Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is a 1984 Japanese animated film adapted and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. In a post-apocalyptic nature, the film is set 1000 years after the collapse of industrial civilization by the “Seven Days of Fire” catastrophe. The Sea of Decay, a vast poisonous forest, releases toxic vapors, deadly flora, and contagious spores. The world is polluted with toxic air, and the seas are poisonous. Massive creatures, Ohmus, spread fungal spores and, if enraged, start unstoppable stampedes. Meanwhile, other nations such as Torumekia seek to destroy the Sea of Decay, stopping at nothing to succeed, even if it includes resurrecting the last Giant Warrior, a lethal biological weapon from the ancient war. Nausicaä, princess of the Valley of the Wind then sets to unite her people and find a way to co-exist with the forest and its creatures.

The film’s optimistic ending splits from the manga, which employs a darker apocalyptic vision. Some have criticized Nausicaä's temporary sacrifice and sudden salvation in the end. At times, it also feels as though the film doesn't sufficiently explore all the intriguing ideas it presents. Some of the film's critics have expressed that the film tries to pack in too much of the manga for the film’s good and doesn't take advantage of the complex world it is told in. This is all, however, due to the film being an incomplete adaptation of the larger story. If anything, it might demonstrate how some of Miyazaki's visions are possibly too complex for a single film to do it justice. Although despite its limits, Nausicaä continues to be highly acclaimed.