Before it ever arrived in the U.S., this epic, animated 1997 fantasy had already made history as the top-grossing domestic feature ever released in Japan, where its combination of mythic themes, mystical forces, and ravishing visuals tapped deeply into cultural identity and contemporary, ecological anxieties. For international animation and anime fans, Princess Mononoke represents an auspicious next step for its revered creator, Hayao Miyazaki (My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service), an acknowledged anime pioneer, whose painterly style, vivid character design, and stylized approach to storytelling take ambitious, evolutionary steps here. Set in medieval Japan, Miyazaki’s original story envisions a struggle between nature and man.

This Fall, in partnership with The State Theatre, CJS celebrates some of the greatest and most influential films of all time from the legendary Japanese animation team at Studio Ghibli.

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
1997. 134 minutes. Rated PG-13. Japanese with English subtitles