Nausicaa-Valley of the Wind

12/5/10-Nausicaa-Valley of the Wind

Today I watched Miyazaki's Nausicaa-Valley of the Wind. This is a story of Princess Nausicaa who has a unique relationship and understanding with nature, as everyone around her seeks to destroy what remains of a heavily polluted planet, she tries to preserve the little good that is left.

Through her perseverance and unwavering support for life of all kinds and their equal rights to co-exist, Nausicaa attempts to overcome heavy fighting from two rival groups in order to avoid the return of the much-feared "Giant Warrior" one of the main forces behind the destruction of the world.



I would not say that this is Miyazaki's best effort and many have agreed that Princess Mononoke more or less eclipses this in terms of visual style and story and I would probably side with them. Of course it is still a film of quality but while Princess Nausicaa is an admirable and inspirational character, she is really the only one.

The villains are disappointingly bland and the good guys aren't much better, but in a way they all serve as a backdrop to making Nausicaa one of the best characters Miyazaki has ever produced.

However the story is interesting and the Ohms are awe-inspiring, while the Giant Warriors are terrifying too. Miyazaki has managed to create an involving story in a world that we find ourselves caring about by the end of the film. The climax is ultimately rewarding and although the environmental message is slightly laboured, it is conveyed here with such passion, it is hard to ignore.

8/10