The UK is covered in snow at the moment, bringing all the usual travel chaos and outraged claims that we should by now have learned how to command the weather to our bidding. On the morning it started I was lucky enough to not have to be anywhere in a hurry, then lucky enough to see a fox padding along the stream bank behind our flat. He looked especially red against all that white. After that I turned on the television to find out what the roads were like. The first thing that appeared on the screen was the forest god from Princess Mononoke. In an inspired piece of scheduling, that film was being shown as the sun came up. It was the scene where the forest god stands in the pool and stretches his neck towards the canopy. My favourite part of the entire film, which in turn is my favourite Ghibli animation.
I can assure you that my day usually starts with no such enchantment. Indeed, I normally get things going with a whole lot of clumsy stumbling, swearing and toe-stubbing. This snowy morning being far from the norm, I thought it only right to share here a recommendation of Princess Mononoke for those who haven’t seen it, as well as the following pair of YouTube marvels.
Princess Mononoke is a straightforward love story and eco-fable that reminds us that smashing the natural world to bits is in nobody’s long term interests. The art is jaw-droppingly beautiful and by turns cutesy (there’s a chorus of gorgeous bubble-headed forest folk) and savage (there’s gore in some places – especially when the wolves get involved).
Somebody going by the name of head6of6metal6 had the great idea of setting some clips from the film to Glósóli by Sigur Rós. As an aside, I remember that I was listening to this song when I wrote the last sentences of The Girl with Glass Feet.
And here’s another video that I rather like, this time by choppopclaymation. If you’re caught in the snow, I hope you’re safe and warm enough to enjoy some of it.
Hey Ali. Followed this link from Facebook. How strange: I was playing this video to my girlfriend yesterday and telling her she is especially foxy.
Simon
Thanks for a visually and musically beautiful 10 mins! I love Princess Mononoke as well – it manages to capture the beauty of nature as well as its sometimes unfathomable fierceness really well.
I hadn’t seen the B&S video though – it has inspired me to get back to my collage artwork.
Hope the snow is more fun than hassle for you. Am actually quite jealous, there is no snow in Reykjavík! xX
I’d finished some artwork on my computer when I turned on the TV just in time for Mononoke to start, it’s great falling to sleep to that soundtrack. Next to Pom Poko and Persepolis it’s one of my favourite animations. It would have been nice to add a bit of snow to the screen, but all we’ve got in the Lancashire is a light dusting. My legs aren’t complaining.
In turn, I’d suggest The Secret of Kells. There’s not much on the plot front but it has great visuals. In fact the studio that made it, Cartoon Saloon, have a short film called ‘From Darkness’ that is really great.
http://www.cartoonsaloon.ie/index.php/category/shorts/
Lovely video – I have very fond memories of that movie (I have a particular soft spot for those little bubble-headed forest spirits); I think it was the first I ever saw by Miyazaki. I remember being stunned to realize years later that Neil Gaiman, who had since become one of my favorite writers, had adapted the screenplay for English. Talk about synchronicity!