It's hard to believe that the environmental
fantasy epic based on Hayao Miyazaki's manga magnum opus was released nearly two
decades ago, and it's easy to forget it in light of the many achievements he's
attained since then, but Nausicaa still stands as a landmark among anime
productions. Not only did it raise Miyazaki to an exalted status as the Walt Disney
of Japan, but it is a handsome, elegant film which still seems fresh and distinctive
today. For those familiar with the comic, the basic scenario remains the same:
in the post-Holocaust far future, pockets of humanity are forced to live in isolated
valleys free from the influence of toxic spores and insects. The title character
is the young but determined princess of her clan, with boundless courage and an
almost psychic ability to communicate with all types of animals. When a neighboring
kingdom invades her home in order to revive a creature of destruction that ravaged
the Earth during Holocaust times, Nausicaa must flee into the heart of the poisoned
forests to find a solution to save her village, and more importantly, humanity.
Aiding her are Yupa, a master swordsman, Mito, a crack air pilot, and Asabel,
a young prince from a dead kingdom.
Those hoping for the layered, intricate plot and detailed characterizations of
the manga series might be a bit disappointed with the film. Each of the characters
comes across distinctly, but the feature length just doesn't allow enough room
for full development. The sentimental, E.T.-ish conclusion is also difficult to
fully embrace. But these are small quibbles in the face of Nausicaa's many
achievements. First and foremost are Miyazaki's original, sometimes chilling and
always beautiful production designs, from the hordes of giant, flying insects
to the hulking, multi-eyed Ohmu which roam the landscapes, the crumbled, melancholy
ruins of poisoned cities, the quiet, elegant trees in underground forests, the
curvilinear, massive flying barges and fighters, and the pastoral beauty of Nausicaa's
village. The details, hues, and presentation of these various locales create an
alternate, palpable world which is only excelled by The Wings of Honneamise in
anime. The action scenes, as is the case with all of Miyazaki's films, are beautifully
executed, with panoramic air combat and gritty land battles. But perhaps more
than in any of his other films (with the exception of My Neighbor Totoro),
Miyazaki puts forth a convincing argument for the respect of nature and its inherent
beauty, no matter the exterior form. Even the ominous Ohmu and the poisoned forests
are revealed to have important roles in the ecosystem, and it is Nausicaa -- who
perhaps isn't one of Miyazaki's most-developed heroes but is certainly one of
his most sympathetic -- who can recognize their loveliness while war-hungry mankind
continues to destroy them. The environmental message is never overplayed -- Nausicaa
is a fantasy-adventure movie, first and foremost -- but it gives
the film an emotional weight that you don't find often in stories of this type.
Taken as a whole, all the parts -- story, character, action, drama, science fiction
-- mesh beautifully.If one were to divide Miyazaki's feature-length film work into two periods, the action-adventure phase (Castle Cagliostro, Nausicaa, Laputa) and the warm-hearted fantasy phase (My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Porco Rosso), then one can arguably rank Nausicaa as the pinnacle of his first stage. It aims for and attains an epic scope which Miyzazki would not duplicate until more than a decade later with Princess Mononoke.