Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind | Sumi Shimamoto, Mahito Tsujimura

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind | Sumi Shimamoto, Mahito Tsujimura | Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

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Nausicaa of the Va...

	Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind Sumi Shimamoto, Mahito Tsujimura Walt Disney Home Entertainment, 2005 average customer review:based on 228 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Hayao Miyazaki gained widespread attention in Japan for his complex ecological manga series, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1982), which he adapted for the screen two years later. One thousand years after a war devastated much of the Earth, humanity clings to existence at the fringes of a vast, polluted forest inhabited by monstrous insects. Only Nausicaä, the princess of the tiny realm of the Valley of the Wind, grasps the environmental significance of the forest. She sees beyond petty wars and national rivalries to the only viable future for the planet. In Nausicaä, Miyazaki began to explore elements he would develop more fully in his later films: daring, compassionate heroines; exciting flying sequences; colorful side characters; strong interpersonal relationships; and a call for an ecologically sustainable way of life. Nausicaä prefigures Sheeta in Castle in the Sky and Chihiro in Spirited Away, just as the rough and ready Asbel anticipates Pazu in Castle in the Sky and Ashitaka in Princess Mononoke. For years, Nausicaä was available in the United States only as the badly re-edited Warriors of the Wind. The new English dub from Disney presents the film in its entirety, with strong vocal performances by Uma Thurman, Patrick Stewart, Alison Lohman, and Edward James Olmos. (Rated PG: violence, frightening imagery) --Charles Solomon

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Worthwhile

I recommend this movie highly for children seven and up. My son and I selected this film rather than go to the theater to see the latest summer blockbusters. The message of the piece about respecting nature and not taking it for granted was definately worthwhile. I viewed the film as did two nine-year-old boys and a twelve-year-old girl and we all enjoyed it. The children agreed it was one of the best films they had seen in a long time. There is some violence and it may not be appropriate for children younger than seven.

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

This movie is definately a must. There is a moral to the story regarding humans and nature, so sad for nature.

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An Early Yet Timeless Masterwork

This was the second Hayao Miyazaki film I saw back around the 80s (the first was 'Castle of Cagliostro'). I first saw this film around 1986, two years after its release back in 1984. I found the structure and pacing of this story remarkable and very rare for an animated film at that time. The story and drama unfolds slowly, almost peacefully. Later, the drama and action unexpectedly builds to an unforgettable and jaw-dropping climax. "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" is a great motion picture, a cinema classic, and a masterpiece.

Anime 2 decades old still better than most anime of today.

When I got this, I was weary about it looking dated due to it being over 20 years old. Nothing could be farther from the truth as the animation and storyline put to shame most other animated movies of today. Really awesome and entertaining movie.

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The Work of a Giant (One Not Yet Fully Grown)

I wonder what my impression of this movie would have been if this were my first encounter with Miyazaki. Yes, Nausicaa has the same remarkable imagination of Miyazaki found in all his films. Fascinating and grotesque creatures abound throughout. Unfortunately, this film simply does not hold up in comparison to the three other Miyazaki films I have yet seen (Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and Howl's Moving Castle).

The real problem is probably that Miyazaki had not yet matured as a feature director. There is too much dialogue when scenes would work just as well, or even better, if we were just allowed to be drawn in visually. And as a whole it is poorly plotted. Two hours was not too long for Spirited Away, but it is too long here. I suspect that part of the problem was transitioning from the original serialized story to a longer piece.

One of the greatest reasons that Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle are more mature films is because they didn't take themselves so seriously. The comic moments in both of those films easily survive translation. Nausicaa also pales beside Princess Mononoke, in this case because the two films are so similar. Hero works to save the remaining humans from rampaging forest creatures filled with rage at human abuse of the environment. In the case of Mononoke, the ecological message serves the plot and characters. In the case of Nausicaa, the ecological message is preachily rammed down our throats.

In the end, Nausicaa is more than decent, but it not Miyazaki's best. The problem is that it does not distinguish itself enough from other anime films. Don't watch it assuming that it will be another Spirited Away. Watch it to see where Miyazaki has been, and to realize how far he has come.

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