Environmental issues have always been a debated topic in the world, but even with many people being aware of the problem, many people do nothing. However, Hayao Miyazaki is not one of those people. In his film Princess Mononoke (1997), Miyazaki cries out to the public regarding environmental issues – social criticism. He does so by using contrasting music and colors, and juxtaposing scenes during the movie to convey messages to the reader. For instance, Miyazaki contrasts peace scenes and war scenes to convey how war devastates the environment, and he also depicts how humans are at fault for destroying the wildlife by contrasting lively nature scenes and life-devoid scenes together. In short, Miyzaki is very effective in sending his post-humanistic messages to his viewers by using juxtaposition, colors, and music to invoke possible emotions – sadness, admiration, awe-struck, hatred, etc. – in the viewers.
To begin, Miyazaki uses music to relay how war devastates nature. In one particular scene, the mood and the music of the scene are very peaceful and serene. By having an orchestra with brass instruments, Miyzaki’s music invokes in the viewer feelings that causes them to realize the message in the movie. For instance, in the peace scene, the violins start off smooth and light, which to me, sounds like bliss. Then with the addition of the flutes, I feel like I can just fall asleep to the lullaby-like music. Plus, the music gives (to me) a sense of tranquility and it actually makes me want to be at the peaceful forest at that moment. In fact, the soothing music helps me relax from a long day of work. However, my feelings soon change when the music shifts to war music. The thundering bass drum, crashing cymbals, and the deep brass instruments contribute towards making me feel ‘antsy’. In contrast with the peace music, the war music makes me feel the opposite of what the peace music makes me feel. The music makes me cringe, makes my heart race, and makes me feel like I’m riding the roller coaster of death. Through this change in music, it makes me see the movie scenes more critically, because my emotions are integrated in with my views. Instead of just seeing the scenes as two factors fighting each other, I also see how war devastates nature – the message Miyazaki wish to convey to his viewers.
To begin, Miyazaki uses music to relay how war devastates nature. In one particular scene, the mood and the music of the scene are very peaceful and serene. By having an orchestra with brass instruments, Miyzaki’s music invokes in the viewer feelings that causes them to realize the message in the movie. For instance, in the peace scene, the violins start off smooth and light, which to me, sounds like bliss. Then with the addition of the flutes, I feel like I can just fall asleep to the lullaby-like music. Plus, the music gives (to me) a sense of tranquility and it actually makes me want to be at the peaceful forest at that moment. In fact, the soothing music helps me relax from a long day of work. However, my feelings soon change when the music shifts to war music. The thundering bass drum, crashing cymbals, and the deep brass instruments contribute towards making me feel ‘antsy’. In contrast with the peace music, the war music makes me feel the opposite of what the peace music makes me feel. The music makes me cringe, makes my heart race, and makes me feel like I’m riding the roller coaster of death. Through this change in music, it makes me see the movie scenes more critically, because my emotions are integrated in with my views. Instead of just seeing the scenes as two factors fighting each other, I also see how war devastates nature – the message Miyazaki wish to convey to his viewers.
Along with music, Miyazaki uses colors to portray how humans are at fault for destroying nature. In peace scenes, Miyazaki uses vibrant colors to depict the forest in peace. Instead of a dank-looking green, he uses a very bright and luscious green to show the forest’s liveliness. From viewing those colorful images, I am immediately enamored by the illustrations and feel at peace. I cannot believe how simple strokes of colors can depict such tranquility to the viewer. In fact, the colors make me want to pause the movie, and just stare at the image and be at peace. Similarly, Miyazaki also uses vibrant colors to depict the forest in war. However, instead of a luscious green, Miyazaki uses different shade of black along with a dull red. The images of black and red invoke in me images and feelings of pain and suffering, because I always connect black with evil and red with blood. As a result, Miyazaki’s war scenes make me feel ill and sad, due to the colors invoking my emotions – which led me to think how diabolic humans are when they devastate the wildlife.
