Released in 1984, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is a Japanese animated movie made by Studio Ghibli also directed and written by the world-renowned legend himself Hayao Miyazaki
Just like all his other works the movie at its core is very much a Miyazaki movie with his ever-present messages and themes of war and the relationship between Mankind and Nature
The movie takes place 1000 yrs. into the future where after a devastating war Humanity was brought to a brink of extinction and Insects become the dominant life form on the planet and the entire Earth is covered with Toxic plants forming forests that the Humans term as “The Sea of Decay”
We follow our POV character being Nausicaa the Princess and hero of the Valley of the Wind a peaceful faction of humans who relies on Wind Energy and Wind Turbines for their survival There was a prophecy that stated a savior dressed in blue garbs and walking on a land of gold will one day arrive and reunify all of humanity to lead them towards a brighter future
Nausicaa took a more active role of going out and exploring in the Sea of Decay to gather supplies and insect shells to make better weapons especially after her Father fell ill and This girl was unlike any other
Unlike most humans she wasn’t afraid of the giant Bugs and insects that inhabited the forest but on the contrary, she seemed to have this sort of deep understanding and connect with these creatures being able to understand and empathize with them on a level no other human could possibly imagine doing so and most of all understanding that they are not vicious predators but in the end only creatures who are frightened for their lives and safety of their homes
Things were going smoothly for the most part in the Valley until one night a huge carrier plane crashed into the valley with a female pilot inside who died in Nausicaa’s arms as she tried saving her life with her last words being “Burn the Cargo of my ship, Burn it to death”
Following her soon afterwards came an entirely different faction of humans who came to conquer in name of peace and reunification of Humans as one It didn’t take them long to attack and take over the peaceful citizens of the valley and kill Nausicaa’s father who was weak, and bed ridden at the time
It was only at that moment that everyone found out that the Cargo on the ship was a Giant Titan in slumber one of the many who originally caused the death of all humans in the war that took place a 1000 yrs. Ago being the remanent of a time when Humanity’s own ambitions and advancements in Science turned against them and caused their downfall and the world itself as we know it
In the end the Valley surrenders and Nausicaa alongside some of her most trusted allies and a gunship were taken as hostages by the enemy but on their way back their air ships were attacked by an enemy who successfully took them down
Nausicaa and the enemy Queen Kushana alongside her allies were able to successfully survive and drop in the Sea of Decay and while Queen Kushana tried continuing their feud Nausicaa understood that she like the bugs of this very forest is just scared and is acting out of fear and asks her to calm down
She then runs off to save the pilot who took down the airplanes and the entire charade resulting in them falling to floor even below the forest
A place which even after years of her travels here Nausicaa never saw for herself, and it was beautiful being a place which is not filled with toxic plants but breathable air deep below the Earth’s surface
A sight so beautiful that made Nausicaa when asked she gently replied “Yes I am because I am happy” the pilot now revealed to be Asbel the prince of the nation from which the cargo was set assailed and the pilot who died that night to be Lastelle his twin sister
Thankful to Nausicaa for making her sister’s final moments just a little more peaceful they make their way out of there to Asbel’s kingdom trying to seek help and refuge to take back the Valley of the Wind from Kushana and preventing her or her remaining allies to awaken the Titan and destroy whatever remains of the Humanity but reaching there she and Asbel find out that Asbel’s Kingdom intends on using the Insects of the Sea of Decay to destroy the Valley, its people, Kushana and her forces as well as the great titan before its awakening
Kushana and the hostages came back to the Valley of the Wind and after a long and hard-fought struggle between the people and Kushana’s army a conflict which made her realize that Nausicaa was right about her all along and that every action she made so far
One of the people she took captives said these lines to her “You are a Queen too, but you are nothing like our princess Your people use fire? So do we but only a little, to light our homes, to burn the toxic weeds in our farms but you use it for destruction”
Nausicaa who somehow managed to fight off her way out finally makes her way to the Valley only to find a horde of Giant insects named Ohm coming in a swarm to attack the Valley in their anger
Asbel’s people using an injured Baby Ohm as bait to draw out the insects and their rage makes them deaf to Nausicaa’s pleads or charms
Kushana as a last-ditch effort awakens the Titan prematurely only for it to crumble and disintegrate after just one attack and all hope seemed lost
At the end Nausicaa risks her own life and saves the Baby Ohm and managed to return it to its horde unharmed even if she faced 2 gunshot wounds because of it
While she was about to die the Ohms realize what has happened and calm down to help Nausicaa heal and revive her while the entire Valley watches using their Golden colored tentacles to collectively lift her up in the sky and she walks on them with her clothes now colored Bright Blue having bathed in the blood of the Baby Ohm
Everyone watches in awe as they witness the prophecy of the Chosen one becoming a reality Infront of their very own eyes
In the Aftermath Kushana and her remaining forces withdraw with no intention on continuing their conquest and Asbel’s people whose village was also destroyed by the Ohm earlier in the movie comes to the Valley of the Wind and finds a way to Coexist and possibly rebuild Humanity to its former glory again
*Points to talk about:
-How Miyazaki portrays Nature as a Non-Benevolent entity
-The look of the insects in the movie
-Humans, Science and their thirst for power
-Nausicaa’s character and how she is different from other characters and impact the people and the world around her
-The Final shot of the movie in the Underground Caverns in the Sea of the Decay