Anime Week: Princess Mononoke

Howdy all and welcome to  Day 4 of Anime Week and what collection would be complete without some sci-fantasy.  Yeah we need a bit of sword and sorcery to add to our anime so I scoured the archives at the homestead and thought this would be a nice touch.  Given it is a Hayao Miyazaki (writer and director of Lupin III: The Castle Cagliostro, Lupin the 3rd, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away and Castle in the Sky) film  we are in good hands.  From a complicated conflict stretching over the world a young woman must fight for what she believes in.  This is Princess Mononoke.

I'm looking for a great warrior. 

Hii-sama: You cannot change fate.  However, you can rise to spoil it, if you so choose.








Our saga opens in the Muromachi (the dismissal of Emperor Go-Daigo and Shogun Ashikaga Takauji's reign) timeline of Japan but with some fantasy intermixed with it.  A local village is attacked by a demon and the prince of the village, Ashitaka slew it but somehow the demon's touch corrupts his fighting arm, it gives him terrifying fighting ability but the oracle of the village tells him that he must go West to find a cure.  As Ashikaga's quest begins he encounters a monk name of Jigo that tells the young prince he may find help the Great Forest Spirit (The Deer God).  A caravan heading towards to a nearby town simply called Irontown led by one Lady Eboshi which gets attacked by a gathering of wolves.  Atop one of the wolves rides a young girl named San as she seems to take great dislike to Eboshi and seems to have a deep loathing of humans.   Eboshi thanks Ashitaka and invites him to town, a town compromised of criminals, cutthroats, prostitutes and lepers.  Yes, welcome to Barter Town.  While they are lacking a Master Blaster, our hive of scum and villainy is tackling the forest gods by using firearms and gun powder to burn them down.

Ride like the wind!!!

With humanity encroaching on the forest without proper tribute to the gods, the times feel as though they are changing for the worse for nature.  A tale is spread throughout the land about the Boar God Okkoto, it is said that the god's head would give the one who possesses it immortality and long lived life.   Eboshi is determined to take Okkoto's head and gain favor to the Emperor to keep the Daimyo (robber barons or feudal lords) at bay and to never trifle with her affairs again.
San and Ashitaka decide they must join forces to battle the might of Eboshi's collective of lunatics and mercenaries in order to save the forest and preserve the life.  Perhaps he may even have time to find a cure for his demonic affliction.

Okay, I had a few observations on the film now.  Hayao Miyazaki hand drew more than 80,000 film frames of the 144,000 frames.   The English dubbing dialogue was adapted by novelist/comic book writer Neil Gaiman (Sandman, Neverwhere, MirrorMask, Stardust and American Gods) to make the translation as close as possible.  the production of this film's budget was $23.5 million making it the most expensive anime film that was made at the time.   Disney/Miramax released the film reluctantly because they were not allowed to edit or cut anything of the original print and one would almost conclude that out of spite, Disney/Miramax released the film stateside into fewer theaters than was promised.   My only real complaint of the film is I did not agree with the main characters' voice choice.

*snicker*  Sorry, it's the bamboo.  You look like a soggy wicker man.

Sci-Fi Fantasy Week: Excalibur

Welcome milords and ladies to Day 3 of Sci-Fi Fantasy Week and I am have dusted off my DVD rack to bring you yet another gone but not forgotten gem of the genre.  When I speak of Camelot I do not mean Sean Connery and Richard Gere being silly in armor nor do I mean a zany cartoon with two headed talking dragons and far too many sing along.   I am referring to the key elements derived from Sir Thomas Mallory’s classic Le Morte Darthur.   Capturing all facets and characters from said novel and bringing them to the big screen in 1981.  So don thine armour, sharpen and preserve thy blade and prepare for battle!  This is Excalibur.

Well, at least we aren't fighting over who makes a better Batman.

Arthur: Now, once more, I must ride with my knights to defend what was, and the spoiler of what could be.

Writer Rospo Pallenberg (Exorcist II: The Heretic, Excalibur, The Emerald Forest, The Barber of Siberia and The Gaul) and writer/director John Boorman (Zardoz, Exorcist II: The Heretic, Excalibur, Where the Heart Is, The General, The Tailor of Panama and The Tiger’s Tail) dare to dabble in a time of romance, chivalry and siege warfare to the days of the kingdom of Camelot. 

The ever mysterious magus Merlin (Nicol Williamson of Of Mice and Men, The Reckoning, Hamlet, Robin and Marian, Return to Oz and Apt Pupil) has secured Excalibur from the Lady in the Lake for Uther Pendragon (Gabriel Bryne of Miller’s Crossing, The Usual Suspects, Ghost Ship, In Treatment and Just a Sigh) with the agreement of Merlin aiding in the seduction of the Duke of Cornwall’s wife through cast illusion.  Sounds a bit shady thus far but we shall move on. 

Bald brothers, hear me! The skull cap is all the rave!

With the Duke on the battle field and slain only sorceress Morgana (Helen Mirren of Hamlet, Caligula, 2010, The Queen, Red and Red 2) can see through Uther’s disguise while he has his way with her mother.    Nine months later, Merlin sneaks in and is off with the baby while Uther injured from the Duke’s knights hurls Excalibur into a stone claiming the man that draws the blade will be king. 

Come hither stare or looks that could kill??

Years later Sir Ector's (Clive Swift of Frenzy, A Passage to India, Keeping Up Appearances and The Old Guys) boys are Kay and Arthur prepare for a jousting tournament when Sir Leondegrance (Patrick Stewart of Dune, Star Trek: The Next Generation, X-Men, Moby Dick, Safe House and Hamlet) attempts to remove Excalibur and fails.  A thief takes off with Kay’s blade and without any thought other than defending his brother’s honor Arthur draws Excalibur to do battle with the thief.

So the lad is declared king of the realm and all but a few accept this to be but webs are being weaved into what the future may come to be.

I have just a few points to make about the film now.   35mm Spherical captures the action and drama so but this is the year the UK introduced the Arriflex Camera giving almost the same scope as a Panavison anamorphic lens without the same tight consistency.  It is still quite the noteworthy camera to be held to all.   

Now I shall slay Ranuccio!

It is also the film that launched the careers of Liam Neeson, Gabriel Bryne, Neil Jordan and Ciaran Hinds.   Not too shabby in that of its own, this very movie gave SFX credit of now Industrial Light and Magic SFX supervisor Peter Hutchinson.   While this is to be an Arthurian legend told this was primarily shot in Ireland and I am betting they never let the limeys forget that heheh.