Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind (1984)

Hayao Miyazaki’s first film as writer-director, and by a staggering cosmic coincidence, the first film I got from Amazon DVD rental. Having read and liked some of his blockbuster manga telling this story, I was keen to see this. Was I disappointed? Not at all, but I wasn’t overwhelmed either. The problem I had is that Miyazaki’s themes and concerns and tropes run so true through all his films, so Nausicaa didn’t feel quite as fresh as it must have done in 1984.

The film has a capable girl heroine, an ecological theme, a concern with aerial war and its effects. The resolution lies in understanding and embracing the laws and cycles governing the film’s universe, not in trying to defy them. The villains are not precisely redeemable, but the film doesn’t offer any catharsis by killing them off either. Even before you get to Miyazaki’s wonderful draughtsmanship and design sense, these are all things which make his films a stark contrast to Western animated movies. However if the last five cartoons you watched were all also Miyazaki’s, Nausicaa through no fault of its own seems less of a standout.

So I’ll just mention a couple of crasser things I noticed:

1) The synth-rock soundtrack is really boshin’!

2) The sequences in the jungle with the gently falling spores and sad music really really reminded me of the equally haunting foresty-Deku Tree bits at the start of Ocarina of Time, so much so that I wonder if they were a direct inspiration. I don’t know enough about anime or games to assert this more confidently though.

1. FT's Martin Skidmore on October 11th, 2006

   I think this is my favourite of his, though that might be because I felt that having read the comics gave it more substance and depth.

2. Doctor Casino on October 11th, 2006

   The comics blow it out of the water: considerably richer plot, nuanced characters, much more clearly elaborated arcs for all involved, and best of all, a full appreciation of the ambiguities involved in Nausicaa’s heroism and choices. One really wishes it were more widely-read - so few people have gotten to the end of it, and I feel like there’s so much to talk about there!

   But the movie is still a lovely little film, nice fable with some great visuals. Less recommendable, of course: the early English dub, Warriors of the Wind.

3. FT's Tanya Headon on October 11th, 2006

   Tom, did you watch it dubbed or subbed?

4. mar-c on October 14th, 2006

   Actually, Shigeru Miyamoto has said in interviews that My Neighbour Totoro was a major influence in the design of Zelda Wind Waker!