Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

Starring Alison Lohman, Patrick Stewart, Shia LaBeouf, Uma Thurman

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

The Story:
One thousand years after the Seven Days of Fire, humankind is on the brink of extinction due to the Toxic Jungle that the war produced, including untold number of mutant insects.  Princess Nausicaa (Alison Lohman) communes with these insects and other animals of the wild in hopes of somehow finding a way to heal the land once again and unite the people with the nature that they had nearly destroyed decades earlier.

One night a fighter plane crashes in her land, known as the Valley of the Wind, and inside is an embryo of a Giant Warrior, one of the vicious creatures that caused the Seven Days of Fire.  Before they can get rid of it, the Tolmekia - a band of warriors led by the ruthless Yoshiko Sakakibara (Uma Thurman) - arrive in town and holds the townspeople captive.  Nausicaa learns that the Tokmekia are the least of her problems, as another warring nation has their eyes set on the Valley of the Wind, and will unleash an army of mutant insects on the town to utterly destroy it unless she can stop it in time.

The Synopsis:
There are very few cinematic visionaries that could be described by the word "auteur," meaning a filmmaker whose personal influence and artistic control over a movie are so great that the filmmaker is regarded as the author of the movie.  Martin Scorsese, Alfred Hitchcock, Quentin Tarantino and Orson Welles are some of those auteurs, and along with them is Hayao Miyazaki, who single-handedly created several masterpieces of animated cinema that long withstands the tests of time and holds a valued theme that is virtually timeless. 

"Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" was released back in 1984, and with the exception of some of the music used in the film, you'd be forgiven if you thought the film was released just a few years ago.  The visuals are as lush, as vibrant as anything Hollywood has produced, and it carries a story that centers on the importance of valuing nature and the world we live in.  This is one of Miyazaki's earliest works, and even all those years ago people knew they had a truly visionary director in their midst that's only gotten better with time, like a fine wine.

The story spans different locations, from the peaceful, serene Valley of the Wind where there's no war or destruction, to the Toxic Jungle with its killer sprouts and downright demented looking mutant insects, to the world of war through the eyes of unflinching, unforgiving generals who seek power over everything else.  Much like his other work, there is no true villain to be seen here, only the villains of fear and greed.  All the people are fearful of the insects, except for Nausicaa, who works to understand them and the land they live in, which is so toxic they have to wear masks to survive.  Yet, underneath the surface, there seems to be hope for a future world that can heal itself and lead to everyone living in peace and harmony.

Greed is seen through the eyes of  Sakakibara, who has only one wish: to take over the land and rule with an iron fist with a Giant Warrior at her side.  However, even she isn't prone to being solely evil, as she spares Nausicaa's life and even the lives of her people as she patiently waits for Nausicaa to arrive.  She could be seen as the villain of the story, but even she isn't as cold-hearted as other villains would seem. 

Ultimately, the film comes down to how we value nature, and how we see ourselves in the grand scheme of things, much like Miyazaki's future works including "Howl's Moving Castle" and "Princess Mononoke."  Is there a way for nature and humanity to co-exist peacefully, or will one ultimately take out the other?  Nausicaa serves as the voice of reason in a chorus of fear and trepidation, and ultimately can be the only person to bring it all together.   Yet shrouded in this overarching theme are issues that aren't so easily defined and doesn't offer a simple solution, and that's the magic that lies in his story telling.  It's not a typical children's flare, but rather one with a deeply cerebral message that resonates with the viewers in deeply prolific ways, and once again, that's the magic of Miyazaki.

The Summary:
A film far before its time, gifted to us by a visionary auteur, "Nausicaa" is the beginning of the great works of Hayao Miyazaki, richly delivering a powerful message through beautiful imagery and animation.

The Score: A+