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Nausicaä of the Valley of the Winds is loosely based on an old Japanese legend known as The Princess Who Loved Insects that has its roots in the 12th century. In this tale a princess openly displays her liking for insects, especially caterpillars. However, her mother finds it repulsive and demands that she quits her unlady-like behavior, but she refuses, as she desires to enlighten that all creatures are wonderful and have an important function to mankind. Same theme is used in Nausicaä, but with a fantastic adventure where the destiny of the world is at stake, as the young princess Nausicaä spreads her compassionate and affectionate love without boundaries. ***

Nausicaä is a fearless young teenager that has deep affection for the natural beauty of the world. This affection roots within her morals and values, which are based on trust, compassion, and understanding. This is an understanding that all creatures live on the same terms under the same sun despite appearance. However, it is how things appear that brings birth to fear in the people of Nausicaä’s world, as a vast poisonous jungle is expanding its boarders into the realm of human beings. Inside the jungle exists gigantic insects that when threatened are consumed by rage, which roots itself in fear, as they attack the threat without mercy. Recognizing the power of fear elevates Nausicaä’s understanding that fear is the source of evil, and if fear is eradicated then harmony can exist. ***

Different kingdoms within the futuristic world of Nausicaä fight for power to control the world, as they all believe their concept of peace is the correct answer. The leaders of each kingdom are willing to wipe out each other in the quest for peace, which includes burning down the poisonous jungle and all the insects despite historical evidence that war and burning down the poisonous jungle is ineffective, and in the past it has brought mankind closer to extinction. This destructive concept is essentially a uniform belief within all leaders of the world while they rely on their might in firepower. However, Nausicaä acknowledges the importance of harmony within the world and between all beings, but others are not willing to listen. The leaders turn their deaf ear to Nausicaä, as they firmly believe, a belief rooted in fear and other emotions, that they are right while they unknowingly are about to bring the world to extinction. ***

Hayao Miyazaki who is best known for Spirited Away (2001) directed this magnificent tale about Nausicaä, which in many ways is groundbreaking. The hero of the story is a confident young girl, which was almost unheard of before the film was made. Through this character Miyazaki brings important notions for the audience to ponder such as environmental issues, war, and a positive life philosophy that stems in acceptance and love. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Winds uniqueness radiates through its multifaceted moral lessons that can be hard to follow for young audiences. Nonetheless, Miyazaki remains true to the purpose of storytelling without using cinematic clichés from other films, which is to elevate understanding and wisdom of how to better one’s own life. In essence, Miyazaki’s visual journey lays the ground work for later wonderful anime films such as Grave of Fireflies (1988), Whisper of the Heart (1995), and Princess Mononoke (1997), which was developed through decades of hard work. ***

The story of Nausicaä’s adventure brings several interesting notions for the audience to contemplate. Many of these ideas are not foreign, but are presented in an appealing way, which could be easily accessible for adults and teens. Young children might enjoy the animation, but miss the complex message. Yet, these children will remember the film through its wonderful animation together with the films score, which will echo in their head for months after having seen the film. An interesting thought would be if the United Nations would make Nausicaä of the Valley of the Winds required viewing for all of the world leaders, as a lesson to help making better decisions in regards to humanity. Nonetheless, Nausicaä takes the audience on a breathtaking and suspenseful journey, which will leave the viewers in deep thoughts. *** ---

The quality of the image on Nausicaä of the Valley of the Winds has some graininess with occasional fragments. This could have been corrected with the help of computers. Edge enhancement is clearly present, if one looks for it. Overall the colors hold up well, but there is slight visible smear and blur. It is a little disappointing considering the cinematic value the film possesses. ***

The film has two language tracks, an English and a Japanese, which both are presented in a very good Dolby Digital 2.1. On the English language track the audience can hear big name actors such as Alison Lohman, Shia LaBeouf, Patrick Stewart, Uma Thurman, and Mark Hamill. The sound does not offer a bombastic sound experience, but it fits quite well with the film from 1984. There is no extra noise or hiss in the sound, as it is evidently crisp and lucid despite the limited use of speakers. *** ---

This two-disc edition has a very few extra features, but these features are pretty good. On the first disc the first feature is the Behind the Microphone, which portrays some of the English voiceover cast. They offer some short interviews in regards to their experience of giving the film an English voice. The second feature is the best portion of the extras, as it enlightens the audience about the birth of Studio Ghibli. It offers a detailed illustration of how the giants in the Japanese animation world were brought together, and how some projects came about or were almost tossed away. Besides the features on the first disc there are also original Japanese Trailers and some TV spots. In addition, there are trailers on the upcoming DVD Bambi, The Incredibles, Cat Returns, and Porco Rosso, which are summed up with how to register your DVD and a THX Optimizer. The second disc only has one feature, the complete storyboard of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Winds. This storyboard is interesting for those who are into animation and filmmaking; however, it might seem a little tiresome for those who only want to watch the feature. *** ---