Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind Review
Starring:
JAPANESE Sumi Shimamoto, Goro Naya and Yoshiko Sakakibara
ENGLISH Alison Lohman, Patrick Stewart and Uma Thurman
Directed by: Hayao Miyasaki and based on his Manga of the same name
Original Japanese Release Date: March 11th 1984
English Release: June 1985
Disney re-release: February 22, 2005
When asking someone what is the best animation studio for feature films you will usually here the same answer, Disney, Pixar or Dreamworks, ask myself however and I will immediately jump on Studio Ghibli. The award winning anime studio has been making groundbreaking films since the 80s and are still going strong to this very day. Even if you are not an avid anime viewer you have probably seen at least one Ghibli film. Many of there more popular works include My Neighbour Totoro, Howls Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke or their academy award winning movie Spirited Away (best animated picture 2002). It goes without saying that Studio Ghibli are masters of the animation medium, and this year we will be seeing the departure of Ghibli's founding father Hayao Miyasaki, who has been called the Walt Disney of Japan. His final film The Wind Rises will be hitting North American theaters this month and to honor the great legacy of one of animations best I thought it would be a wonderful time to watch a movie I've never seen, Miyasaki's first feature film, the movie that formed Studio Ghibli, I am talking of course of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. I've seen a few Ghibli films-not all but some-and I thought it would be a great idea to start with their very first film, the grand opus if you will, of Myazaki's career.
Nausicaa takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where the majority of the planet has been consumed by a toxic pollen which has turned most of the world into a toxic desert called the Sea of Decay. Where there is vegetation however there roams gigantic hostile insects that will not hesitate to kill anyone who dares to enter the forest domain. The surviving members of the Human race have been divided into separate kingdoms and war amongst themselves, Nausicaa is a princess from one of these kingdoms called the Valley of the Wind. The Valley is a peaceful kingdom that has not been touched by the Sea of Decay nor the terrible wars between the other kingdoms. However the Valley of the Wind is thrown into chaos when it falls in the middle of a terrible war between two warring nations. It's up to Nausicaa to find a way for the three kingdoms to be at peace before their war brings about the destruction of the Human race from the hands of the dangerous insects who are growing tired of mans wars.
The story of Nausicaa is a very engaging and enjoyable ride, filled with many of Studio Ghibli's classic themes such as peace, the terrors of war and the preservation of the planet. However this is the only science fiction film created by the studio, the world that is created in this film is very fresh and has more depth and love than any other film by the studio. You learn of little tidbits of information of the world they inhabit and it's history as the film progresses, Nausicaa does not feel the need to cater to audience members, the complex and very detailed history and mythology of the world of Nausicaa makes this quite possibly one of the best films by Miyazaki.
Nausicaa herself is a very interesting protagonist, embodying everything that a seasoned Ghibli fan would expect from a Ghibli protagonist, she has a strong sense of justice, a thirst for knowledge and cares deeply for the planet and all of it's inhabitants, even the dangerous insects who are destroying the world. It is very hard to not like the character of Nausicaa, she is a very likable protagonist and you can easily feel the turmoil she has to endure during the film. Sumi Shimamoto's performance is very believable, even though she is Japanese you can just sense the intelligence and that pure essence that Nausicaa embodies. There is a reason why Nausicaa is one of the most influential female protagonist's in anime, her never ending devotion to her people and her power to endure even in the most terrible of circumstances has made her one of my favorite anime characters.
Nausicaa isn't the only interesting character in the film, every single character is so full of life, even minor characters are memorable and intriguing. This is one of the rare moments where animated characters almost feel like real living, breathing people. Nausicaa is filled with very complex characters, no one is simply black and white when it comes to their goals and ambitions, everyone of the major players in the movie have goals that are rooted in very human and realistic fears, are some of their actions right? No of course not, but you cannot help but understand where each character is coming from in this ravaged wasteland of a world, a world where mankind's time is quickly running out.
