NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind was the second film Miyazaki directed, and one which led to the establishment of Studio Ghibli. I was lucky enough to rewatch it in cinemas today due to a special event making four Ghibli films available in cinemas all across Japan.

One thousand years after a devastating world war, a poisonous forest known as the Sea of Corruption has overtaken much of the land available. The Valley is one of the few human “tribes” left, scattered across the globe, hiding from the forest and the deadly insects that live within. Nausicaa is the princess of the Valley and must prevent a deadly collision between the Valley, an enemy tribe, and the forest creatures.

Nausicaa set a precedent for the future Ghibli female characters to come - an independent woman with nobility and kindness to all, fierce but gentle, and protective of their friends and family. These female leads are often cited as a benchmark for realistic feminine representation in Hollywood, and I think that’s a wonderful thing.

Nausicaa does suffer a bit from its manga(comic book) origins, though. Particularly in the beginning scenes where Nausicaa is alone, it feels like Miyazaki copy and pasted her thoughts(which would be shown in a thought bubble) and made her speak them aloud. The dialogue came across as forced and unnatural, but it’s saved by the forest imagery.
There’s also a lot of themes in Nausicaa that’s also prevalent in a lot of other Ghibli films: the interactions between humans and nature(Ponyo, Mononoke, Totoro), fantastical creatures that wield mystical forces(Pompoko, Spirited Away), and rejection of war as a means to conflict resolution(Grave of the Fireflies, The Wind Rises).

This was the first film that Miyazaki collaborated with Joe Hisaishi on, and you could already tell that there was miraculous creative chemistry between them. The themes in the later scenes such as "The Battle between Mehve and Corvette" and "Nausicaa Requiem" provide vivid imagery and striking beauty in their grand orchestral melodies.

Nausicaa is a beautiful movie that appeals for the preservation of nature and its coexistence with humanity, and one that paved the way for the dozens of Ghibli movies that followed.

End score: 9/10