A Realistic Plot as told with Mysterious Creatures
The Valley of the Wind is a tranquil village that is situated between 2 warring nations. The Sea of Decay is an ever growing threat to the world that came after the “Seven Days of Fire.” It is essentially a toxic jungle that is slowly spreading and taking over the last traces of human life. When a ship that is transporting a strange pod crashes into the Valley of the Wind, Nausicaa and her people are involuntarily inserted into this war. It is now up to Nausicaa to end this war peacefully, but with the desire to eradicate the Sea of Decay, it proves to be a difficult task.
For a movie that is several decades old, the issues presented prove to reflect our society’s history and present day. The plot boils down to powerful nations fighting over resources and weapons of mass destruction for their own well-beings. Actions like these usually lead to the exploitation and casualties of non-partisan parties, and that is true of the real world.
The art and world-building is fantastic. I’ve always admired the outcome of the visionary, Hayao Miyazaki. This is one of his first films and it is as mysteriously beautiful as movies of his movies of the past decade. The hand-drawn art always proves to be beautiful, even if it’s a few decades old.
One downside of the film is that it is a bit long. Barely scraping the 2 hour mark, it’s long cuts and older editing style makes it feel like a slow ride through the movie. I wonder if this movie was made today, if it would adapt a more modern editing style, to suit today’s audience.
A beautiful movie that reflects well today. It may be held down by its slow pacing and run length, but it is still a masterpiece from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki. Although it may be older, it is still a film that any fan should watch.