Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is actually one of the later Miyazaki films I have watched, which is a little ironic since it was one of Miyazaki's earlier works. After watching the film for the first time, I was very impressed by all the detail that Miyazaki had put into his film. I am beginning to see why so many people consider this film as one of their favorites.

What I found most impressive in the film is the main character, Nausicaa. Compared to all of Miyazaki's other films, Nausicaa proves to be the ideal shojo character. Nausicaa is a scientist and a fighter, which shows that not only does she have brains but she also has brawn. These kinds of characteristics are normally seen in male protagonists. Although she is a princess and shows feminine qualities such as giggling, she is nowhere near being a damsel in distress type character. Throughout the film we can clearly see that can take care of herself.

While watching Nausicaa progress in the film, I felt at times that maybe she was a little too perfect or unreal. However, it wasn't until I saw the fight sequence where Nausicaa defeats the soldiers that killed her father that I realized she is not perfect. She is human just like everyone else. In this scene, Nausicaa is blinded by rage but comes to a stop after realizing that she has wounded her uncle. This scene proves to be of great significance because we see that there are moments when she is vulnerable. Throughout the rest of the film, we also see that she chooses to save lives rather than take them. One example is in the scene Nausicaa is escaping from a burning airship. In this scene, Nausicaa decides rescue Lady Kushana even though she knows full well that Kushana is an enemy.

Another scene that I felt was very powerful is the scene when Nausicaa tries to prevent the baby Ohmu from crossing the lake. In this scene, we see Nausicaa's ankles getting burned by the acid and then falling in pain as she tries to push the baby ohmu back. I was impressed by her strong willpower to save the baby ohmu. Nausicaa is willing to save anyone regardless of how hideous they may be.

After watching this film, I hope to analyze Miyazaki's later female protagonist in comparison to Nausicaa. Hopefully I will be able to find interesting similarities and differences in his next films.