Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
| Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind | |
|---|---|
| |
| Directed by | Hayao Miyazaki |
| Produced by | Isao Takahata |
| Written by | Hayao Miyazaki |
| Narrated by | Tony Jay (2005 Disney re-release) |
| Music by | Joe Hisaishi |
| Cinematography | Hideshi Kyonen |
| Editing by | Tomoko Kida, Naoki Kaneko, Shoji Sakai |
| Distributed by | Studio Ghibli |
| Release date(s) | 1985 |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (Japanese title: Kaze no tani no Naushika 風の谷のナウシカ) is an animated film epic released in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, and based upon his earlier manga.
Contents
Plot synopsis
A thousand years in the future mankind is struggling for survival against a spreading toxic jungle, with only the Valley of the Wind seemingly untouched until a hostile force brings in a sleeping giant with the intent to use it to destroy the jungle's insects; only a spirited princess (Nausicaä) stands in the way, learning more about the jungle than she intended.
Cast
Original Japanese cast
- Sumi Shimamoto...........Nausicaä
- Hisako Kyôda.............Oh-Baba
- Gorô Naya................Yupa
- Ichirô Nagai.............Mito
- Kôhei Miyauchi...........Goru
- Jôji Yanami..............Gikkuri
- Mîna Tominaga............Rastel
2005 Disney re-release cast
- Alison Lohman............Nausicaä
- Tress MacNeille..........Obaba
- Patrick Stewart..........Lord Yupa
- Edward James Olmos.......Mito
- Chris Sarandon...........Kurotowa
- Uma Thurman..............Kushana
- Mark Hamill..............Mayor of Pejite
- Tony Jay.................Narrator
Creation
The original story as written by Miyazaki took a total of twelve years to write, with lengthy interruptions due to other commitments. In all, 59 chapters, or five years of menga, were put on paper before work was stopped in 1983 to allow work on the film version, which was funded by Topcraft Studio. The success of the film (it ran for three months in Japan) led to the creation of Studio Ghibli, allowing Miyazaki total creative control over his later works. [1]
"Warriors of the Wind"
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind was first introduced to American audiences by New World Video in a heavily edited film titled "Warriors of the Wind", and broadcast on cable's Home Box Office in 1987. Essentially re-made for children, it focused more on the action than on the environmental theme which was elemental to Miyazaki's story; even Nausicaä's name was changed to "Princess Zandra". Both the editing and release was done without the assistance or approval of an angered Miyazaki, who later said that fans should "to dismiss it from their minds" when his film was restored and re-released in 2005. When Disney offered to re-release the film on DVD in 2005, Miyazaki by then had taken a hard line on future contracts regarding his films; he reportedly sent a samurai sword as a gift to Disney staff preparring another film (Princess Mononoke), bearing a short message attached to the blade which said succinctly: "No cuts". [2]
