WindariaIt's terrifyingly easy to get swept up in the mania of political fervor, antipathy for a distant enemy, and to justify one's actions as necessary for peace, yet remain ignorant of the ramifications on those caught in the crossfire. Windaria is an animated film about a fantasy world in which two kingdoms--Lunaria and the Shadowlands--are on the verge of war, and the valley between them is poised to become their battleground. Fearing the imminent carnage, Allen (Kerrigan Mahan) accepts a mission as a liaison between the kingdoms in the interests of saving his home and his wife, Marie (Jane Alan). But Allen's integrity is challenged as the battle rages, and he falls prey to the dangerous rhetoric of "peace in our time".
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Windaria was originally released in Japan in 1986 and was directed by Kunihiko Yuyama; it was subsequently edited and re-released in America by Harmony Gold, and the English script was directed by localization pioneer, Carl Macek. The story is a tragedy that has echoes of Shakespeare--notably "Romeo and Juliet" and "Macbeth". Allen convinces himself that he is justified in committing a terrible atrocity for the defense of his homeland, recounting this at his moment of "enlightenment" on the verge of death. His testament emerges through flashbacks, and he narrates the events that led to his terrible sin. (Allen's older self is voiced by Russell Johnson.) Windaria also explores how people relinquish their individual agency through the influence of their parents, evidenced by the scions of these rival kingdoms, Princess Veronica (Barbara Goodson) of Lunaria and Prince Roland (Bruce Nielsen) of the Shadowlands. Veronica and Roland are in love with each other, but their relationship is sacrificed on the altar of their parents' pointless war, whose machinations and squabbles reveal that they are more interested in feuding than ruling. The juxtaposition of Allen and Marie's love with Veronica and Roland's is reminiscent of "A Midsummer Night's Dream", alternating between those who live in luxury and the common folk, and how--in Windaria--the war makes victims of them all.
The film opens at Allen's funeral, on a hillside overlooking the flooded ruins of what was Lunaria. Allen's spirit ascends into the sky in the form of a red bird made of light, and flies up toward a machine-like airship that perpetually hovers off in the distance above the waters beyond the shore. Its role in this transition to the afterlife is never explained, lending a haunting and inscrutable ambience to Windaria. Despite his legacy as a savior of Windaria after the great war, Allen confesses that he was just as responsible for its destruction. Throngs of people attend his funeral in appreciation, including a young couple that resemble Allen and Marie, signifying that a love like theirs continues to thrive in this reborn world. Details about the world of Windaria are deliberately mysterious, and have echoes of the myths and religions of our own world. The path of enlightenment is akin to the afterlife, and the colossal tree that sits in the center of the valley is a symbol of the faith of the humble farmers that make their living by the sweat of their brows, and care not for the quibbles of their petty rulers. There is a wandering woman in the valley named Juliet (Wendee Lee/Melodee Spevack), who cries out to the shadowy airship, begging for her soul to join her lover who has long since departed. When Allen is confronted by the enormity of his actions and is brought to the cliffside where the airship visibly floats in the distance, Juliet shares her insight with him. She has come to understand that enlightenment is something that must be "earned", and is subsequently turned to stone, as though her time to ascend has run out--she is forced to stare out into the vast sea forever.
The political climate in Windaria is at a boiling point from the start, and no one does anything to quell the flames. The Lunarian Queen (Catherine Battistone) has been withholding fresh water from the Shadowlands, intimated to be due to their failure to pay for the water; it is more likely that this originates from her opinionated advisers that needle her into seeing the Shadowlanders as inferior, subsequently depriving them water out of arrogance. King Drako (Michael McConnohie) of the Shadowlands is a militaristic aggressor who all but relishes the excuse to mobilize his armies, despite their ineptitude and slovenliness. After a Shadowlander steals the key to the floodgates and opens them, Allen rushes to the rescue of Lunaria and seals the gates before the city is drowned--an act that proves tragically ironic later. The man is labeled a "saboteur"; considering the toxic drinking water of the Shadowlands, it's more likely that this "terrorist" was desperate to funnel fresh water into his homeland. Allen's trip to the Shadowlands reveals that the reason the Shadowlands is without a stable source of water has nothing to do with geography; they have industrialized to the point where their entire landscape is a barren wasteland, and their skies are filled with smog and chemical waste. Both of these countries hide from their unique problems; their ignorance means that they are destined to fail at enriching their respective nations through their war, and only bring ruin to both. Their greed is championed as pride and their tyranny is excused as being in the interests of national security.
