Matisse van Rossum’s review published on Letterboxd:
Princess Mononoke has always been one of my favorite (if not my favorite) Miyazaki film for as long as I can remember. I've been watching it since I was relatively young, but it's been a few years since the last time I saw it, and watching it again with a more experienced eye has not diminished its effect.
One thing that's always impressed me about Hayao Miyazaki is his ability to build worlds. Animation aside, the universes in his films are always beautiful, fascinating, ethereal, horrifying and charming all at the same time. Being able to build an interesting, intriguing world is not necessarily a sign of a good film. I've seen plenty that have gorgeous universes but uninspired stories and sloppy writing. Fortunately, Princess Mononoke is not one of those films, nor are most of Miyazaki's films. It is a beautiful fable-like story with a writing style that might come off as cheesy in another setting, but instead manages to be flowing and poetic. This film feels like a fairy tale, more so than some of Miyazaki's other work, and, though I'm not sure why exactly, it reminds me of a Guillermo del Torro story, though the styles are wildly different. This is definitely one of Miyazaki's darker works, not the kind of thing to show to your young children.
One of the things that I think Princess Mononoke does best is blur the lines of morality. There is never a truly clear distinction between good and evil. For instance, Lady Eboshi destroys the forest to mine for iron, and she wants to kill the Forest Spirit and rule the world, an undoubtedly evil desire. However, she treats her workers and townspeople with kindness and respect, and therefore gains their love. While on the other hand, the clans of the forest (the wolves, boars, and apes) want to save the forest and preserve the balance, but they are violent and bloodthirsty, and are often presented with distorted features to make them seem more terrifying. The only truly pure character in this film is Prince Ashitaka. This makes the film a fabulously well developed exploration of morality and asks whether the ends justify the means, from both sides.
Princess Mononoke is a deeply meaningful film and will probably always be one of my favorites. Miyazaki knows how to tell a good story and really knows how to suck you in to the world he creates. This film is one of his best, in my opinion, and should be seen by anyone who is a fan of his work.