Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind shows us a desolate and inhospitable world, one much like those of other sci-fi action movies of the 80s which depict post-apocalyptic or alien worlds. The early scenes of this film depict Nausicaä's procedural knowledge. She shows us how to work things, a way of living in this strange world. Her methods give the world texture. The same goes for the different outfits and styles of the people from different nations. In particular, she's good at handling agitated people and nonhuman animals. Teto bites her finger when she reaches out to it, but she remains calm until he realizes she isn't a threat. She treats the baby Ohm and Pejite warriors the same way. The Ohm are gigantic bugs with tentacles, dozens of sharp legs, and several rows of opaque, featureless eyes. They move in layered segments. Nausicaä respects them, and it's through her that we come to understand that their di...
"We are in the world, not against it." - Ursula K. Le Guin