How the Use of Color in ‘Princess Mononoke’ Affects Your Emotions
Using color psychology to understand how we feel
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If you’ve seen Hayao Miyazaki’s 1997 masterpiece Princess Mononoke (Japanese: Mononoke Hime), then you’ve likely grasped its refined approach to the ethical, environmental, and spiritual woes that speak to modern sensibilities. But how much of that awe stems from the narrative, and how much from its subliminal delivery?
Visual Storytelling: The Bare Bones
After watching the movie, we have a general imprint of its color palette. There were few hues but countless shades of blue and green. We can’t forget about the blood red and fiery orange — in essence, light and dark.
And yet, if we fail to look beyond such an impressionable surface, we discredit the brain’s connection to color — both seen and felt. In fact, much of how we sense and navigate the world depends on the body’s response to the pigments around it.
Naturally, when interpreting their intended use, we can’t overlook the cultural factors at play. In Miyazaki’s work, Japanese heritage is at the forefront of storytelling. So, let’s break down the dominating colors in a few key scenes to understand their emotional impact better.
Something Lurking in the Stillness
Case №1: The Sky and Mountain Tops
Our first brush with green and blue is fairly gentle — intuitive, even. We see rustling treetops and milky skies. Interestingly, there was no real distinction between the two colors in Japanese for a very long time — at least not until the word midori (緑) appeared in the Heian period (794–1185). Ao (青), which translates to blue, is still used in words with green connotations, such as aoba (green leaves) and aoshingō (green traffic light).
Case №2: In the Cedar Forest
Once in the forest, we’re met with more bluish-green shades, which bring to mind lakes, seas, and ponds. These have a calming effect as they cause an increase in the neurochemicals that leave us feeling relaxed.
What’s intriguing is how light is manipulated, leaving patches of the forest a deeper green. What’s more, these darker shades are usually placed in the foreground, suggesting the presence of something imperceptible in the distance. All this produces an undeniable sense of wonder.
Case №3: San and the Wolf God
San’s introduction is accompanied by a slight upsurge in color saturation. Aside from the scarlet streaks of her mother’s blood, there’s the intensity of the leafy vegetation around them. Generally, green reflects balance and safety. Because of its ties to nature, we experience it as a calming and stress-relieving hue.
On the other hand, we have maroon, the nature of which is a bit more slippery. From a Western perspective, the slash of red feels quite visceral. It shocks us just as much as it startles Ashitaka, who glimpses the scene from across a creek.
That’s because, in color psychology, red is thought to increase blood pressure, activating our survival instincts. However, from an Eastern perspective, we could argue that there’s nothing more to take away from the scene than the raw vitality of the moment — but more on that later.
The Human and the Spirit
Case №1: Ashitaka’s Exile
Long before we encounter San and the spirits of the forest, we’re introduced to the human domain. Ashitaka, our protagonist, is seen dressed in indigo blue. The rest of the village folk are wrapped in more muted shades of brown, with only a few hints of light blue peeking through here and there.
Blue is normally associated with tranquility, causing a decrease in stress, body temperature, and pulse rate. When combined with brown, it adds to the scene’s grounded feel. The deeper tone of blue on Ashitaka’s clothes sets him apart from the rest of the townsfolk. Interestingly, there is a shade of indigo blue, known as ai (藍), that is closely linked to Japan.
It’s said that when foreigners were finally permitted to enter the country during the Meiji era (1868–1912), they were so surprised to find the color everywhere that they dubbed it “Japan Blue.” When taken into account, this piece of information helps cement Ashitaka’s connection to the spirit world, slyly foreshadowing his fate.
Case №2: The Demon Inside
Ashitaka’s appearance in Irontown introduces a mysterious color palette — quite literally. Gray and brown, the two shades that have come to symbolize the human element in Princess Mononoke, are infused with purple and black, the latter of which has already appeared in the context of the Cedar Forest.
The color purple enhances the intriguing, supernatural sensation we experience during the scene. Because of how rare it is in nature, purple is generally associated with spirituality, evoking feelings of creativity and mystery.
In Japan, purple used to be reserved for the ruling class, and only Buddhist monks of the highest virtue were allowed to wear it. That’s why the color appears in the costumes of emperors and gods in the Noh theater, and why it’s generally regarded as the “noblest color.”
When Ashitaka’s demon materializes in the form of purple tentacles, the bright color consumes the scene. It’s enough to stop everyone in their tracks, then make them recoil in horror. Just like that, the wonder roused by the violet shade is given contextual duality, adding to the movie’s overall complexity.