In addition to using colors and music, Miyazaki uses juxtaposition between scenes to convey how humans are at fault for destroying the nature. In the movie’s prelude, humans and animal Gods are seen living in peace with one another. In fact, Miyazaki uses peaceful music and colors to support this illustration: the birds singing joyously in the green forest, the animal God Nago sleeping peacefully in the forest, and the soothing scenes of swaying green grass. Continuing the prelude, Miyazaki immediately illustrates humans invading the animals’ territory – illustrated with various shades of black and red – and accompanied with war music. In fact, the Boar God Nago is seen running with squeals, and with blood seeping from multiple gashes and holes in his sides. As I watch both scenes, I admire the beauty of the peace between the animals and the humans, but I dislike the humans’ conquest in dominating the animals’ territory. Through these scenes, I see how humans are the leading cause in destroying the wildlife in the past and the present. As human reproduction rate increase and human machinery continue to advance, humans destroy the wildlife in order to expand their village and town. Through this realization, I integrated this with the movie and ‘enjoyed’ another epiphany over how Miyazaki uses juxtaposition to convey how humans are at fault for destroying nature.
Furthermore, Miyazaki exemplifies his previous message by juxtaposing more scenes in his movie. A single kodama represents life and the forests’ health, and with an abundance of them in the forest, they represent how the forest is very lively and thriving. Along with the Shishigami – the god of Death and Life, and master of the forest – the kodamas thrives, because in peace, they can easily grow and prosper. From viewing this scene, I admire the beauty of it all, because it, again, brings me to peace. However, Miyazaki juxtaposes this scene with a scene later in the movie that disturbs me emotionally. This is when Miyazaki depicts the beheaded Shishigami – humans trying to kill the forest spirit – as the god of Death. When I view the scene, I immediately felt a tingle down my spine, because the Shishigami does not have a distinctive shape, but a large mass of black goo – that will kill anything it touches. However, it is only when Miyazaki makes the goo touch the kodamas do I feel really sad. Connecting my previous image of the lively kodamas and then seeing them dying right before my eyes, I feel sadden and hate the humans in the movie that cause their death – similar to the feeling of watching abandon animals die on the street, and you have no way of helping them. Through my emotions, I realize Miyazaki’s cry to the public – how humans are at fault for destroying nature. If the humans never interfere with the forest, the kodamas will still continue to thrive and prosper. However, the humans decide to invade, which cause the forest’s impeding death.
Finally, Miyzaki also conveys how war devastates nature by juxtaposing other scenes in the movie. The first scene is when he portrays the forest spirits’ abode as a magnificent tree. With his masterful artwork and the wondrous background music, various phrases pop-up in my mind: venerable, brimming with life, and amazing. As I think of words to describe the tree, I find myself awe-struck with the tree. Also, for some odd reason, I feel tiny and puny, which makes me respect the tree, even though it is just an animated image. Furthermore, the shiny and clear blue lake next to the tree gives of a radiance of peace and serenity. Once I finish absorbing the whole image Miyazaki draws, the movie then pans out to the war breaking out. After a few scenes of war, I immediately then see the tree again, but redrawn, because of the war. Previously, the tree looks venerable; now, it looks battered and about to die. The tree is impaled with stray arrows, tree bark is peeling in various places, and all the green leaves that made me awe-struck are all gone, and streaked with blood on the floor. Plus, the once clear lake is now littered with dead bodies, and some unidentifiable black objects. Seeing the tree in a devastated state, I sense a glow of death and feel a tinge of sadness. As I continue the movie, I see more humans slaughtering animals and I feel sick in my stomach – as if someone punched the cutest baby seal in the world in front of me. From watching these scenes and reflecting upon my emotions, I understand Miyazaki’s reason for juxtaposing them – war’s detrimental effects on nature. Before the war, the forest thrives and the game is plenty, but it becomes the opposite when war breaks out. Thus, Miyazaki’s provocative images serve to illustrate how devastating war is on nature.
