| 7/27/2005 |
AIR THAT I BREATHE by The Hollies
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You might have noticed the Netflix queue has changed.
That is because Valley of the Wind has been viewed. The English version has such well known actors as Patrick Stewart, Uma Thurman, & Chris Sarandon. I am always a little surprised when I see English speaking actors in anime. I have a hard time thinking that anime reaches such a wide variety of people. I think of it as more of a tailored and niche auidience that it draws. Basically, I have a hard time thinking Jean-Luc Picard is sitting down with a bowl of Fruit Loops and the first volume of Sailor Moon.
So yeah... Nausicaa: Valley of the Wind. (C-) Coming off the heels of Howl's Moving Castle and being a fan of Spirited Away I was looking forward to seeing this movie. What can I say..? Meh. Nausicaa is Princess of Valley of the Wind. She is also a very adept fighter and pilot. She hangglides her way around through most of this movie. The world has been burned and reborn. Poison forest cover much of the planet. Insects with bad tempers patrol these forests. The inhabitants of the valley want to live in peace with the forest/insects. Nausicaa seems to have a way with animals. She calms an ohm (like a roly-poly bug but the size of a whale) and a ferel little animal that is some sort of Pikachu cousin. There is a legend about a warrior dressed in blue and fields of gold, but it's never really explained what this chosen one will do or what will happen when he arrives.
Nausicaa is on a crusade to save the planet and cure the illness that her father/King has come down with. It's never really explained what made him sick. Was it the forest? He looks to be about 100 anyway... Could it be old age? Anyway... The movie doesn't roll like that. The Valley is drawn into the middle of a conflict between two neighboring countries. The Tolumekia and Pejite are at odds with one another. A warrior from the past has been unearthed. A "God Warrior". These were the the monsters that burned the world before. Now whoever controlled one of these monsters would rule.
Tolumekia swoops in a steals the warrior from Pejite, but the warrior is too heavy for the aircraft and crashes in the Valley. As part of a 'hostage' envoy Nausicaa and several Valleians go back to with the Princess of Tolumekia (Uma Thurman). Along the way they are attacked by Pejite airships and go down in the poison woods. Everyone survives, but they land in the middle of an ohm nest. Nausicaa clams them, but only briefly as they take off in a rage. Where are they going?
Well you see, the Pejites have caputred a baby ohm and they know how to use it. They are leading the the ohms and other insects to trample right through the valley. Yeah... I'm not quite sure why either.
I'll stop there with the recap in case someone decides to watch it. I will however say this... quit reading now if you don't want to know how I feel about the ending. NOW!
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Ok... so the ending was very unresolved. It's pretty clear from the beginning who the chosen one is going to be so I'm not spoiling anything be saying it's the girl. Whoo-hoo! But... ok... so... she does what? In the end, the three countries aren't really at peace. The insects are still around. The earth is still poisoned. Nausicaa now knows that the poison forest is trying to purify the planet. Ok. Cool. So... now what?
Truly. It's like the writers just decided rather than explain any more let's just stop now that we've resurrected the hero. I'd imagine a conversation with Nausicaa right after the last scene in the movie would be like.
VILLAGERS: You're the Legend Fulfilled!
NAUSICAA: Me?
VILLAGERS: Yes. You! Lead us!
NAUSICAA: Well, I was already your Princess and my father is now dead, so yeah... I would have done that anyway.
VILLAGERS: Oh... So what does this legend hold in store for us.
WISE WOMAN: I don't know exactly. Only that the warrior would come. It's a little fuzzy after that.
NAUSICAA: Everyone keep your masks on! The air is still poisoned!
VILLAGERS: But I thought you were going to cleans-...
NAUSICAA: Did you not hear me say to keep your masks on? If you die... it's your own stupid fault. |
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I posted this @ 7/27/2005 08:55:00 AM.............Need a link?..........
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