This Japanese film, a masterpiece from master filmmaker, Hayao Miyazaki, is probably one of the most amazing films to ever enchant audiences around the world. The title's English translation is Nausicaä of the Valley of the Winds, of which Disney recently made an English dub of. A surprising move for Disney, seeing as this film is banned in many countries in Europe for it's controversial views of the environment, and of human nature. Of the many things that Hayao Miyazaki attracts audiences with in his films, the most enticing one is his wonderful ability to create breathtaking art, seeing that all his films are Japanese animation (Animé). Although his art has astronomically improved, this film was considered to be a visual masterpiece back then, and (compared to some other animated films) still is today.
Kaze no Tani no Naushika takes place in the future, 1000 years after human civilization has collapsed. Humans, no longer the dominant species, cower in fear from the Sea of Decay, a toxic jungle that covers the entire planet. Anyone who stays in this deadly 'sea' for more then five minutes will be killed by it's toxic spores. If this was not enough, insects and bugs have evolved to be giant monsters, who live in the Sea of Decay, protecting it from human kind's deadly grasp of destruction. The most fearsome of these insects is the Ohmu, whose English translation means 'king of the insects'. Over ten times the size of an airplane, the Ohmu changes the color of their eyes depending on their emotion. When enraged, their eyes turn red, and blue represents calmness; a color pattern that Hayao Miyazaki continues to use throughout the entire film.
Although the origin of the Sea of Decay is never really explained, Miyazaki-sama gives hints to how it occurred. Nausicaä dedicates her free time to finding a cure for her father's illness, caused by the poisonous spores of the Sea of Decay. Instead of finding a cure though, she discovers that the plants are only toxic because the soil they grow from is toxic. Many, many, many years ago, a horrible war called the Seven Days of Fire terrorized the land. Humans, stubborn and blind of their consequences, created deadly weapons, called Giant Warriors, that engulfed the entire land in flame, burning all in their path. When the seven days had ended, the warriors turned to stone, so that their power could never be used against their master. However, the flames caused the entire planet to become polluted commencing the birth of the Sea of Decay.
1000 years after human civilization collapsed (present time), a young girl named Nausicaä lives with her father, King Jihl, in the peaceful Valley of the Winds. The villagers have little to fear, for the winds from the Acid Lake (made from real acid) blow through the valley and blow all oncoming poisonous spores outwards. Living like this for decades, the peaceful valley lives their merry lives, while the warring nations of Tolmekia and Pejite fight countless wars, causing more destruction and violence. One day, a Tolmekian airship flies through the valley, carrying spores and, to everyone's surprise, a dormant Giant Warrior. The army comes soon after, causing much death and destruction in the valley. Even worse, Pejite comes to claim the warrior for themselves, harnessing the rage of millions of Ohmus to destroy everything. It is an amazing story, filled with many layers, exciting battles, interesting characters, and very deep meanings.
One of the main themes throughout the entire film deals with that of rage and calmness. As stated earlier, whenever the Ohmu is enraged, the color is red, and is blue when calm. In the beginning, Ohmus were rumored to be the cause of the Sea of Decay; the Ohmu would trample continuously in rage, until it would die. Soon after, the first of poisonous spores took root in the carcasses of the deceased Ohmus, still reminiscent of rage. So, technically, the Sea of Decay is caused by rage. In addition to the rage, there is also calmness. Nausicaä is one of the few who see through all the rage, and is constantly calming down both Humans and Ohmus, blind with furry. It is this calmness that Nausicaä eventually uses to calm the giant herd of Ohmu. It kills her, but she is successful. The Ohmu, out of kindness of heart, cause Nausicaä to be reborn. When she comes back to life towards the end of the film, Nausicaä fulfills the prophecy, that one clad in blue (the color that represents calmness) will calm the gap between that of man and insect, causing peace to engulf the world, instead of the flame of rage. Although we do not see this peace, it is very obvious from the end of the film that this will come to pass sometime in the future.
One of the amazing things about this film, and all of Miyazaki's other films, is that there is no villain in the film. Instead, there are people with different opinions. The Tolmekians believe that the only way to save the planet is to burn all of the Sea of Decay. However, Nausicaä discovers that the Sea of Decay is purifying the water and soil, and the poisonous spores only protect itself from rage and destruction. However, the difference of opinion is so great, that it causes the Tolmekians to appear evil. If there truly are any evil characters in this film, it is that of man-kind. It is man-kind that destroys the earth in fire, through it's creation of the Giant Warrior. It is man-kind that causes the Sea of Decay, and it is man-kind that causes the necessity of Ohmus to protect the Sea of Decay.
Amazingly enough, this film almost wasn't. The executives at Studio Ghibli believed that animé should only be visual adaptations of manga (Japanese comics). In retaliation, Hayao Miyazaki created a Kaze no Tani no Naushika series that lasted for an amazing seven volumes, and eventually ended in 1993. Although only the events from the first two volumes are shown in the film, the executives were convinced enough to make it a film.
The success of Kaze no Tani no Naushika has caused for it to be dubbed not once, but twice into English. Beware! The first dub renamed it under the title Warriors of the Wind, and cut the majority of the film out. This causes the viewer to become annoyed, and left out of many of the themes that Hayao Miyazaki intended to show. The cause of this over-cut film is simple. Miyazaki was never asked permission if his film could be dubbed into English. Disney, thankfully, re-dubbed it recently into a drastically improved version of Miyazaki's masterpiece. Although the fact that Warriors of the Wind is amusing, (June Foray, the voice of Rocky the Squirrel, is cast as Nausicaä) I highly suggest to avoid it, and watch the Disney dub instead (or, even better, watch it in Japanese!).
Unfortunately, there are cultural barriers that prevent any foreigner to understand the film entirely. Luckily, this film has few barriers. One is the fact that Nausicaä is pronounced Naushika in Japanese (Thus, the title). The reason is that some of the sounds necessary to pronounce Nausicaä are missing from the Japanese language, and the name Naushika, the closest one can get, is used instead.
Kaze no Tani no Naushika is a film that inspires all. With it's amazing artwork, characters, and themes, it is surprising to find someone who could dislike a masterpiece such as this. Indeed, even Andy and Larry Wachowski, directors of The Matrix Trilogy, were inspired by this film. Both The Matrix (1999) and Kaze no Tani no Naushika use color themes of red and blue. In addition, the machines in The Matrix look amazingly similar to the Ohmus. Kaze no Tani no Naushika is a film that can be loved by young and old alike. It's wonderful story, excellent art, and the English dub of Patrick Stewart as Lord Yupa will enchant anyone who views it. It is a fantastic world that Hayao Miyazaki created, and, like all his films, should be enjoyed by all.
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