Princess Mononoke and Disney's Pocahontas: Both Provide an Excellent Basis for Study of Female-Nature and Human-Nature Relationships
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The two animated films, Pocahontas (1995) and Princess Mononoke (1997) provide an excellent basis for study of female-nature and human-nature relationships. Although Pocahontas is an American-made film produced by Walt Disney Studios and Princess Mononuke is a Japanese-made film produced in the "anime" tradition, their common theme of nature makes them a propos for examining the different perspectives on humans and nature. The strong female lead characters in the films manifest intimate relationships with nature that reflect an underlying message about the relationship that man has, or should have, with the natural world around him. This paper will examine the relationships of both female leads with nature and explain how they reflect the cultures in which they were each created. When Princess Mononuke came out in 1997, it broke all box office records to become the highest-grossing film of all time in Japan; it is still "the highest-grossing Japanese film ever," according to Susan J. Napier in her book Anime: From Akira To Princess Mononoke. Experiencing Contemporary Japanese Animation (7). Napier points out that anime, "with its enormous breadth of subject material, is also a useful mirror on contemporary Japanese society, offering an array of insights into the significant issues, dreams, and nightmares of the day" (8). Anime differs markedly from American film genres, especially the Disney film: "Its complex story lines challenge the viewer used to the
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atriarchy brings war and oppression; matriarchy brings wisdom and peace(especially if the female heroines are non-Western" (Kjos). What is more, "It doesn't matter if the source of matriarchal wisdom comes from humans, ancestral spirits, or nature spirits. So when chief Powhatan feels the spirit of Pocahontas dead mother guiding him, he heeds her lofty wisdom" to stop the killing and be "guided instead to a place of peace" (Kjos). In the film, Pocahontas is the quintessential "nature child," singing to John about "living naturally in tune with the Earth" and teaching him that "every rock, tree and creature has a living spirit" (Kilpatrick 36, "Pocahontas (1995)"). She explains to John that "Indians are able to paint with all the colors of the wind," a suggestion that Indians are more in tune with nature and able to "play" it creatively ("Pocahontas (1995)").
Interestingly, both films end with the lovers in the story separating forever. This hints that the conflict between man and nature embodied by the male and female characters is one that is irreparable in its character. Mankind's use of nature and abuse of animals in Princess Mononoke, not to mention his interfering with the nature spirits by cutting off the head
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Approximate Word count = 1679
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)
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