Do yourself a flava and read the Manga. The movie ends before where the first volume ends, but the story goes in a completely different and much more interesting direction.
I'm not into anime, but this is in my top 3 favorite movies. Aside from the sheer coolness, it's environmentalist but not in the typical annoying way like the blue people Avatar movie. It's more matter-of-fact, you won't win fighting against nature or against each other.
And the main character has the right amount of flaws. Even though Nausicaa is totally against war by the second half, the movie shows that this is easier said than done. She has to reach that conclusion after taking part in the fighting herself, and even then she has to use warning shots from a machine gun. She's not invincible until the last scene.
> When analyzing Miyazakiās films, including NausicaƤ of the Valley of the Wind, often the messages regarding warfareās effects on the natural world focus more on the direct impacts rather than the indirect ones. Additionally, many researchers look at the film from a spiritual lens with DeWeese-Boyd (2009) believing NausicaƤ serves as a Christ-like figure, while both Morgan (2015) and Nunes (2021) believe that NausicaƤ serves as an example of how to restore balance between humans and nature. Despite that, these authors see her role in restoring balance differently. Nunes believes that NausicaƤ gave herself to nature, sacrificing her free will in order to heal the earth without personal bias. On the other hand, Morgan believes that she serves as an example of how the fragmentation between the mind, body, spirit and nature can be restored through respect and care for the natural world.
I never thought of the parallel with Christ in the numerous times I watched this film but I can understand why someone would make that connection given the final scenes.
For a contemporary example of the effects of war on nature the area around Bilohorivka in Ukraine is quite the eye opener. At least it was for me.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Bilohorivka,+Luhansk+oblas...
As the site is currently getting hugged I will say that Nausicaa didn't quite leave as much an impression on me as Grave of the Fireflies, but Miyazaki's environment design is always spot-on (the entirety of Farewell My Beloved Lupin, for example, improves on every rewatch as you notice more details).
Memories was a good one too
https://blog.alltheanime.com/memories-cannon-fodder/
Blue Gender also good for humanity losing to something
You should notice the shadow of the traumatic experience from atomic bombs that permeated into the Japanese society throughout the 20th century (vs. concerns around carbon emissions today.)
> The paper will show that the visuals in the film are not simply aesthetic decisions, but a crucial narrative device to convey the effects of war on both people and nature.
I don't need science to come to this conclusion.
"... Miyazaki warns against the dangers of harmful technology and the moral implications of its use."
Apropos for current times.
If you like nausicaƤ give scavengers reign a watch.
We have satellite footage of war zones in real life to visualize the environmental impacts with cameras from outer space
Laughs in Anno Hideaki.
Absolute masterpiece both the Anime and this blog entry.
I remember as a skinny 80s kid, walking barefoot into a videostore near the beach in Spain where I lived. No internet, TV only had 4 channels, and aside from the gift of Dragon Ball on TV nothing else that interested or inspired me.
Then out of hundreds of videos I saw this, I had no idea who Ghibli, anime, even was and had few friends as I was autistic.
Yet I could tell from a couple of pictures on the cover it had themes of flying and war beautifully painted.
I ended up watching that, in the late 80s on a crt , in my swim trunks, and although we had next to no money, and plastic furniture in the house ( ironically we lived in the spanish "malibu")... just my family were common workers... I ended up spending a couple of dollars to rent it out a number of times.
Thank you Miyazaki and Studio Ghlibli for your work, it elevated souls in far reaches.