Going into this movie I had one big fear: A lack of grey morality. Thankfully the movie managed to avoid this problem which many other works regarding environmentalism unfortunately fall into.

But let's paddle back a little and start with the animation. On one side it's consistently on the high standard we are used to expecting from Studio Ghibli on the other though we can see a far more expressive and creative style. This obviously favors the movie and its fantastical elements greatly. This is also the reason as to why it's such an atmospheric masterpiece. Animation (and art) always support the circumstances of the current scene leading to a range that encompasses both hectic and calm elements.

As we are already on the topic of the contrast between hectic and calm let's tackle the marvelous handling of tone shifts while always keeping a certain basic feeling the movie portrays from start up until the very end. Mononoke Hime is probably one of the studio's most violent works although it never reaches a point where you could classify it as more than the average viewer can handle. The movie places a definite importance to switch between parts that exhibit this more violent nature and parts that are used to further our understanding of the world and its characters which therefore are of a more calm nature. This cycle keeps the viewer on the edge of his/her seat while also giving them enough time to rest and immerse themselves in the world that is presented to them. As mentioned above the movie also manages to keep a steady tone I can only describe as melancholy. A tone that definitely fits the themes and topic of the movie as a whole.

On the topic of themes let's tackle the most obvious one first: Environmentalism and the role of humanity in it. Without spoiling too much I can say that the ending really sells this point for me. It portrays realistic consequences stemming from the main conflicts of the movie, which the characters now have to deal. In fact I personally find it multi-layered and thought provoking enough that it manages to be kind of prophetic when reduced to its basic concepts.

A huge role in every show's and movie's ending obviously play the characters. These are handled with extreme care in regards to their development and their actions throughout the story. Even so, this is the area I have the most gripes with the movie. As I said my biggest fear was not having enough moral ambiguity. Fortunately for the most part of the movie this is also accomplished through detailed and reasonable character motivation. Our main character Ashitaka for example is the embodiment of the struggle to fit between such opposing viewpoints. And while the first half manages this subject matter really really well, the second half abandons it in favor of escalating conflict. The problems manifest themselves especially in the actions of Lady Eboshi who seems to act just for the sake of the plot later on. This turn of events is most unfortunate as the climax to any story is the part where character actions arguably have the most impact. All is well and back to its realistic roots in the ending though especially in regards to the relationship between Ashitaka and San.

Before ending this review I'd like to mention the absolutely amazing soundtrack of this movie that really complements the animation in almost every scene. Just as the visual aspects it never falls prey to exaggeration and therefore adds to the overall wonderfully atmospheric feeling.

Overall I'd say this movie is not only one of Ghibli's best works but also one of the best animated movies I've ever seen. It proves that an atmospheric focus can be the best appraoch to selling an idea or themes.