Hayao Miyazaki attained global acclaim for both Princess Mononoke, released in the United States in 1999, and Spirited Away, released throughout North America three years later. These films are clearly products of the same visionary; each film presents a protagonist of strong will and sound ethic and, in each case, he or she is forced to embark on an epic journey. Both films were very successful in Japan; however, although both were critically acclaimed in the United States, only Spirited Away saw continued box-office success. In order to explain the disparity between these films’ earnings, I will discuss the different approaches, which these films take, to the theme of duality. Naturally, the idea of a double nature is unsettling. However, whereas Spirited Away addresses this theme in a way that invigorates and provides closure, Princess Mononoke leaves the audience feeling uncertain.
In order to understand the disparity between these films’ earnings, one must examine not only thematic differences between these films, but also patterns among high-grossing films in the United States. In other words, what are American audiences looking for, which Spirited Away offers and Princess Mononoke does not? When reviewing the history of box-office successes in the United States, one becomes aware of an unfortunate truth: that there is little correlation between what viewers recognize as ‘good cinema’ and what they will pay to see. So what is the formula for a box office success? How are the Twilight films, Shrek the Third, and Spider-Man 3, all widely-criticized, among the fifty highest-grossing films in history? One trend among these films is their feel-good nature. One begins watching these films knowing that the protagonist will be faced with many obstacles that he or she will, nonetheless, be able to conquer. Viewers can enjoy watching the tribulations of