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Plot Synopsis

In the post-apocalyptic future large parts of the world have been swallowed up by forests of poisonous fungi. The remaining humans live near the fungus and its monsterous insectoid inhabitants trying to prevent it's spread. One of the human kingdoms, the peaceful Valley of Wind, loves its gentle Princess Nausicaa and her father, but their peace is broken as they are swallowed up in the machinations of their larger warmongering neighbours. Nausicaa has hidden potential and may yet change the fate of the world.

Written by edelriclvr

Story & Characters

Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind (Kaze no Tani Nausicaa) is one of Hayao Miyazaki's earliest movies from 1984, and the story elements present in it reoccur in many of his films.
Set in the not-so-distant future, a vision where man has corrupted the earth, it is a story about finding peace between man and man as well as man and earth, through the lens of a brave young heroine.
Nausicaa is the daughter of the chieftan of the Valley of Wind. This small country is situated at the edge of the "Sea of Corruption" or the "Toxic Jungle", a vast wastelands full of poisonous fungi and dangerous insects - a land where no man can enter without special air masks and where nothing pure can grow. The Valley of the Wind is only able to survive at this close proximity to the Jungle because of the constant winds that blow the poisonous spores away from their land.
Although Nausicaa knows that one day soon she must take leadership of her people when her ailing father passes, the energetic and daring princess much prefers the freedom of exploring the mysteries of the Toxic Jungle, and is both an accomplished "Wind Rider", flying about on her powered kite, the Mehve, as well as an established pilot of the one gunship that protects their land. She realizes she has a special connection to the insects of the Jungle, especially the magnificent, enormous Ohm, whom she admires wheras others fear as a destroyer of cities.
However, no land exists in isolation, and the Valley of Wind is just a tiny municipality on the edge of civilization. As Tolmekia invades Pejitei over the existence of a legendary "God Warrior" -- terrible beings that once nearly destroyed the world with during the Seven Days of Fire -- Nausicaa is swept into battle to honor the Valley of the Wind's pledges to the Tolmelkian Empire - yet she is also honor-bound to the last wishes of Pejitei's princess to give a strange artifact to her brother, Asbel and never surrender it to Tolmekia.
As the war rages on and Nausicaa is forced to fight, she begins to learn the true secrets behind the deadly Toxic Jungle and the true reasons behind the war. With her boundless compassion, she would make friends out of enemies and try to right the wrongs of all humanity.

Rating

9 (very good)

Art

For an animated film in done in the early 80s without computers, Nausicaa's animation is remarkably fluid and consistent, even in the heavy aerial battle scenes, which are often frenetic and fast-paced.
There are numerous simplistic designs, mostly in the designs of the characters themselves, which have that classic Miyazaki look in their eyes and proportions, and their costuming is also relatively plain. However, there are also numerous fanciful designs present in the movie - from the variety of insects in the Toxic Jungle to the design of the aerial freighters and dogplanes that are extremely detailed.
Nausicaa was produced in 1984, and yet it doesn't really feel "old." Perhaps this is due to the fact that many of Miyazaki's works have a similar art style to them, so that the similarities in the art between Nausicaa and, perhaps, Spirited Away, allows Nausicaa still feel fairly new despite its age. However, I think it's more that Miyazaki's works have that "timeless" quality to them - it doesn't matter when or where you see it - it's fresh and relevant and quite beautiful in its own way.

Rating

8 (good)

Sound

Nausicaa's soundtrack was penned by the famous Joe Hisaishi, well known for his symphonic style of music. Nausicaa is embued with his classical-based arrangements and really sets the stage for grand, sweeping scenes. Like the artwork, Hisaishi's music has that same "timeless" aspect to it.
Unfortunately, there are also numerous pieces of background music that simply SCREAM The 80's at you - you know what I'm talking about - overblown synthesizer and scratchy beats. These moments are the ones that jar you back into remembering, <i>"this movie is over 20 years old!"</i>
The Japanese vocal performances are pretty solid throughout, and I can't think of any voices that stuck out as being out of place. Each voice actor/actress did a good job in developing their character's roles and personalities, although there's no performance that sticks out as superbly spectacular, either.
I'm unable to judge the English vocal performances, and there are actually 2 versions of the dub (an older dub to an edited version, and a new dub to the unedited rerelease.) I didn't get to see more than a few minutes in the dub, and was because my friend and I were playing around with the audio tracks after we had finished seeing it. However, the actors they chose, like Patrick Stewart for the stalwart old warrior, Yupa, or Uma Thurman for the rebellious and powerful general Kushana, strike me as having the right voices for their roles as well.

Rating

7 (above average)

Presentation

Nausicaa is simply one of those timeless movies that many (including myself) would consider to be a classic of Japanese Animation. It's interesting because it is Miyazaki's first full length movie, and the themes that are prevelant throughout the story reoccur time and time again in his other works. His penchant for strong female leads can be seen in characters like San from Mononoke Hime or Chihiro from Spirited Away; his views on the corruption/destruction of earth's natural resources and the futility of war return in Mononoke Hime and Howl's Moving Castle; his belief in the bonds of family and friendship are characterized in My Neighbor Totoro.
Nausicaa was Miyazaki's start, and it's got some rough parts, and the story is extremely rushed at the end (the much expanded manga series he drew in conjunction with the movie's production has a much more developed plotline and is recommended for fans of the movie), but it's great to see where it all began.
Nausicaa is a pleasure to watch, and is something I would definately like to own once the next time I hit a video store. Sure the eco-themes are really strong (overly so in some cases) and some of the music screams bad 80's electronica. The message it conveys - harmony between mankind, harmony with the land - is one that stays with you long after the last credits scroll by. And that, perhaps, is the ultimate success - its a movie that will remain with you.

Rating

9 (very good)

Final Verdict

8.50 (very good)

Reviewed by Tama-Neko, 3y 2wk ago