I have only watched this movie in the original Japanese audio, so I cannot comment on the English dub directed by Disney. However if you've seen more than one Studio Ghibli film you don't have to watch the dub to know if its amazing or not. Ghibli films are known for having some fantastic dubs, and each movie always brings in some A list talent. Actors like Christian Bale, Liam Neeson and Billy Bob Thorton have added their voices to Ghibli films in the past. I watched the voice actor featurette and I've gotten a little look at some of the English performances and its obvious that it is a pretty amazing dun. Partick Stewart is in this for god sakes! How can anyone even try to argue that the dub for this movie is terrible. Even voice acting legend (and Jedi master) Mark Hamill is in this! But from what I've seen my favorite English voice is Umma Thurman who plays Yoshiko Sakakibara's character Lady Kushana. Sakakibara is no novice when it comes to voice acting, her long and incredible career has placed in her in some of the best anime movies and series, its a truly rare thing when the English Dub voice is just as good as the original Japanese.
The acting and characters are not the only memorable part of the movie. As with every Ghibli movie the animation is simply stunning, each animated feature that Ghibli has produced has always pushed the boundaries in animation and have always been revolutionary for the time of its release. For a movie that came out in the 80's Nausicaa looks like one of Ghibli's current works, and if you watch the movie on bluray it looks even more spectacular. The character animations all the way to the gorgeous painted backgrounds make Nausicaa such a beautiful film to watch. Myazaki's famous style seeps out of the screen creating a magnificent blend of science fiction, fantasy, and just a hint of the modern age (1980 of course). Even the dangerous insects are magnificent and beautiful creatures, and the intimidating Ohm's have become just as iconic as Totoro himself. Heres a very fun little bit of trivia regarding the animation for Nausicaa, the amazing climax of the movie where Kushana unleashes a very powerful weapon was animated by Hideaki Anno. Anyone who is very familiar with anime knows that name, and if you've been reading my reviews then that name should ring a bell, Hideaki Anno is the creator and genius behind my favorite anime series of all time, Neon Genesis Evangelion! He is even the lead in Myazaki's next and final film The Wind Rises.
Longtime fans of Myazaki's work will also be very familiar with the genius of composer Joe Hisashi. Hisashi has composed many of Myazaki's work and this movie is the first time the two legends collaborated on a feature film. Hearing some of Hisashi's early work is very enjoyable, he weaves a magnificent and soaring score for the film. The theme of the movie stayed with me even as the movie finished, Hisashi is one of, if not the best Japanese composer, his work has moved millions of fans from film goers to video game fans. If you are not a fan of JRPG's but have a love for instrumental music then I suggest you pick up the soundtrack for Ni no Kuni, a fantastic RPG and one of the best games of 2013 which Ghibli also helped design.
Now while I've pretty much praised this film there is probably one thing that might turn off some audience viewers, the ending to the movie is very sudden and bittersweet with almost no real conclusion. This is because Nausciaa is based on the manga created by Miyazaki, the film only covers the first portion of the series, I've never personally read the manga myself but I am going to make a note to do so in the future, who wouldn't want to read anything by Myazaki, just look at this artwork!
While Nausicaa is a fantastic adventure and anime film, many viewers might not like the sudden abruptness of the ending with no real conclusion. That being said Nausicaa is an anime classic and is the movie that spiraled Myazaki into the forefront of anime and helped pave the way for Studio Ghibli. I give Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind a
8.5/10
This movie is a classic and as it stands right now my favorite Ghibli film. There is something for everyone in this movie, even those who are not fans of anime can find something wonderful in this movie, or any of Ghibli's incredible library. If you are a fan of anime or Studio Ghibli and have yet to see this film please do so now, it's an absolute treasure of a film with a very strong message about protecting the environment and the other inhabitants of Earth. Please do yourself a favor and go out and buy this movie, its a Ghibli film you don't even need to rent it to know its amazing.