Similarly, Roger Ebert – an acclaimed movie reviewer in the U.S. – gives four out of five stars for Princess Mononoke and agrees with me on how well Miyazaki’s movie is in crying out to the public (Ebert). Ebert says that the artwork is not simple, but has a clear line complexity that reveals humanistic messages (Ebert). While the messages are not complaints to the public for ruining nature, they are to educate people for a better future. In fact, I (and Ebert hopefully) believe that Miyazaki is very post-humanistic, in that he wishes for the well being of all life, and not the opposite. This is because Ebert believes Miyzaki’s intended audience is not just Japanese people, but the whole world. Humanistic people focuses on just one group of people, but Miyazaki, the post-humanist, focuses on the entire world.
On a broad last note, I believe many people will like this film, because of the morals it teaches. Given how we pollute the earth almost non-stop, the lessons Miyazaki conveys will be beneficial for everybody in the world as we need to pollute less, and take care of this planet better than we have before/are doing now.
In all, Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke is a great success when it comes to revealing issues revolving around environmental issues. Through the use of juxtaposition, music, and colors, and the emotions they can possible invoke, Miyazaki easily conveys how humans are at fault for destroying nature and how war devastates nature to the viewer. For instance, Miyazaki’s rhetoric strategies invoke in me emotions that make me realize his humanistic messages. Thus, I conclude that Princess Mononoke is a great film and teaches morals that benefit the world.
About the Author: Alex Wai is currently a Freshman at UC Davis. He is studying Biotechnology, but has not decided on am emphasis yet. He enjoys watching Miyazaki films and shooting his roommate with his nerf gun.
Works Cited
Ebert, Roger. "Princess Mononoke - by Roger Ebert." Roger Ebert - Movie Reviews. 29 Oct. 1999. Web. 08 Feb. 2011. <http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19991029/REVIEWS/910290303/1023>.
In addition to using colors and music, Miyazaki uses juxtaposition between scenes to convey how humans are at fault for destroying the nature. In the movie’s prelude, humans and animal Gods are seen living in peace with one another. In fact, Miyazaki uses peaceful music and colors to support this illustration: the birds singing joyously in the green forest, the animal God Nago sleeping peacefully in the forest, and the soothing scenes of swaying green grass. Continuing the prelude, Miyazaki immediately illustrates humans invading the animals’ territory – illustrated with various shades of black and red – and accompanied with war music. In fact, the Boar God Nago is seen running with squeals, and with blood seeping from multiple gashes and holes in his sides. As I watch both scenes, I admire the beauty of the peace between the animals and the humans, but I dislike the humans’ conquest in dominating the animals’ territory. Through these scenes, I see how humans are the leading cause in destroying the wildlife in the past and the present. As human reproduction rate increase and human machinery continue to advance, humans destroy the wildlife in order to expand their village and town. Through this realization, I integrated this with the movie and ‘enjoyed’ another epiphany over how Miyazaki uses juxtaposition to convey how humans are at fault for destroying nature.
Furthermore, Miyazaki exemplifies his previous message by juxtaposing more scenes in his movie. A single kodama represents life and the forests’ health, and with an abundance of them in the forest, they represent how the forest is very lively and thriving. Along with the Shishigami – the god of Death and Life, and master of the forest – the kodamas thrives, because in peace, they can easily grow and prosper. From viewing this scene, I admire the beauty of it all, because it, again, brings me to peace. However, Miyazaki juxtaposes this scene with a scene later in the movie that disturbs me emotionally. This is when Miyazaki depicts the beheaded Shishigami – humans trying to kill the forest spirit – as the god of Death. When I view the scene, I immediately felt a tingle down my spine, because the Shishigami does not have a distinctive shape, but a large mass of black goo – that will kill anything it touches. However, it is only when Miyazaki makes the goo touch the kodamas do I feel really sad. Connecting my previous image of the lively kodamas and then seeing them dying right before my eyes, I feel sadden and hate the humans in the movie that cause their death – similar to the feeling of watching abandon animals die on the street, and you have no way of helping them. Through my emotions, I realize Miyazaki’s cry to the public – how humans are at fault for destroying nature. If the humans never interfere with the forest, the kodamas will still continue to thrive and prosper. However, the humans decide to invade, which cause the forest’s impeding death.
