Although one of Hayao Miyazaki's best-known films, "Princess Mononoke", released in Japan in 1997, remains a vastly underrated work. Often reduced to its very strong message linked to the environment, it is all the symbolism and the rich universe of this work that suffers from this distortion. A true initiatory journey, Princess Mononoke is a work that transports the viewer to a cruel world devoid of all Manichaeism. Together, let’s set foot in this sublime and moving world, and let's try to explain why Princess Mononoke is an underestimated myth. The story takes place in medieval Japan and lays the foundations for its narrative by introducing us to the character of Ashitaka. Future chief of his tribe, he is attacked by a demon but manages to stop him before he destroys his village. Unfortunately, the evil that possessed the beast found a new host. He's then forced to leave his village in order to try to break the spell. Ashitaka leaves for the West, where he will meet Lady Eboshi, chief of the forge village. Very quickly, our hero understands that she is at the origin of the evil which grows on him: Indeed, the bullet which poisoned the boar comes from a weapon built in Eboshi's forge. She had to eliminate it because he was preventing her from gaining access to the iron deposit. Meanwhile, someone boldly hinders the plans of the village's mistress ... The wolf girl, Princess Mononoke. A TALES AT THE ANTIPODES OF MANICHAEISM The main theme of the film is to illustrate the opposition between industry, personified in Dame Eboshi, and nature, found in the character of San. However, Miyazaki's intelligence was not to have made it into a Manichean conflict. The ironworks village was originally a victim of leprosy, and it was only with the arrival of Lady Eboshi that it was able to slowly come to life. By caring for the sick and considering them as human beings, she gives them a reason to live. Savior and protector at the same time, she also takes in women destined for prostitution to give them a new role in this matriarchal society. Apart from the forges, nature and its spirits are benevolent for the most part, but above all remain wild. When they attack the village forces, it is only to be able to live in peace. Both camps therefore have the same goal : they are simply fighting for their own survival. In this story, Miyazaki never "force the line" because he seeks purity, whether it is in human beings or in entities. Thus, as in all of his films, his rejection of naivety and manichaeism is expressed through the transgression of clichés and the expectations of the viewer. He takes care to clarify each character's motivations which might seem "negative". In addition, it brings real precision to the female characters, and especially in the forges where the man-woman relationship is more complex and interesting than expected. Through constant parallels throughout his film, he pits certain characters against each other psychologically, even physically, like the wolf Moro on one side and Lady Eboshi on the other who are very similar. He also does not hesitate to transform the embodiment of purity into a symbol of terror, and vice versa. A harmonious balance between colors and textures, the simplicity of the design and the images emerges, all sublimated by the compositions of Joe Hisaishi. We therefore feel a real desire on the part of the director to make the spectator go through all possible states, like Ashitaka who discovers with surprise and amazement the different characteristics of the world with which he must confront. Our hero, yet representative of the "civilized and technical man", has a deep respect for nature, the secrets and strength of which he knows. San, on the other hand, despite her human appearance, is a wild and violent girl who viscerally hates human beings. It is therefore in contact with San that Ashitaka will try to prove to her that human are not just murderer. Thus, the destructive relationship between humans and their environment is finely criticized, since there is no question of stopping technological progress, but of finding a fairer and more respectful way for nature to achieve it. THE IMPORTANCE OF LOVE Love is a very important theme in Princess Mononoke, although it is never really explicit, it is present throughout the film through actions or even words. "You are so pretty" "what ?" The story that we will follow between Ashitaka and San symbolizes the necessary reunion between man and nature. However, Miyazaki does not wish to deliver an archetypal love story : on the contrary, we rather face a relationship in which each feels a deep sense of respect for the other. And this special relationship is felt from their first meeting. Mononoke does not appear as a beautiful savage girl ready to capsize our hero's heart, no. She's a young warrior who appears across the shore, her face still covered in blood as she tries to heal her mother's wound. This unexpected first encounter is difficult to apprehend because, at first glance, one could almost be torn between laughter and disgust, but ultimately, the atmosphere of the scene is so powerful that this first contact will arouse the curiosity of the spectator and even a form of admiration. This scene does not present any angelicism but does not present any horror either : only a fascinating duality between the real and the unknown. Surprised by this discovery, it is a real call to adventure which is delivered by Miyazaki and which is carried by this game of gaze between our two heroes. This meeting is the perfect example of the purity of the scriptwriting treatment that Miyazaki infuses into his work, and which notably echoes the subtlety of the messages and symbolism present throughout the film. While this romance may seem frustrating in its denouement, it ultimately only reflects the relationship between man and nature, torn between attraction and repulsion. In addition, the unexpected conclusion dramatically sublimates their relationship. Their separation is not fatalism, but respect for the choice of the other. They each have their own world, their own belief, and yet they have managed to open their hearts to each other. We can also evoke other great love relationships that line this film, the second most glaring is that between Moro and San. Although Mononoke is and never will be a wolf, she loves him like her own daughter, and the proofs of this love are plentiful : she will not touch Ashitaka and will even propose that she go with him so that she can live her life. Finally, we can also admire the love that Dame Eboshi has for the individuals she has gathered. All the people she has cared for and given a reason to live on form a sort of clan, which she takes care to watch over, much like a wolf watching over his pack. Thus in Princess Mononoke, although the fight between men and nature takes on a chimerical dimension, it remains above all human because it is the theater of many contradictory loves. Ultimately stronger than the hatred one feels, it is the love of San and Lady Eboshi for their respective clan that serves as a pillar in this work. Princess Mononoke is to me one of the greatest masterpieces in cinema. Whether in terms of content or form, Hayao Miyazaki has created a perfect symbiosis between each element of his film : the images and the music, nature and the man who populates it or the different issues of this story. It is a film with extremely high levels of readings accompanied by messages so strong yet delivered with immense subtlety. To blend with such depth monumental tragedy and human feelings, collective destiny and moments of intimacy, constitutes one of the greatest achievements of Hayao Miyazaki. The philosophy advocated by the film's anti-manichaeism is understanding others and accepting difference. This film therefore presents two camps, each fighting for fear of the other. Both believe that the reverse is the embodied evil, since their interactions are only through war and not through discussion. Isn't "the fear of the other and the search for a balance between different cultures" a current debate ? Princess Mononoke seems to bring an answer that should be everyone's : learn to respect diversity because it ultimately forms the beauty of our world.