Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

Warrior/pacifist Princess Nausicaä desperately struggles to prevent two warring nations from destroying themselves and their dying planet.

Director:

Hayao Miyazaki

Writers:

Hayao Miyazaki (comic), Hayao Miyazaki (screenplay)

Stars:

Sumi Shimamoto, Mahito Tsujimura, Hisako Kyôda

Top Rated Movies #198 | 3 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sumi Shimamoto	...	Nausicaä (voice)
Mahito Tsujimura	...	Jihl (voice)
Hisako Kyôda	...	Oh-Baba (voice)
Gorô Naya	...	Yupa (voice)
Ichirô Nagai	...	Mito (voice)
Kôhei Miyauchi	...	Goru (voice)
Jôji Yanami	...	Gikkuri (voice)
Minoru Yada	...	Niga (voice)
Rihoko Yoshida	...	Teto / Girl C (voice)
Masako Sugaya	...	Girl A (voice)
Takako Sasuga	...	Girl B (voice)
Chika Sakamoto	...	Boy A (voice)
Tarako	...	Boy B (voice)
Yôji Matsuda	...	Asbel (voice)
Mîna Tominaga	...	Rastel (voice)

Storyline

An animated fantasy-adventure. Set 1,000 years from now, the earth is ravaged by pollution and war. In the Valley of the Wind lives Nausicaa, princess of her people. Their land borders on a toxic jungle, filled with dangerous over-sized insects. Meanwhile two nearby nations are bitterly engaged in a war and the Valley of the Wind is stuck in the middle...

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Plot Keywords:

post apocalypse | wind | princess | ecological footprint | innocence | 

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Taglines:

Miyazaki's epic masterpiece (2005 Disney release)

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for violence

Details

Official Sites:

Disney [United States] Official site

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

11 March 1984 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nibariki, Tokuma Shoten, Hakuhodo

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min 95 min (1985) (edited)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Nausicaä is the name of a character in Homer's Odyssey.

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Goofs

During the invasion of The Valley of the Wind one of the large carrier planes is seen moving backwards.

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Quotes

Commando: That's Lord Yupa. Kill him and you'll be famous.

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Crazy Credits

As the credits roll we see life returning to normal in the valley: Kushana, Kurotowa and the Tolmekian fleet leave peacefully, after Nausicaä has unheard words for Kushana. The denizens of the Valley of the Wind replant trees in the burned-down forest. Lord Yupa and Asbel ride Yupa's beasts to the Toxic Jungle and explore it. When the text "The End" appears on screen we see Nausicaa's discarded helmet in the forest, alongside a green, non-Toxic Jungle sapling.

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Connections

Referenced in Hewy's Animated Movie Reviews: Ponyo (2009)

User Reviews

A masterpiece, if you can find the real version

First off, let me state emphatically that I'm referring to the REAL version of the film, not the pathetic crippled creature distributed as "Warriors of the Wind" on video. Although I must admit that I first fell in love with the movie in that form, I have now seen the full subtitled version, and I place a hideous curse on those who hacked over 20 minutes from its running time.

Although the incredible "Princess Mononoke" later upstaged this early work in terms of art and detail, in many ways I still prefer "Nausicaa". Its imaginitive and well-conceived world puts me in mind of Dune with its feuding factions, its giant creatures, and its strong ecological message. Even with a rather long running time, the story moves very briskly (boiled down as it was from a very lengthy manga series). The music deserves special mention, as well, as it is a large step up from the electronic pop stylings of most anime.

If you can get your hands on a copy of the original version, you'll find it more than worth the effort.