Princess Mononoke

Dir. Hayao Miyazaki. 1997, 134 mins. 35mm. In Japanese with English subtitles.  One of Miyazaki’s masterpieces, Princess Mononoke was released in the U.S. by Disney subsidiary Miramax in 1999 into a mainstream culture that thought of animated films as children’s fare with easily defined heroes and villains. Mononoke defied that expectation with a complex, often violent tale that pitted warring clans and creatures against each other in 14th-century Japan. Its flawed, human characters were headed by Ashitaka, a cursed prince, fated to wander the land; San, a fierce “princess” raised by wolves; and Lady Eboshi, a woman warrior driven to build an iron-clad sanctuary in a chaotic world. Against the encroaching human realm, the natural world responds with equal ferocity, with animal spirits on the rampage and the great Shishi-gami, its majestic god of everything wild, the ultimate protector and also the biggest target. With its magnificent depictions of pristine, old-growth wilderness—inspired by the ancient forests on Japan’s Yakushima Island—Princess Mononoke tantalized viewers with its vision of nature as sacred, undercut by the bittersweet knowledge that the very existence of human civilization was leading to its demise. 

Rated PG-13. Recommended for 10+ for violent images.

Tickets: $15 / $11 senior and students / $9 youth (ages 3–17) / free for MoMI members at the Senior/Student level and above. There is a $1.50 transaction fee per ticket for all online purchases. The cost of admission may be applied toward a same-day purchase of a membership. 

Order tickets. Please pick up tickets at the Museum’s admissions desk upon arrival. All seating is general admission.