Case №3: Humans at Work
Wherever you find people exerting power over the land in Princess Mononoke, you’ll also catch tones of beige and brown. The most obvious connection is the lack of vegetation; taken a step further, the colors suggest humankind’s exploitative nature and friction with the world it inhabits.
From the perspective of color psychology, beige is considered both calming and conservative. Similarly, brown can elicit feelings of comfort, but it can also convey a sense of poverty and isolation. Our interpretation of the scene will be fairly subjective as a result.
Case №4: San Takes Ashitaka to the Forest Spirit
The deeper into the Cedar Forest we delve, the calmer we feel. That’s because of the explosion of various shades and tones of blue. Just as green evokes subliminal connections to the natural world, blue calms the animal in us.
The fact that much of the story takes place during the night, far from artificially awakened light, helps lure black and gray onto center stage. Generally speaking, black is associated with elegance, sophistication, and nobility. It has many negative connotations, as well, but the context of the movie often dispels them.
Case №5: Ashitaka’s Curse
What’s striking here is the reappearance of brownish red, which is linked to the image of infected blood. It makes the curse that Ashitaka is grappling with all the more physical. The shade is also far from the lively, furious scarlet that’s introduced in later scenes.
This one gnaws at our protagonist’s skin. What’s more, Ashitaka’s signature indigo blue exists alongside the forest’s blackness, adding to the contrast between its purity and his diseased state.
Case №6: Moro’s Warning
Ashitaka’s late-night conversation with Moro, the wolf goddess, cements his role in Princess Mononoke. That is to say, his blue clothes reflect his role as the mediator between the human domain and the natural world. Blending in with the sky and bruised vegetation below, the calming shades emphasize his quest to restore balance and harmony.
The color of Moro’s fur is also noteworthy. In Japan, white has symbolized purity since ancient times, and it’s tightly bound to the spiritual world. White was even worn during funerals and periods of mourning before the country opened itself up to Western influences during the Meiji period.
The Clash of Two Worlds
Case №1: Preparing for Battle
In scenes depicting humans taking an aggressive stance, not only are their clothes various shades of maroon, but so is the sky. That’s a telling sign. Gradually, the tints and tones of the colors presented earlier in the movie merge into a medley of lesions and contusions.
What’s worth noting here is that the color red has very positive connotations in Japan, primarily for its association with protection and power. That’s why red was often worn by samurai during the Sengoku Period (1467–1568), which marked a century of civil wars.
Case №2: The Forest on Fire
When the Cedar Forest, also known as the Forest of the Forest Spirit, is set on fire, we feel the fiery rage of the animals within. That’s only natural; after all, red and orange are furiously alive colors. They’re also incredibly contradictory.
While red and orange typically stand for passion and energy, certain shades elicit nothing but aggression from us. Generally speaking, the higher the saturation, the more fierce the impact. But there’s also the curious case of the first color again.
The crimson tones we glimpse at the height of the animals’ anguish are similar to the red that adorns Shintō gates in Japan. Known as akani, this particular shade is meant to protect from evil and disaster. It’s also believed to amplify the power of the kami, meaning the spirits.
As we watch the movie’s wildlife get swallowed up by flames, we’re left grappling with a very naturalistic depiction of the color. It symbolizes vigor, destruction, and scorching heat. But it also awakens the rage of the boars and the spirits within.
Case №3: The Boar Clan’s Corruption
When the boar clan penetrates the heart of the Cedar Forest in search of Ashitaka, we’re treated to an intriguing color palette. On the one hand, we have San and Moro against a wall of vivid green. On the other, we have the brown mass of the boars’ bodies.
As the depth of their corruption leaks from their words, the brown bubbles and spreads across the screen, bringing to mind the humans’ spiritual barrenness. The fact that there’s no true antagonist in Princess Mononoke also becomes evident here. Both sides are tainted, and the similarities between them are increasingly embodied by color.
Case №4: San’s Fury
When San joins the battlefield, red and orange spill across the screen, linking back to the forest’s anguish. What’s important to note here is the saturation, which reflects the threat posed by the movie’s most impassioned character.
Case №5: Ashitaka’s Struggle to Save San
The effort of saving San brings about a contrast of colors. Ashitaka’s indigo blue is thwarted by the brownish red of corruption, as is San’s skin. In fact, for a few moments, they’re lost to the emotion consuming the boar god.
It’s an incredibly dynamic scene because it draws a direct link between color and life. The less we see of the shades tied to our protagonists, the more hopeless their fates seem. In the end, it’s also the resurgence of light green and blue that soothes the lingering presence of death.
