Humanity, in its greed and hubris, destroys the world we know with giant warriors who burn away civilization leaving wastes and ruins in their wake. Hundreds of years later we meet the princess Nausicaä (Sumi Shimamoto/Alison Lohman) as she explores the toxic jungle, a dangerous and expanding biosphere inhabited by fungus-like plants and bizarre giant insects who do not tolerate human presence.
There she chances on Lord Yupa (Gorô Naya/Patrick Stewart), her uncle who has accidentally disturbed the insects while taking a shortcut. Yupa travels with her back to their home, the idyllic Valley of the Wind, bringing tidings of bad news: The other kingdoms are at war and risk destroying the most basic remnants of society over territorial greed and military posturing.
The war brings itself to the valley as a Tolmekian flying warship carrying a captive princess and an unborn giant warrior crashes into the mountains that flank the small kingdom. Nausicaä begins her journey to stop the war and keep her people safe as Tolmekian reinforcements swarm the valley and kill her father, King Jihl (Mahito Tsujimura/ Mark Silverman).
While included in many Studio Ghibli collections, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind was released in 1984, years before the foundation of the beloved animation studio. The success of this Top Craft release spurred the events which would create Studio Ghibli. With a PG rating and some mild gun violence on display, this film is recommended for older children and adults making it an excellent choice for family movie night recommendations. The environmentalist and anti-war attitudes in this film are two of its greatest strengths.
After the death of her father, Nausicaä quickly proves herself a capable warrior and susceptible to extreme rage, but after this lapse of control, she vows never to kill again. This theme repeats to varying degrees of success. Nausicaä finds that the cycles which allow for life on the planet are far more complex than humans understand and that humanity needs to live in peace with the earth -and each other—instead of trying to bend it to their will. These themes resonate especially with many patrons under 40 and make Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind a strong evergreen choice for classic Anime collections. Highly Recommended.
Where does this title belong on library shelves?
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind would easily fit in the development of anime, children’s films, and family film collections in public libraries.
What type of film programming could use this title?
If you are a film programmer, consider Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind for a public screening series on classic Anime, strong female characters, environmentalism in fiction, and the post-apocalyptic genre.