Kaze no tani no Naushika (1984)

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 Vaud) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | 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:

Kazunori Itô wrote the first draft of this movie.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the "beneath the forest" sequence, Teto disappears and reappears on Nausica?'s shoulder.

Quotes:

Yupa: In the midst of my travels, I heard of an ominous rumor... It said that a monster from the ancient world had been excavated from beneath the city of Pejite where it had been sleeping.
Mito: A monster from the ancient world?
Yupa: It's a God Warrior.
Mito: A God Warrior? You mean, the ones that burned the world in the Seven Days of Fire...? This thing...!
Yupa: All God Warriors should have become fossils. But this one managed to sleep underground for 1000 years.
Mito: Now that you mention it, it does seem to have a human form.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Knowing (2009)

THE film to challenge people's assumptions about anime.

I saw the dubbed version years ago and, even in that form, was taken by the imaginative visuals, interesting storyline, and worthwhile characters. I was also impressed by the fact the lead character was a strong young woman, who was a "warrior" yet whose greatest strength lay in her compassion (rather than striving to become a female Rambo.)

I tracked down a copy of the VHS and sent it to my young nieces, pleased with a "kid's" movie which provided a positive role model without being dumb. The movie captivated them as well -- they wore the tape out, and it started them on a lifelong interest in anime. It was they who sent me the uncut subtitled version years later, completing the circle.

Nausicaa is decent science fiction, often breath-taking animation, and unusually *human* characters, and every time I see it I am glad I returned. Everyone should give it a chance, especially those who have written off anime as "round eyed kids and lots of explosions".