The Deer King review

A directorial debut can be a difficult undertaking. Often, experience is indispensable when it comes to artistic expression. But Masashi Ando and Masayuki Miyaji aren’t amateurs in the animation field. The former served as animation director and character designer for Princess Mononoke, Paprika, and Your Name. The latter also was admitted to Studio Ghibli’s famed Higashi-Koganei Sonjoku training program, leading to a position as assistant director for Spirited Away. Collaborating on The Deer King, it’s evident that each has reached a lofty level of cinematic prowess.

Working from Nahoko Uehashi’s rather dense series of novels, The Deer King excels at articulating a credible and complex medieval-era, fantasy world. A text-based preface details timeworn conflict between the Zol empire and the people of Aquafa. Years ago, a plague broke out, halting Zol’s infiltration and resulting in an alliance that seems amicable on the surface. But The Deer King reveals that disagreement has a habit of loitering. Zolians subtly display a sense of superiority, while members of the Aquafa population commit acts of hushed rebellion. Yet other Aquafaese attempt to quell any friction. Deer King shrewdly avoids making any group act monolithically, making for a convincing and compelling context. But when characters and events come at a rapid-fire pace at the beginning of the film, it can be a bit overwhelming.

As a member of an elite resistance group, Van was captured by the Zolians and forced into captivity at a salt mine. Whipped and jailed for standing up for a fellow Aquafaese, he witnesses an onslaught of wild dogs who storm the quarry. From behind bars, Van witnesses one of the animals attack a young girl. While attempting to intervene, he is viciously bitten. When he awakens, Van realizes that he and the girl are the only survivors. Oddly, the affliction, alternatively called Black Wolf Fever and the mittsual, seems to choose its victims.

The Deer King’s first act doesn’t settle on a single genre. The survey of intricate socio-politics gives way to a procedural, where a tracker analyses where the attack took place with the proficiency of a modern crime scene investigator. Occasionally, the film flirts with mystery, as a second protagonist named Hossal uses science to determine how a pestilence can pick its victims. Although the source material was written in 2014, the scapegoating of an entire group for the spread of the disease and the desperate search for an antidote uncannily echo the last few years of our own global pandemic.

Although The Deer King’s first act front-loads a wealth of exposition, the film slows to show Van settling down as a surrogate father. The depiction of a stoic lead finding meaning in paternal undertaking isn’t new. But its handled deftly here, with Van poignantly articulating his hopes for young Yuna. And like Lone Wolf and Cub, it’s gratifying to see a Van shift from sensitive dad to badass death dealer.

Eventually, a trio of characters form an uneasy alliance. As viewers, we understand each person’s incompatible motives, ratcheting up the sense of tension. These types of delicate balances aren’t commonplace in film and it’s a real joy watching Ando and Miyaji pulling off the feat without overtly vilifying any of the characters. Just as satisfying, Deer King shirks the customary third-act spectacle that devolves into lots of yelling and the obligatory epic battle sequence.

But that’s not to say the film lacks action. There are a taut chase scene and a forest ambush that are just as rousing as any summer blockbuster. And there’s some just enough combat to enliven the conclusion of the film. But masterfully, The Deer King embraces pacifism and cool-headed heroism just as much as any demonstration of physical might.

Although Harumi Fuki’s soundtrack employs traditional Western tonalities and there are scenes that might remind viewer of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, The Deer King’s ideologies aren’t something you’ll find in modern Hollywood films. As with Princess Mononoke, there’s a rumination of the delicate relationship that humans have with nature. It’s far too easy to eschew our empathies with the land, its animals, and with other cultures, Deer King reminds us- and the consequences are catastrophic.

Which bring up a peculiar point. For the US release, the MPAA has given the film an “R” rating. While there are some disturbing scenes showing the effect of Black Wolf Fever, there’s no sex and only sporadic scenes of warfare. While opinions on appropriateness may differ, The Deer King is too thoughtful and timely for teens to miss.

The Deer King opens in US theatres on July 13th, 2022