conclusion that
our current industrial practices are unsustainable for our environment. This is because, as I have mentioned, Capitalism
reinforces behaviors and practices that promote environmental destruction. Therefore,
to have any meaningful environmental change, we need to deconstruct
the entire system.
In
Mononoke, it is this deconstructive desire that fuels San and The Wolf
Clan’s war with Iron Town. San, being
raised outside of the organizational structures of civilization, has grown to
understand the pain
inflicted on the forest by industrialization. This
understanding brews into hate for humanity and causes her to reject everything
that makes her human. This culminates in
her verbally denying her humanity to Ashitaka and falling into bursts of animalistic
ferocity, engaging a threat with quick, agile, and instinctive maneuvers.
Because of her emotional commitment to the environment, beyond what is
considered acceptable by the pro-industrial capitalist perspective, San would
be labeled, in our current parlance, as an ecoterrorist.
Ecoterrorism
is the use or threat of violence to further promote or insure environmental
policies. This usually happens when activists destroy property (whether that be
equipment, infrastructure, or personnel) in an attempt to thwart, or completely
eliminate the threat of industrial capitalism on the environment. By that
definition, San’s assassination attempt of Lady Eboshi can be seen as
ecoterrorism due to San’s belief that if she is successful, not only will she
get vengeance for Eboshi’s strip mining and deforestation, but she will stop
the entire climate crisis. While this is short sited and does not see the macro
level impacts of humanity as a whole, San’s plan (and a lot of Eco-Terrorism)
fails because they do not have a diplomatic or legislative component. San needs
an advocate, and her own Green
New Deal.
Ashitaka
as a climate diplomat
Ashitaka
represents the collateral damage that is caused in any war. His curse, the
potential destruction of his village and people, would have been caused by the aftereffects
of this “War for the Environment,” had he not stepped in. Ashitaka is the grey
area in between two extremes. This allows him to see with eyes “unclouded by
hate”, when embroiled in this Ecological crisis. To that end, he begins to act as a “neutral”
third party to resolve the conflict; interacting with both Eboshi and San, in
order to stem the tide of utter destruction. Like many other real climate conscious
advocates , Ashitaka is injured in the process and while
he can make small incremental change, he ultimately fails in his desire to
achieve a more macro level impact. He cannot stop the decapitation of the
Forest Spirit, and while he does manage to return its severed head to the body,
he cannot stop the spirit’s death.
Identifying
Ashitaka as a true neutral party, Miyazaki blurs the negative connotations of the
Forest spirit’s death by juxtaposing it with the solution to Ashitaka’s curse
and curing Iron Town of leprosy. At films end, Miyazaki solidifies Ashitaka’ s diplomatic
status when Ashitaka becomes a citizen of Iron Town to help with its
reconstruction. The implication being that he will help guide Eboshi and Iron
Town into becoming more ecologically friendly. Yet, in interviews about the
seemingly ambiguous nature of the film, Miyazaki is clear that the ending
points to the cycle of hate and destruction beginning again with Eboshi’s line “We
will remake the city, better this time.” Miyazaki believes, regardless of intention,
if industrialization continues, the environment is not safe.
Gender in the World of
Mononoke
The work of Hayao Miyazaki
has been consistently used as an alternative to the corporatized mass-produced princess culture spear-headed
by Disney. More specifically, a handful of Miyazaki films feature specific
“princesses” that provide a
far more egalitarian and feminist message. In this film, San,
Princess Mononoke herself, joins both Sheeta and Nausicaa
as Studio Ghibli royalty as a Ghibli Princess.[10] A Ghibli Princess is
self-assured, bold, principled, has a unwavering morality and drive to do
something that she knows to be unequivocally correct, while also not shying
away from danger or difficulty. She is never “damseled” or becomes a prize for
someone else’s work/bravery, and she never defines her identity or existence by
her relationship status. The irony of
this kind of “feminist” messaging is that, defining and labeling the characters
as “feminist,”[11]
was never Miyazaki’s intention. He only set out to see boys and girls as equal,
in both their abilities and the lessons they need to learn throughout
childhood. He believes that these are universal themes that all humans,
regardless of their placement on the gendered spectrum, should understand.
Princess Mononoke is one of the first
times in Miyazaki’s career that he gives us differing, but equally complex,
representations of femininity when comparing the main characters of Lady Eboshi
and San. San and Eboshi can be interpreted as different types of feminism. From
such a lens, their juxtaposition and conflict in the film becomes a
representation of their clashing ideologies. Yet, these similarities do not
occur to either of the characters. San does not see the feminism in Lady
Eboshi’s actions with her people, because San is not a part of Iron Town’s
social structure. Similarly, Eboshi sees San as just one more obstacle in her
quest for domination.
Eboshi’s Liberal Feminism
Lady
Eboshi is representative of the common liberal (usually white) forms of feminism
that seek justice for women from inside an already established system. This is
commonly illustrated through the example of Second Wave Feminism, particularly
the creation of the National Organization for Women by Betty Friedan. This type
of feminism, through several of its founders, was imbued with a white
perspective which limited their perception and reduced their ability to
consolidate power among all women during the Second wave movement. Liberal
feminism (viewing feminism through a white cultural lens) championed actions
and legislation that would support and improve the lives of white women, such as
the ability to enter the workforce.
Ignoring the fact that women of color have always had to work, and the
many other differences that separated women’s experiences.