JAPANESE Sumi Shimamoto, Goro Naya and Yoshiko Sakakibara
ENGLISH Alison Lohman, Patrick Stewart and Uma Thurman
Directed by: Hayao Miyasaki and based on his Manga of the same name
Original Japanese Release Date: March 11th 1984
English Release: June 1985
Disney re-release: February 22, 2005
When asking someone what is the best animation studio for feature films you will usually here the same answer, Disney, Pixar or Dreamworks, ask myself however and I will immediately jump on Studio Ghibli. The award winning anime studio has been making groundbreaking films since the 80s and are still going strong to this very day. Even if you are not an avid anime viewer you have probably seen at least one Ghibli film. Many of there more popular works include My Neighbour Totoro, Howls Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke or their academy award winning movie Spirited Away (best animated picture 2002). It goes without saying that Studio Ghibli are masters of the animation medium, and this year we will be seeing the departure of Ghibli's founding father Hayao Miyasaki, who has been called the Walt Disney of Japan. His final film The Wind Rises will be hitting North American theaters this month and to honor the great legacy of one of animations best I thought it would be a wonderful time to watch a movie I've never seen, Miyasaki's first feature film, the movie that formed Studio Ghibli, I am talking of course of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. I've seen a few Ghibli films-not all but some-and I thought it would be a great idea to start with their very first film, the grand opus if you will, of Myazaki's career.
Nausicaa takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where the majority of the planet has been consumed by a toxic pollen which has turned most of the world into a toxic desert called the Sea of Decay. Where there is vegetation however there roams gigantic hostile insects that will not hesitate to kill anyone who dares to enter the forest domain. The surviving members of the Human race have been divided into separate kingdoms and war amongst themselves, Nausicaa is a princess from one of these kingdoms called the Valley of the Wind. The Valley is a peaceful kingdom that has not been touched by the Sea of Decay nor the terrible wars between the other kingdoms. However the Valley of the Wind is thrown into chaos when it falls in the middle of a terrible war between two warring nations. It's up to Nausicaa to find a way for the three kingdoms to be at peace before their war brings about the destruction of the Human race from the hands of the dangerous insects who are growing tired of mans wars.
The story of Nausicaa is a very engaging and enjoyable ride, filled with many of Studio Ghibli's classic themes such as peace, the terrors of war and the preservation of the planet. However this is the only science fiction film created by the studio, the world that is created in this film is very fresh and has more depth and love than any other film by the studio. You learn of little tidbits of information of the world they inhabit and it's history as the film progresses, Nausicaa does not feel the need to cater to audience members, the complex and very detailed history and mythology of the world of Nausicaa makes this quite possibly one of the best films by Miyazaki.
Nausicaa herself is a very interesting protagonist, embodying everything that a seasoned Ghibli fan would expect from a Ghibli protagonist, she has a strong sense of justice, a thirst for knowledge and cares deeply for the planet and all of it's inhabitants, even the dangerous insects who are destroying the world. It is very hard to not like the character of Nausicaa, she is a very likable protagonist and you can easily feel the turmoil she has to endure during the film. Sumi Shimamoto's performance is very believable, even though she is Japanese you can just sense the intelligence and that pure essence that Nausicaa embodies. There is a reason why Nausicaa is one of the most influential female protagonist's in anime, her never ending devotion to her people and her power to endure even in the most terrible of circumstances has made her one of my favorite anime characters.
Nausicaa isn't the only interesting character in the film, every single character is so full of life, even minor characters are memorable and intriguing. This is one of the rare moments where animated characters almost feel like real living, breathing people. Nausicaa is filled with very complex characters, no one is simply black and white when it comes to their goals and ambitions, everyone of the major players in the movie have goals that are rooted in very human and realistic fears, are some of their actions right? No of course not, but you cannot help but understand where each character is coming from in this ravaged wasteland of a world, a world where mankind's time is quickly running out.
