I’ve had a copy of Nausicaa in my collection for about 2 months now, and only yesterday managed to sit down and watch it. It’s the fourth of Hayao Miyazaki’s films that I’ve seen, the other three being Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and Howl’s Moving Castle.
If you’re familiar with any of Miyazaki’s work, you’ll have some idea what to expect. Lots of fantastic creatures in fantastic places you only wish you could visit someday. Nausicaa is a bit more than that though. It has more in common with Princess Mononoke than the other two for one very simple reason - the story and the characters are more important than the images on screeen.
For me, both Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle are very visual films, both focusing more on what you see than what you are told. This is not a criticism of either film. Far from it. Spirited Away is one of favourite animes ever!
But Nausicaa is a very different beast. The characters are complicated and the story quite political (though thankfully not in a “Star Wars - Episode 1″ kinda way!). If you are expecting another friendly, “Alice in Wonderland”-esque tale, then guess again. This is quite aggressive story telling combined with Miyazaki’s amazing ability to amaze and enchant children. This is what Disney wants to be when it grows up!
If you have not encountered Hayao Miyazaki’s work before, I highly recommend any of the above. Just bear in mind that some may not be entirely what you expect!
