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NAUSICAA
- VALLEY OF THE WIND (1984)
A.K.A.
- Kaze
no tani no Nausicaa; Warriors Of The Wind
Reviewed
by Rob Daniel
For
those in the know, 'Nausicaa - Valley of the Wind' is accepted
as Miyazaki's best film.
Twenty years old, its story of nature biting back at
warmongering nations remains remarkably relevant now, and the
animation equal to later Miyazaki films, and a universe away
from the bland features Disney was distributing in the
mid-eighties.
Adapted
from Miyazaki’s own epic fame-bringing comic strip, the film
is confidently told in broadstrokes, unfolding one thousand
years in the future where a Sea of Decay (known as the Toxic
Jungle in the English dub), comprised of man-made pollutants,
threatens to engulf the world.
Huge insects dwell in the toxic sea while in unpolluted
regions nations are divided between agriculture and
militarism.
Nausicaa
is the Princess of the Valley of the Wind, whose peace is
shattered by the arrival of the warring Tolmekian army,
attempting to steal a huge warrior beast away from a rival
army in order to destroy the Sea of Decay.
Nausicaa becomes locked into this conflict, desperate
to prove that understanding differences is more preferable to
total war.
With
breathtaking ease 'Nausicaa' creates its world and populates
it with vividly animated alien creatures. Tackling difficult and potentially preachy themes, the
plot’s imagination and breathless pacing turns a merely
interesting film into a riveting experience, a world away from
deathly literal 'Harry Potter' adaptations.
As
with 'Princess
Mononoke' and other Miyazaki films, 'Nausicaa' has its
cake and eats it, being a pacifist's warning about conflict
and conservation while cramming in edge-of-the-seat thrills
and excitement, blending antiquated and up-to-date military
technology in a unique vision of warfare.
Battles above in the clouds in Miyazaki’s beloved
flying machines inspire genuine awe, as does the finale when
an army of beserking ohmu (giant bugs that spread the
Sea of Decay) stampede on the Valley of the Wind.
But, careful attention to character and expertly
orchestrated suspense elevates this above empty spectacle.
Nausicaa
herself is a spunky lead, while secondary and peripheral
characters are also sketched with warmth and insight.
A sense of giddy exhilaration bristles in the film
every time she climbs aboard her glider and takes to the
skies.
Watching
'Nausicaa' it becomes clear how conventional Western animation
is, and how thought-provoking-cum-enjoyable storytelling is
badly needed in family films.
Yet, in 1985 for the American market New World Pictures
took 'Nausicaa' and re-edited and re-christened it Warriors
of the Wind (way to miss the point, guys) and famously had
Miyazaki decreeing he would never allow Western hands to
tamper with another of his films.
For
anyone interested in their anime, this is a must-have.
Rating:
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