yakkowarner's Full Review: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.
This is another post-apocalyptic movie. Man has polluted the Earth and now lives in separate communities across the land. Man is in conflict with both the jungle as well as themselves. It seems more like the medieval time period than the future but that just adds a bit of charm to the movie. Insects and the poisonous jungle have overtaken much of the Earth. The poisonous jungle is deadly to humans but humans can enter it with a gas mask. Also found in the jungle are giant insects of various sorts, which of course are dangerous to humans.
The story is a well-designed and captivating story. The story takes place both in and out of the jungle, in the village, and in the air. You have a lot of mythological elements mixed in with modern story telling, and the blend is good. It is a beautiful story.
The central hero is the movie’s namesake, Nausicaa. She is the princess of the Valley of the Wind and beloved by her people. She also loves her people and feels it is her responsibility to protect the village. She has a unique gift in that she seems to have the power to speak with the insects of this world. At the very least she cares for the insects almost as much as she cares for her people. She is also a natural leader and takes her role seriously, as a princess should.
It is not a story of coming to age nor is it a love story. It is a children’s story, or you can consider it a traditional mythology story. In many ways it is similar to Lord of the Rings or Star Wars when you look at the plot in its most basic form. You have a hero and he/she is the key to saving the people. And she does just that while being willing to sacrifice herself in the process (all throughout the movie she takes risks, it’s just part of her character.)
The story is what makes this movie so neat. It is not predictable in my opinion and does follow a unique path that other movies do not follow. And even though I feel it does have the same basic plot as other movies, the side stories are not typical. These side stories are full of excitement and give the viewer a greater understanding of the world that Nausicaa lives in. It is so neat to take a breath in the middle of the story and learn a little more about the characters and the world they live in.
The character building is quite good. I feel that I really got to know the key characters in the movie. You get to really see Nausicaa’s leadership qualities as well as her love of life. Not only her own life but the lives of those around her. She will do anything to help her people and the insects she is forced to live with.
The animation, while not bad, is not as good as Miyazaki’s modern movies. So don’t put this on too high a pedestal before you see it. But don’t worry, it isn’t Saturday morning cartoons either, it at least is better than that.
The music is well done for the time period. Throughout the movie you will hear common themes. For example, there is a theme that only occurs in jungle scenes (and at the end). This gives an audio queue as to what is going on in the movie. I have absolutely no complaints about the music or the sound, but every once in a while you will be reminded through the sound/music that this is a dated movie.
Who is this for? Children of all ages.
Rating PG
Additional material Disk 1 Behind the microphone- Goes over the making of the English dub. It’s fairly short. The birth story of studio Ghibli- Gives a brief overview of how Studio Ghibli came about.
Disk 2 It is the movie except in storyboard form.
The key players Director: Yoshiaki Kawajiri Writer: Hayao Miyazaki Music: Joe Hisaidhi
Duration 117 minutes
Summary This is a beautiful children’s movie. It is classified as an Anime by Miyazaki, a great filmmaker. The story is captivating with a message in it. It also has elements of mythology in the story. The only negative I can think of is the music and the animation will look a little dated, but that should just add to the nostalgia. Definitely a must buy Anime DVD, especially if you have kids.
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