Finally, Miyzaki also conveys how war devastates nature by juxtaposing other scenes in the movie. The first scene is when he portrays the forest spirits’ abode as a magnificent tree. With his masterful artwork and the wondrous background music, various phrases pop-up in my mind: venerable, brimming with life, and amazing. As I think of words to describe the tree, I find myself awe-struck with the tree. Also, for some odd reason, I feel tiny and puny, which makes me respect the tree, even though it is just an animated image. Furthermore, the shiny and clear blue lake next to the tree gives of a radiance of peace and serenity. Once I finish absorbing the whole image Miyazaki draws, the movie then pans out to the war breaking out. After a few scenes of war, I immediately then see the tree again, but redrawn, because of the war. Previously, the tree looks venerable; now, it looks battered and about to die. The tree is impaled with stray arrows, tree bark is peeling in various places, and all the green leaves that made me awe-struck are all gone, and streaked with blood on the floor. Plus, the once clear lake is now littered with dead bodies, and some unidentifiable black objects. Seeing the tree in a devastated state, I sense a glow of death and feel a tinge of sadness. As I continue the movie, I see more humans slaughtering animals and I feel sick in my stomach – as if someone punched the cutest baby seal in the world in front of me. From watching these scenes and reflecting upon my emotions, I understand Miyazaki’s reason for juxtaposing them – war’s detrimental effects on nature. Before the war, the forest thrives and the game is plenty, but it becomes the opposite when war breaks out. Thus, Miyazaki’s provocative images serve to illustrate how devastating war is on nature.
Similarly, Roger Ebert – an acclaimed movie reviewer in the U.S. – gives four out of five stars for Princess Mononoke and agrees with me on how well Miyazaki’s movie is in crying out to the public (Ebert). Ebert says that the artwork is not simple, but has a clear line complexity that reveals humanistic messages (Ebert). While the messages are not complaints to the public for ruining nature, they are to educate people for a better future. In fact, I (and Ebert hopefully) believe that Miyazaki is very post-humanistic, in that he wishes for the well being of all life, and not the opposite. This is because Ebert believes Miyzaki’s intended audience is not just Japanese people, but the whole world. Humanistic people focuses on just one group of people, but Miyazaki, the post-humanist, focuses on the entire world.
On a broad last note, I believe many people will like this film, because of the morals it teaches. Given how we pollute the earth almost non-stop, the lessons Miyazaki conveys will be beneficial for everybody in the world as we need to pollute less, and take care of this planet better than we have before/are doing now.
In all, Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke is a great success when it comes to revealing issues revolving around environmental issues. Through the use of juxtaposition, music, and colors, and the emotions they can possible invoke, Miyazaki easily conveys how humans are at fault for destroying nature and how war devastates nature to the viewer. For instance, Miyazaki’s rhetoric strategies invoke in me emotions that make me realize his humanistic messages. Thus, I conclude that Princess Mononoke is a great film and teaches morals that benefit the world.
About the Author: Alex Wai is currently a Freshman at UC Davis. He is studying Biotechnology, but has not decided on am emphasis yet. He enjoys watching Miyazaki films and shooting his roommate with his nerf gun.
Works Cited
Ebert, Roger. "Princess Mononoke - by Roger Ebert." Roger Ebert - Movie Reviews. 29 Oct. 1999. Web. 08 Feb. 2011. <http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19991029/REVIEWS/910290303/1023>.
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