Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind: Review an Analysis

 

Nausicaa of the valley of the wind is an awesome animated movie directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Nausicaa is a post-apocalyptic fantasy film set 1000 years after the unleashing of the God Warriors. Weapons of mass destruction which wiped out most of humanity and left behind the Toxic Jungle which is home to giant insects and deadly spores which have been spreading throughout the world.

The film follows Princess Nausicaa a kind-hearted woman whose kingdom in the Valley of The Wind is invaded by the neighbouring Tolmekian army who wish to use the valley as a launching ground for their ultimate weapon to destroy the Toxic Jungle believing this will prevent its spread. Nausicaa must find a way to stop this before her kingdom is destroyed in the process.

Miyazaki’s dedication to world-building is shown through the three main kingdoms which all have their own unique fashion, architecture, and aircraft design. This succeeds in providing aesthetic personality to the different factions from the warlike Tolmekian’s who are depicted with massive warplanes and armour. To the Valley’s peaceful farming society having windmills and small planes.

However, the ultimate testament to this world-building is the Toxic Jungle, which feels like a completely alien world with its dark and shadowed colour pallet, and it’s fascinating creature design. It is later revealed that despite being inhospitable for humans, the Jungle provides clean drinking water to the kingdoms necessary for their survival. This is a very clever way to convey the themes of environmentalism as this reflects rainforests in our world providing food and oxygen.

Nausicaa is often nicknamed Studio Ghibli's first film. You can see how much it inspired future works. Nausicaa is particularly similar to Princess Mononoke, both having themes of environmentalism and overcoming conflict through empathy. Similarly to Mononoke, Nausicaa introduces depth into its characters by having them not always behave how they appear. Such as the Ohmu's, towering trilobites which can stampede and destroy cites who are actually shown to be sweet and caring.

In conclusion, Nausicaa of the valley of the wind is a wonderfully animated journey through an amazing, handcrafted world. It masterfully conveys its message of environmentalism through its characters and world-building. Joe Hisashi’s synth-heavy score provides a unique identity to the film. It is a must see for anyone who is a fan of animation or has in interest in the roots of Studio Ghibli.

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