Film Opening Analysis Homework

Princess Mononoke - PG

   Princess Mononoke is a 1997 film directed by Hayao Miyazaki. The film is a Fantasy or Adventure, but has a meaning that is hidden to the seven-year-old viewers, but is very prominent to the older audience. The film is essentially an “environmental protection” film, and although it sounds cliché, the film puts across its message in a thoughtful way.

   The film opens with a shot of mountains, covered in mist. A narrator then has a short monologue, which talks about “Ancient times” and “Spirits of the Gods”, which immediately tells the viewer that the film is a Fantasy, set in the past. Whilst the narrator is talking, the camera tilts downwards now showing a forest scene. These opening shots establish the themes of “the natural environment”. The monologue, combined with the slow, haunting music and the slow, deliberate camera movements establish the dark mood of the film.

   Towards the end of this monologue, as the camera comes to rest just above the forest floor and the narrator mentions “Demons”, we see a shadowy creature moving in the distance and knocking over a large tree. This is foreshadowing the destruction of the forest at the conclusion. Just before the title screen appears, we see the leg of the demon, covered in strange purple worm-like creatures, and as the leg passes, it kills the grass where it stood. This again is foreshadowing of the destruction of the forest. This audience suspects that the narrative of the film will have something to do with this demon, but apart from the foreshadowing, that’s all the audience gets in regards to clues about the rest of the film.

   This is what the opening sequence does so successfully. It gives almost no concrete facts about the rest of the film, keeping the audience watching, wondering what is going to happen next.