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.
