Ancillary #7: The Under-hyped Miyazaki Film
Japanese and American reception of Hayao Miyazaki’s 1984 Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Studio Ghibli’s honorary “first release”, has varied dramatically. Not only did the film enjoy widespread popularity during its original release in Japan (becoming that year’s highest grossing film), approval has endured with modern anime-enthusiasts. In contrast, American audiences of both the 80s and the present day have responded very poorly to the critically-acclaimed film. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind doesn’t fare well even among American Miyazaki followers; many have not even heard of the movie. While some Americans may (oddly) argue Nausicaä hasn’t performed well by virtue of merit alone, I argue that the film’s religious values is the true culprit for its criminal undersuccess. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’s plot and broader thematic elements heavily reflect a Buddhist influence, to the extent that its content is incompatible with the predominantly Christian American audience.
The film’s plot is not human-driven. Rather, it is nature-driven; even the antagonist of the movie is humbled by forces of the earth. In this way, the film effectively states that humanity cannot attempt to assert any sense of control over the Earth. It is truly nature who controls and humbles us. This reflects a strongly Buddhist reverence for life and non-human beings that, frankly, we as Americans lack. Specifically, us Americans view mankind at the pinnacle of the food/life pyramid — this is strongly informed by our largely Christian world-view, in which man and only man was made in God’s image. There is also an unintentional (SPOILER ALERT AHEAD) false prophet sense to the film (at least, “false prophet” through a Christian lens). The film ends with the protagonist, Princess Nausicaä, walking through a field of gold in flowing blue robes, as a wise woman rejoices and cries out that the Princess has fulfilled a mythical legend.
Others may argue that other legitimately popular Miyazaki films reflect similar values, thus disapproving my argument. I agree that several key ideologies span all of the director’s production, but to critically varying degrees. In Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, the imbalance of power between humanity and nature becomes central to the plot. The film does not simply say that we must protect the environment — an idea that generally polls well with modern audiences, and especially with the anime-consuming youth that espouses Miyazaki’s films in the US. It says that Earth will rebalance the world entirely through its efforts alone (in the process, exterminating mankind), regardless of any human activity. In contrast, thematically similar films (ie Princess Mononoke) instead deliver a far less drastic environmental message. There are also other morals involved in that film that are fairly central, such as the idea that love conquers all.