I have only watched this movie in the original Japanese audio, so I cannot comment on the English dub directed by Disney. However if you've seen more than one Studio Ghibli film you don't have to watch the dub to know if its amazing or not. Ghibli films are known for having some fantastic dubs, and each movie always brings in some A list talent. Actors like Christian Bale, Liam Neeson and Billy Bob Thorton have added their voices to Ghibli films in the past. I watched the voice actor featurette and I've gotten a little look at some of the English performances and its obvious that it is a pretty amazing dun. Partick Stewart is in this for god sakes! How can anyone even try to argue that the dub for this movie is terrible. Even voice acting legend (and Jedi master) Mark Hamill is in this! But from what I've seen my favorite English voice is Umma Thurman who plays Yoshiko Sakakibara's character Lady Kushana. Sakakibara is no novice when it comes to voice acting, her long and incredible career has placed in her in some of the best anime movies and series, its a truly rare thing when the English Dub voice is just as good as the original Japanese.
The acting and characters are not the only memorable part of the movie. As with every Ghibli movie the animation is simply stunning, each animated feature that Ghibli has produced has always pushed the boundaries in animation and have always been revolutionary for the time of its release. For a movie that came out in the 80's Nausicaa looks like one of Ghibli's current works, and if you watch the movie on bluray it looks even more spectacular. The character animations all the way to the gorgeous painted backgrounds make Nausicaa such a beautiful film to watch. Myazaki's famous style seeps out of the screen creating a magnificent blend of science fiction, fantasy, and just a hint of the modern age (1980 of course). Even the dangerous insects are magnificent and beautiful creatures, and the intimidating Ohm's have become just as iconic as Totoro himself. Heres a very fun little bit of trivia regarding the animation for Nausicaa, the amazing climax of the movie where Kushana unleashes a very powerful weapon was animated by Hideaki Anno. Anyone who is very familiar with anime knows that name, and if you've been reading my reviews then that name should ring a bell, Hideaki Anno is the creator and genius behind my favorite anime series of all time, Neon Genesis Evangelion! He is even the lead in Myazaki's next and final film The Wind Rises.
Longtime fans of Myazaki's work will also be very familiar with the genius of composer Joe Hisashi. Hisashi has composed many of Myazaki's work and this movie is the first time the two legends collaborated on a feature film. Hearing some of Hisashi's early work is very enjoyable, he weaves a magnificent and soaring score for the film. The theme of the movie stayed with me even as the movie finished, Hisashi is one of, if not the best Japanese composer, his work has moved millions of fans from film goers to video game fans. If you are not a fan of JRPG's but have a love for instrumental music then I suggest you pick up the soundtrack for Ni no Kuni, a fantastic RPG and one of the best games of 2013 which Ghibli also helped design.
Now while I've pretty much praised this film there is probably one thing that might turn off some audience viewers, the ending to the movie is very sudden and bittersweet with almost no real conclusion. This is because Nausciaa is based on the manga created by Miyazaki, the film only covers the first portion of the series, I've never personally read the manga myself but I am going to make a note to do so in the future, who wouldn't want to read anything by Myazaki, just look at this artwork!
While Nausicaa is a fantastic adventure and anime film, many viewers might not like the sudden abruptness of the ending with no real conclusion. That being said Nausicaa is an anime classic and is the movie that spiraled Myazaki into the forefront of anime and helped pave the way for Studio Ghibli. I give Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind a
8.5/10
This movie is a classic and as it stands right now my favorite Ghibli film. There is something for everyone in this movie, even those who are not fans of anime can find something wonderful in this movie, or any of Ghibli's incredible library. If you are a fan of anime or Studio Ghibli and have yet to see this film please do so now, it's an absolute treasure of a film with a very strong message about protecting the environment and the other inhabitants of Earth. Please do yourself a favor and go out and buy this movie, its a Ghibli film you don't even need to rent it to know its amazing.
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