Princess Mononoke

[Casual Shinji]

This film?s villain, Lady Eboshi, has little to no motivation for doing what she does. Seems to be a recurring theme with Ghibli villains.

The reason she is mining the ore under Iron Town is to provide food (by selling said ore) and material to make weapons to defend Iron Town.
She started Iron Town partly because it's isolated but also as it's a defensable position from the Samurai Warlord Asano who's men pop up from time to time. She has become a target not only because she is a rival noble but also because she takes in lepers and controls the nearest iron resources. She also refuses to force women into their traditional roles and gives responsibility based on merit rather than inheritance.

Basically, she's in the position she's in through acts of kindness. I don't class her as a villain.

The whole conflict with nature arises because neither she nor the Forest Gods will accomodate each other. They feel she is desecrating 'their' land (Note, the Forest Spirit never takes a side) whilst Eboshi is backed into a corner. She and her people have nowhere else to go, so they draw their line in the sand. She see's killing the Gods as a way to break the forest's morale and buy her people some breathing space.

I would say the true villains are Warlord Asano and Jiko. Eboshi and the Gods are motivated by survival, whilst Asano is motivated purely by personal gain. Jiko is even worse, not only is he out for personal glory, he also manipulates the other groups into escalating their conflict. It's also his increasingly inhumane tactics that lead to the Forest Spirit getting 'killed', Eboshi losing an arm and Moro, what-is-face the Boar and countless others getting killed.

Well said!

This is why Princess Mononoke is as good as it is. It's not the usual "man vs. nature, but mankind is clearly the true evil" type of movie (like Avatar). The forrest gods are just as stubborn and pig-headed as Eboshi; It's either their way or the highway.

"Pig-headed?". That wasn't supposed to be a pun was it?

I had thought of making a pig pun, but that would've been a little bit too ham-fisted.

 

[thejboy88]

This film?s villain, Lady Eboshi, has little to no motivation for doing what she does. Seems to be a recurring theme with Ghibli villains.

The reason she is mining the ore under Iron Town is to provide food (by selling said ore) and material to make weapons to defend Iron Town.
She started Iron Town partly because it's isolated but also as it's a defensable position from the Samurai Warlord Asano who's men pop up from time to time. She has become a target not only because she is a rival noble but also because she takes in lepers and controls the nearest iron resources. She also refuses to force women into their traditional roles and gives responsibility based on merit rather than inheritance.

Basically, she's in the position she's in through acts of kindness. I don't class her as a villain.

The whole conflict with nature arises because neither she nor the Forest Gods will accomodate each other. They feel she is desecrating 'their' land (Note, the Forest Spirit never takes a side) whilst Eboshi is backed into a corner. She and her people have nowhere else to go, so they draw their line in the sand. She see's killing the Gods as a way to break the forest's morale and buy her people some breathing space.

I would say the true villains are Warlord Asano and Jiko. Eboshi and the Gods are motivated by survival, whilst Asano is motivated purely by personal gain. Jiko is even worse, not only is he out for personal glory, he also manipulates the other groups into escalating their conflict. It's also his increasingly inhumane tactics that lead to the Forest Spirit getting 'killed', Eboshi losing an arm and Moro, what-is-face the Boar and countless others getting killed.

Well said!

This is why Princess Mononoke is as good as it is. It's not the usual "man vs. nature, but mankind is clearly the true evil" type of movie (like Avatar). The forrest gods are just as stubborn and pig-headed as Eboshi; It's either their way or the highway.

"Pig-headed?". That wasn't supposed to be a pun was it?

I had thought of making a pig pun, but that would've been a little bit too ham-fisted.

Touche, good sir, touche.

 

[Rottweiler]

What I learned from this movie:

If you're minding your own business and a crazed Forest God comprised entirely of worms attacks you village (with the intention of genocide)...and you kill it in self-defense...it's still your fault for having the sheer gall to feel your family should be defended.

It was a good movie overall, but very much impressed me as 'Spirits Know Best' without a lot to back it up.

 

[Smallells]

I watched this film and, contrary to what practically everyone else has said on here, I couldn't stand it. Perhaps it's just me that doesn't particularly like Japanese cinema (I've seen only one other apart from this and didn't like that either) but I felt the story was so immensely clichéd and I just couldn't enjoy it. I'm not doubting the animation, and I don't mind films with subtitles - but I just couldn't bring myself to enjoy this film in any form.
That's my opinion anyway.

 

[loc978]

Eh, I enjoyed Princess Mononoke quite a bit... but it was trying to be too many things at once, in my opinion. I found Howl's Moving Castle to be a better love story and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind to be a better environmentalist parable (also, Patrick Stewart as Lord Yupa trumps every bit of vocal talent in Mononoke).
Still, great movie.