Princess Mononoke

"Kid, listen, everybody wants everything, that's the way the world is, but I might actually get it."
-Jigo, Princess Mononoke 

Princess Mononoke is the epic tale from the mind of the notorious animator genius Hayao Miyazaki. The movie takes place in when industrialism had been introduced and begun to warp the surrounding landscapes of medieval Japan. The story depicts the battle between nature, in a world where nature gods still walk among the forests, and human driven industrialism. In the film industrialism and its by products, such as the metal forged gun and material greed justified by expansion and progress, quite literally turn nature and its creators into demonic monsters of rage and destruction. However, nothing is ever that one sided or simple when it comes to Miyazaki creations. In the film he portrays the monstrous and virtuous sides of both parties, leaving the viewer and the protagonist: Ashitaka, in constant questioning of the ethicality of both sides, while the two powers steadily destroy each other under the auspicious justifications of self-preservation. 

The story begins when a demonic monster covered in writhing pustules attacks Ashitaka's small Japanese village. In the battle that pursues, Ashitaka's arm is inflicted by the monster's curse. Upon the monster's death the demonic growths disappear to reveal that the monster had been a forest god boar corrupted by a metal bullet. Now that Ashitaka has been inflicted by the corruptive power of industry, it is no longer safe for the village to have him remain. This makes him an enduring symbol of Industry's threat to small villages like his own, as the disease will grow until it consumes him unless treated by the Great Forest God. In this opening sequence, Miyazaki sets in motion some of the preliminary motifs of the film: the destructive and unrelenting power of industry driven greed juxtaposed against the selflessness of Ashitaka. 

In Ashitakas journey to find the Great Forest God he meets a self proclaimed monk, Jigo who is on a "get rich quick" mission that will save him from the monstrous confines of poverty. The Emperor of Japan has enlisted a bounty upon the head of the Great Forest God who is currently causing the iron industry to idle and whose head is said to cause immortality. Establishing the selfish and powerful nature of greed with its ability to impregnate all hierarchical systems of society under the guise of conservation of self and civilization. 

Ashitaka then comes to the Iron Town, a settlement created under the celebration of industry. This fort set in the midst of a pillaged forest and is governed by Lady Eboshi, a symbol of industry, who controls a rag tag community of ex-prostitutes, gun making lepers, and general vagabonds of society. Lady Eboshi displays both monsterous and bevelent characteristics. She, as industry, destroys everything natural she touches, she deforests the land, pollutes it in the quest for iron, and generally will do anything to take as much as she can from the land in the name of selfish good for industry and commerce. Excessive greed in conquest of industrialism turns Lady Eboshi into a violent monster who shoots first and asks questions later. However, in Miyazaki's depiction of her and iron town, he displays the power industry has for the good of society. The marginalized and "monstrous" people of society are, through industry, given newfound opportunity. 

Amongst the trees outside Iron Town lays Princess Mononoke, the symbolic heroine of nature, lays in waiting with her giant wolf gods. Princess Mononoke represents everything the Lady Eboshi isn't. She was born and raised within the magical realm of the forest and is the human representation of nature. Lady Eboshi: industry, and Princess Mononoke:nature are mortal enemies and want nothing more than the other dead. Lady Eboshi's quest for her nemesis' death is justified by industrial progress and greed, as Princess Mononoke tries to thwart any attempt of further development and destruction of her beloved home. Ashitaka in this mix is the pacifist who wants nothing more than for the two sides to work together and stop the cyclical system of destruction. 

Eventually the humans, along with Jigo who has now arrived in iron town, band together for a final show down against nature. With the power that industry has bestowed upon them: iron bullets and guns, they will ransack the forest of its Gods and behead the Great Forest God, thus bringing nature to its knees allowing humanity and industry to grow without any difficulty. 

In walks the Great Forest God over a pool of water. Lady Eboshi takes no notice of Ashitaka's cries for her to forsake this creature of life and death and shoots the God's head off. Thus transforming it into a monstrous viscous form that is the epitome of death, for anyone who is touched by the undulating and multiplying material dies. Both Humans and Nature lay at the waste of this explosive evil, as it consumes everything around it. Jigo at this time has absconded with the God's head and is bee lining to the Emperor to collect his riches. Princess Mononoke and Ashitaka find him and insist that he returns the head back to the god as that is the only thing that will stop the destructive rage of nature. Jigo declines stating, "Kid, listen, everybody wants everything, that's the way the world is, but I might actually get it". Thus through the power of money turning himself into a monster of greed that would allow the destruction of an entire town and forest in his own selfish quest to escape poverty. Princess Mononoke and Ashitaka reclaim the head of the Great Forest God and successfully return it to the God of life and death. The beast then collapses upon Iron Town destroying it and reseeding the forest of young saplings where deforestation had occurred in the forest. 

The Great Forest God and other Gods are transformed into monsters by industry, but I would argue the true monster of the tale is short sided greed that encompasses humanity under the guise of preservation and development. Miyazaki therefore brings to question development for the sake of development and displays that blind faith in development is truly monstrous.