Miyazaki and the environment- 4 movies to understand the authors vision

I’ve come to a point where I just can’t make a movie without addressing the problem of humanity as part of an ecosystem. —Hayao Miyazaki, interview with Asia Pulse, May 16, 1997

Nausicaa of the valley of the wind

We cannot talk about Miyazaki's environmentalism without mentioning Nassica of the valley of wind. In the movie, a threatening jungle is spreading very fast and multiple groups of humans are trying to destroy it and its inhabitants using ancient lost technology.

She discovers that in fact, the jungle itself is essential to life on earth. The trees that live there purify the water and soil that allows life to continue to live. This could be related to how in our world, plants and trees are the only naturally occurring way to clean up carbon dioxide, which in excess causes warming of the globe, commonly known as global warming. You might have heard of it.

So in fact, the source that the humans so desperately wants gone is exactly the source keeping them alive. The toxins and insects were an evolutionary development of the environment to keep humans away from the jungle so they can peacefully continue their purification process.

Princess Mononoke: Is coexistence between humans and nature possible?

This movie tells the tale of a dying forest facing the increasing pressure of an industrialised village, the iron town. From this threatened world the voices of nature take the form of spirits demons, wolves animated by the hatred of the humans and represented by the rage of Princess Mononoke. While watching this movie it is very tempting to take the side of the princess and encourage her crusade in killing Lady Eboshi, the head chef of the iron town, however, Miyazaki the writer invites us into finding another solution.

Firstly, the main character Ashitaka decides to take no side in the rivalry between the two women preventing them to kill each other multiple times. Indeed, during the entire movie, he attempts to understand both parties to find an understanding. Representing Miyazaki's point of view on the relationship between nature and humans, the writer wants to demonstrate that an understanding and a coexistence is possible between the two parties.

Secondly, rather than depicting the iron town and its ruler as evil wanting to take everything from nature, the author depicts the village as a community where everyone relies on each other and where the rulers want to take care and protect their people even if it's done at the expense of nature. Like the final scene of the movie with the Deer god capable of giving life and taking it away, nothing even machinery and industrialization can be defined as good or bad, it is always a question of purpose and goal;

Humans and nature can coexist, machines can be used at the service of nature, there is always a compromise that can be found

The castle in the sky, the machines at the service of nature?

Following this vision of the writer, the castle in the sky also illustrate the potential coexistence of technology and nature and the idea of nothing is evil it's what you do with it that matters. In this movie, the main character, Shiita possess the key to a long-forgotten flying city equipped with technology forgotten by men. Here the main evil character of the film colonel Mustang wants to access this key n order to address its domination of the world.

This technology takes the shape of menacing robots able to destroy everything when ordered to contrast with their behaviour when used at the service of nature showing carefulness towards animals and plants being able to sacrifice themselves to what they have been assigned to protect.

Spirited away: appearances can sometimes fool you:

Although environmental protection isn't the main plot, Whilst Chihiro is woking in the baths, a bothersome “stink spirit” makes an appearance and causes minor chaos. When finally calmed down and cleaned, it turns out to be a river spirit that has been polluted by people’s careless actions. As with Prince Ashitaka, Chihiro becomes a bridge between the human and spirit world, tasked with creating balance and harmony between the two.