This alienation lead to the branching of
nonwhite, trans, gat and disabled women into different, more radical forms of
feminism. Radical Feminism being the type of feminism which seeks a dismantling
of the entire social system. Rather than
see the constraints on women as being able to be changed, as liberal feminists
support, radical feminism sees the oppression of women rooted in the
socio-political system; itself fueled by valuing white, cis heterosexual able-bodied
men. Thus, creating and maintaining laws that greatly improve that group’s
ability to succeed. One of the chief differences between liberal and radical
feminism is the support of Capitalism. A liberal feminist can also be
pro-capitalist, whereas a radical feminist cannot. It is this difference that
is mirrored by Lady Eboshi and San in the film.
Eboshi
is a liberal feminist in the way that she interacts with her townspeople. After eradicating prostitution, she
redistributes the workers from the brothels; putting them to work in the
furnaces of Iron Town. She also gives these women the freedom to choose their
partners. Secondly, she also does not see those suffering from leprosy as being
social pariahs, common for that time. She welcomes them into Iron town and
treats them humanely. Both actions are a redistribution and/or accessing of a
labor force while still maintaining the capitalism structure.
It
is also important to mention that these (monetarily profitable) decisions are
framed as “kindnesses” Lady Eboshi bestows upon her people; thereby fostering
in them a fierce sense of loyalty and justice.
During the assassination attempt by San on Eboshi, the townspeople rally
behind their leader; fiercely defending her by surrounding San with their swords
and guns. Here, not only does Eboshi fight San one on one (improving her status
and credibility), but she allows two women, whose husbands died in the wolf
attack on the mountain road, to get “revenge” for their loved ones, by shooting
at San. Whom, on the other hand, in her opposition to Lady Eboshi’s liberal
Feminism, not only adopts a more radical feminist perspective, but a particular
form of radicalization known as EcoFeminism.
San, the Ecofeminist
EcoFeminism, a term coined by French writer Françoise d'Eaubonne is a specific form of radical feminism that focuses on the relationship between gender and nature. Some Ecofeminists use ecological destruction as a complex metaphor for how women are treated within society, seeing the treatment of the earth and the treatment of women as being analogous.
The character of San intersects with Ecofeminism at two distinct points:
1.
The Ecofeminist principle regarding
capitalism and the environment.
2. The subcategory of Spiritual Ecofeminism
For Ecofeminists, capitalism has a need and
drive toward the exploitation and destruction of animals, earth, and people for
profit (Adams and Gruen 2014). San,
being raised[12]
by the Wolf God Moro, came of age with an understanding of the beauty, wonder,
and splendor of the environment and its importance to all creatures. Therefore,
San sees the actions of Iron Town, and Lady Eboshi specifically, in the destruction
of the forest for profit, as not only selfish but dangerous.
Spiritual ecofeminism, a subcategory of Ecofeminism
itself, see the earth as alive and devotees give time and energy to its
protection; focusing on community-based behaviors that generate caring and
compassion. In Mononoke, we
literally see the earth alive through the Tree Spirits and the Forrest God/
Spirit, the latter of whom controls life and death. San’s respect and reverence
for these beings is so great, that she is willing to go to war with those that oppose
or try to harm them. Admittedly, this is
not a common practice among spiritual eco feminists, as they tend to preach
nonviolence.
CONCLUSION
Princess
Mononoke was both a critical and commercial success. The film became
the biggest film in Japan at the time and one of the most profitable animated
films in the world, grossing over 230 Million dollars. This was a watershed
moment for Miyazaki as it was a story that he was working on for years, and it
was the film that allowed him to be able to make whatever he wanted next.[13] Princess Mononoke,
Nausicaa and Spirited Away are the films in Miyazaki’s filmography
that represent what the public sees as “The Miyazaki Aesthetic.” It was these
ethereal masterpieces of Spiritual Eco-Feminist Anti-Capitalism that solidified
him as a welcomed alternative to the sexist corporatized monotony of Disney and
others of their ilk.
REFERENCES
Aadams, Carol J. and Lori Gruen 2014. “Groundwork” Pp 7-36 In EcoFeminism:
Feminist Intersections with other Animals and the Earth New York Bloomsbury
Academic
Klein, Naomi, 2007. The
Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism New York: Picador
[2] Through
the adherence to these rituals, beliefs, and behaviors. The deer have become,
in the strict Durkheimian sense, a sacred object.
[3]
Thankfully this has changed. Since 2017 Gkids has had exclusive distribution
rights for all of Studio Ghibli and has remastered and re released all of their
films.
[4]
Seriously, Fuck this guy. If I believed in Hell he, and all the other male
predators he trained in the industry would be flayed and burned for eternity.
[5] This
my favorite Miyazaki story because he and Suzuki stand up to a sexist bully
during the height of his power and basically gave him the Japanese equivalent
of a middle finger. Again, Fuck Weinstein.
[7]
Components of Modernity:
-
- Shift in the economic system.
From a Barter Systems of trade, to Capitalism
- - New technologies emerged causing an
increased focus on industry and production (resulting in hydro and steam power, textiles,
steel, and increased transportation (sea trade))
- - Expansions in Medical Science leading to
Population Growth (lower infant mortality)
-
- Urbanization ( City boom; go
where the jobs are)
-
- Increase in Secularism
[8]
More on this, read the book the Age of Surveillance Capitalism by Shoshana
Zuboff
[9]
Clean air, water and endangered species acts
[10]
Ponyo will eventually be included.
[11] In
general, a feminist is any person with a political consciousness that promotes
the understanding the women are people and champions their progressive
advancement in all aspects of human life.
[12] Secondarily,
there may be also a personal stake in San’s ideological position. San became
adopted by the Wolf Clan after her birth parents threw her at Moro when she was
a baby as a sacrifice to let them live. Knowing this would not engender
sympathy for humanity in anyone.
[13]
Often referred to as a “Blank
Check”
