Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind

1984

PG

Produced by: Rick Dempsey, Isao Takahata

Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki

Written by: Hayao Miyazaki

Starring: Alison Lohman, Mark Silverman, Tress MacNeille (English translation)

Hakuhodo

4.92/5 Stars

Consensus: Hayao Miyazaki is a cinematic genius and has on his résumé some of the most impressive films ever made. His early work is no exception to this brilliance, and Nausicaa is a fine gem in this anime sovereign’s crown.

Plot: After a devastating war that ravaged the planet a survivor named Nausicaa (Alison Lohman) seeks to understand the poisonous jungle, and the horrific insects that dwell there, that have sprung up as natural rebuttal for humanities crimes.

Directing: Not enough can be said about the sheer genius of Hayao Miyazaki. His eye for detail and vivid story telling is astounding, and shows even in his early works such as this film. He manages to create a world that immediately engulfs the viewer and doesn’t let them leave until he has said what he needs to. The pacing of the film is spot on, as is the vivid attention paid to detail and plot. Only a genius like Miyazaki could take us to such outlandish places and make them come alive in such depth. *****

Acting: When a Miyazaki film is translated into English it is always given the finest cast of English voice actors, and rightfully so as the talent needs to match the exceptional quality exhibited in story telling and animation. This film is no exception to that rule and the exceptionally talented voice cast manages to be intriguing and delightful. Patrick Stewart (Lord Yupa) is especially keen at lending us his magnificent talent and endearing voice. Overall the cast was delightful and spot on in pitch and voice acting. *****

Editing: Once again, Miyazaki is a genius and his choice of exposition and the order therein, match perfectly with the story being told; Nausicaa flows brilliantly between several subplots, all of which are incredibly constructed, and then manages to incorporate other key flashbacks. The editing in the film ads depth, insight, and important texture to the already astounding genius it is. The film’s strength lies in its excellent structure, all of which is rooted in its editing. *****

Art Direction: While it is early Miyazaki, and doesn’t quite match up to the richness of his later films, the animation and detail is still vivid and gorgeous, it’s different but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. One of Miyazaki’s strengths is his ability to create an exceptionally detailed image that still focuses attention on what he wants you to see. In other words; the animation is vivid and big, but still manages to tell a story rather than simply show off the animators’ ability, something a film like Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace (1999) struggled with. While it looks different, and perhaps less developed than later Miyazaki, this is still a gorgeously animated film and deserves as much praise as his later work. *****

Cinematography: Animated films differ greatly from normal expectations within this category. The rule of thirds and perspective shown were all done gorgeously (see above), and while a camera did capture these images, it isn’t quite the same, so there isn’t a whole bunch to contribute to this category. n/a

Screenplay: The screenplay is a fluent and wonderful story with rich characters and incredible sub-plots. That said, this is an English translation of a Japanese film, and in this case there are a couple moments of… iffy or awkward translation, or so it felt. While this is hardly notable and barely detracts, if at all, from the otherwise brilliance of the characters, plot, and world created here, it still exists and must be taken into consideration. Again, it’s not noticeable, and hardly something to get your knickers in a twist about, but there are more than a few awkward lines, that likely result from poor translation, rather than a poor original script. ****1/2

CGI/Special Effects: Miyazaki’s animation is a standard maker; he continually raises the bar of what should be expected from animated films, especially Japanese anime. After watching a Miyazaki film, other animated films seemingly lose there sparkle because they just simply are not as good. There is so much to say about the brilliance of his animation, and his auteur as an in general, but it is better to be seen then read, and to attempt to describe in any great length would be far too wordy for our purposes here. Behold Miyazaki, king of the animated film. *****