Hayao Mizayaki marvels in an influential and still sensational ecoterrorist story
In the eyes of many, Studio Ghibli is synonymous with Hayao Miyazaki, and Hayao Miyazaki is Studio Ghibli. Of course, the most prestigious anime studio in the world He has had room for many more works, some essential like those of his partner Isao Takahata and some dispensable or even bad (we don’t want to point too much to Gorō Miyazaki, who already has his father lowering his morale, but some have substance).
And it must also be taken into account that Miyazaki’s work and development of his craft began long before he formed the studio, working on many anime series and even a very notable ‘Lupine III’ feature film. But if you have to choose an important turning pointkey to the transition between the notable goldsmith and the genius with an unmistakable personality, that would be ‘Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’.
Wind, sand and poison
The magical fantasy and science fiction film, released almost 30 years ago, has returned to Spanish cinemas for a limited time to flood us again with his imagination, with his influence on fascinating dystopias or works with ecological concerns such as ‘Avatar’ or ‘Dune’ (although Miyazaki also took influence from the original book). In addition to theaters, this superb film can be enjoyed streaming through Netflix.
In it we are shown a distant future where the planet is mostly desert, if not plagued by a type of toxic jungle inhabited by poisonous mushrooms and insects of enormous size. The valley of the wind is one of the only places that survives danger, with the brave princess Nausicaä. But the arrival of the neighboring kingdoms will awaken a war that will once again put the planet and humanity at risk.
Miyazaki was shaping the world and story of ‘Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’ originally in manga format, considering that Its visual and thematic ambitions were unviable for a film. In fact, it was stipulated that it would never be adapted to the audiovisual medium, but the good reception of ‘Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro’ and the potential of the manga led producer Toshio Suzuki to convince him to direct the film himself, with Isao Takahata joining the production team.
‘Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’: an incredible fantasy
Those three legs (Miyazaki, Suzuki and Takahata) were later the founding fathers of Studio Ghibli, which is why ‘Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’ is popularly considered the studio’s first production, although it did not exist and this one does not exist. is officially a Ghibli film. But if it is A Miyazaki film in every senseestablishing his particular vision of fantasy with youthful protagonists as well as his enthusiasm for advancing animation as a medium through its visual possibilities.
That is why we have a prodigious film in terms of design, in the execution of action or flight sequences (a personal obsession of the author) or in its intelligent use of colors. Of course, he is also passionate about his heartfelt eco-terrorist story, trying to send an urgent message for the preservation of the planet through a meticulously constructed mythology and a sensational protagonist character. The first of many essential Miyazaki films.
In Espinof | The best animated films in history
In Espinof | The best movies of 2024
