Kaze no tani no Naushika (1984)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Hayao Miyazaki

Writers:

Hayao Miyazaki (comic)
Hayao Miyazaki (screenplay)

Release Date:

June 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Miyazaki's epic masterpiece (2005 Disney release)

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Future | Far Future | World | Steampunk | Insect

Awards:

3 wins

Cast

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)

Also Known As:

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (UK) (USA)
Kaze no tani no Nausicaa
Nausicaä
Guerreros del viento (Spain) [es]
I nafsika tis koiladas ton anemon (Greece) (DVD title) [el]
Naushika z udolí vetru (Czechoslovakia: Czech title) [cs]
Nausicaä - Aus dem Tal der Winde (Germany) (DVD title) [de]
Nausicaä - Prinsessen fra vindens dal (Norway) (reissue title) [no]
Nausicaä de la vallée du vent (France) [fr]
Nausicaä della valle del vento (Italy) [it]
Nausicaä från ­vindarnas dal (Sweden) (reissue title) [sv]
Nausicaä från vindarnas dal (Sweden) [sv]
Nausicaä z Doliny Wiatru (Poland) [pl]
Rüzgarli vadi (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Sternenkrieger (West Germany) (video title) [de]
Tuulen laakson Nausicaä (Finland) [fi]
Tuulte oru Nausikaa (Estonia) (festival title) [et]
Vindens krigare (Sweden) [sv]

MPAA:

Rated PG for violence. (edited version)

Runtime:

116 min | USA:84 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:PG (video) (2005) | UK:U (video) (cut version) (1986) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | South Korea:All | Finland:K-11 | Sweden:11 | Australia:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Poland:(Banned) | Singapore:G | USA:PG (cut version) (1985) | USA:PG (uncut version) (2004) | Germany:12 (uncut version) (2005)

Company:

Hakuhodo

Trivia:

'Hayao Miyzaki' was so upset by the original international cut version that he sent a samurai sword to the Executive at Disney with a simple note which read: "No cuts."

Goofs:

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

Quotes:

Asbel: Why does everything that's good for you have to taste so bad?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in StarCraft (1998) (VG)

Unlike anything you've seen

Usually I try to compare one anime with another but I find it impossible to do for Nausicaa. I doubt if any other anime tried to repeat (or at least not successfully) the combination of science fiction, drama and medievalism that's in this film. However the most captivating (yet stereotypical perhaps) aspect of Nausicaa is her sympathy to all living things and her uncanny intuition about the things around her. Her abilities are the only drawback to this film because such characters can be found in most anime involving a heroine, whereas the storyline makes it a most unique experience.

I was somewhat dissappointed with the ending. I won't give it away but the character of the Princess was just made to conform to the "standards of a heroine". Animation was acceptable but not superb although the designs of some landscapes and characters were spectacular. Overall an 8.