In the wake of global warming and environmental degradation, many media outlets are focusing on how to alert the public to support the planet. In “Princess Mononoke,” the film aesthetically creates a complex socio-cultural world in which audiences are forced to evaluate complex questions about our nature and how we treat the planet. The film follows Ashitaka as he travels from his home village to western Japan to find answers to his impending doom. His search soon takes him to the industrious fort of "Irontown", and he finds himself in the middle of a deadly battle between humans and spirits. “Princess Mononoke” depicts the sublime story of humans' devastating war against nature and challenges audiences to find its real-world application. The setting of Princess Mononoke highlights the evolution of social achievements and how it affects the environment. The film is set around mythical 15th century Japan, where most of the population is rural and industry is just starting to proliferate. The film depicts the duality of humanity as pre- and post-industrial. For example, the Emishi village represents the pre-industrial era of Japan which is contrasted with the modern era of consumerism and globalization. The villagers live sustainably using the resources around them. However, Irontown is an industrious fort clouded by the smog of greed and money. In Irontown, humanity is depicted as hungry, power-hungry beasts who have a voracious appetite for resources. The Emishi village has grown to live in tune with the spirits while Irontown is bent on bending the forces of nature to their will for precious natural resources. What Irontown stands to gain by defeating the forest spirit would be to take over the land from other i...... middle of paper ...... remains but, “Princess Mononoke's main strength is asking the audience to think about compassion for the poor and marginalized together with care for nature” (29). In the film the opposing roles were carefully assigned; however, condemning one party in favor of the other is out of the question because there is a certain good for each party. Comparing this environmentalist children's film to others like “Over the Hedge” is that Princess Mononoke challenges the audience to understand the motivation behind both sides and find a way to integrate each side in a sustainable way. Works Cited Smith, Michelle J., and Elizabeth Parsons. "Animating Child Activism: Environmentalism and Class Politics in Ghibli's Princess Mononoke (1997) and Fox's Fern Gully (1992). Continuum: Journal Of Media & Cultural Studies 26.1 (2012): 25-37. Academic research completed. Network. April 27. 2014.