Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

Produced by Isao Takahata and directed by Hayao Miyazaki based off a manga he did, Nausicaa has a lot of talent behind it, and while I found it a bit ponderous in places, it's got a lot of great moments and ideas, and is definitely a must see for any fan of the best anime can offer. Although I realize that a few of the Miyazaki films I've missed so far are among his most mundane work in setting, what I think is his greatest strength is creating unique fantasy worlds that never feel unoriginal but are still distinctly his own, and that's definitely on display here. Of course, he had all the time he was making the manga to develop his ideas, but the vision he has is impressive and very interesting.

As can be predicted at this point, the setting and plot have a strong environmental message embedded in their DNA. It's basically a post-apocalyptic vision of Earth, where our own pollution has destroyed the planet and turned parts of it into what is called the Sea of Decay, where humans need gas masks just to survive. Various nations come to be at war, some wanting to awaken a terrible giant that helped lead to the old Earth's destruction in the first place, others wanting to find another way to restore the ecosystem. There's a mix of medieval swordplay with weapons like tanks and various flying machines, with some of the action being as strong as in any Miyazaki movie.

Nausicaa is the standard Miyazaki female protagonist, valuing life extremely highly as she ventures into the Sea of Decay to learn more about it and salvage what she can. She's the princess of the nation she belongs to, and before long she's at the center of the escalating conflict and must do anything she can to save the world. I can't say the plot is entirely unpredictable or creative, but it hits all the right notes and never stumbles too badly either. There's some pretty wild imagery and nice animation, although the 1984-quality soundtrack is a bit lacking in credibility. In the end, it's perhaps not quite a great film, but I definitely enjoyed it.