There is a sad inevitability to Windaria that has led to it being described as a "tearjerker". Consider when Allen enthusiastically accepts a fancy red hovercraft from the insidious Legato (Abe Lasser)--a Shadowlands adviser who immediately looks sinister--tempting Allen with riches and the prospect of ending the war before it starts through a secret mission. Allen returns home--after playing around with his new toy in the valley--and reveals his assignment to Marie, who sees this as a tragedy waiting to happen. She tries to persuade him not to leave her, because she knows that she will never see him again; when he tries to reassure her, he repeats that "everything will be okay" in so many different ways all at once, that it is as though he were trying to convince himself. After Allen departs, Marie is approached by a fellow valley dweller who worries about Allen's safety; Marie puts on a brave face and tries to assure him that Allen will be fine. It's clear just how little Marie believes her own lie; she understands that those who become involved in this conflict will only bring devastation upon themselves and those they love. Allen's hubris invites corruption into his soul, leading him to become the executor of the Shadowlanders' abhorrent plan to flood Lunaria while their armies do battle in the valley. He hasn't been portrayed as evil up to this point, previously coming across as ebullient and even childlike in his enthusiasm--even when he tells a little white lie at the market about the freshness of his vegetables. Allen is persuaded into believing that he can make a difference by making sacrifices to his integrity. He is seduced by women and money, and loses sight of the reason he took the assignment in the first place--to protect the woman he loves from destruction. Allan and Marie's tragedy is mirrored in Veronica and Roland; the hawkishness of their parents and the burden of fulfilling their dying wishes is the only legacy they leave behind for their children. There is a touching scene where Veronica and Roland meet for a secret rendezvous in the eldritch forest and joke about what it would mean if they were forced to confront one another in battle. They meet again after witnessing the other leading warriors against their respective kinsmen, and their reunion transitions from bitterness to resigned despair; they have been caught in the undertow of their families' strife, and their only escape is death.
Recommended for: Fans of a touching and poignant tragedy about how easily people can become wrapped up in the proxy wars of politicians and rulers, and the destruction it brings. Windaria is a haunting and beautiful animated film that has a powerful message--as relevant in today's politically-charged times as ever, where people seem to praise acrimony over sympathy, and retribution over forgiveness.
The film opens at Allen's funeral, on a hillside overlooking the flooded ruins of what was Lunaria. Allen's spirit ascends into the sky in the form of a red bird made of light, and flies up toward a machine-like airship that perpetually hovers off in the distance above the waters beyond the shore. Its role in this transition to the afterlife is never explained, lending a haunting and inscrutable ambience to Windaria. Despite his legacy as a savior of Windaria after the great war, Allen confesses that he was just as responsible for its destruction. Throngs of people attend his funeral in appreciation, including a young couple that resemble Allen and Marie, signifying that a love like theirs continues to thrive in this reborn world. Details about the world of Windaria are deliberately mysterious, and have echoes of the myths and religions of our own world. The path of enlightenment is akin to the afterlife, and the colossal tree that sits in the center of the valley is a symbol of the faith of the humble farmers that make their living by the sweat of their brows, and care not for the quibbles of their petty rulers. There is a wandering woman in the valley named Juliet (Wendee Lee/Melodee Spevack), who cries out to the shadowy airship, begging for her soul to join her lover who has long since departed. When Allen is confronted by the enormity of his actions and is brought to the cliffside where the airship visibly floats in the distance, Juliet shares her insight with him. She has come to understand that enlightenment is something that must be "earned", and is subsequently turned to stone, as though her time to ascend has run out--she is forced to stare out into the vast sea forever.
The political climate in Windaria is at a boiling point from the start, and no one does anything to quell the flames. The Lunarian Queen (Catherine Battistone) has been withholding fresh water from the Shadowlands, intimated to be due to their failure to pay for the water; it is more likely that this originates from her opinionated advisers that needle her into seeing the Shadowlanders as inferior, subsequently depriving them water out of arrogance. King Drako (Michael McConnohie) of the Shadowlands is a militaristic aggressor who all but relishes the excuse to mobilize his armies, despite their ineptitude and slovenliness. After a Shadowlander steals the key to the floodgates and opens them, Allen rushes to the rescue of Lunaria and seals the gates before the city is drowned--an act that proves tragically ironic later. The man is labeled a "saboteur"; considering the toxic drinking water of the Shadowlands, it's more likely that this "terrorist" was desperate to funnel fresh water into his homeland. Allen's trip to the Shadowlands reveals that the reason the Shadowlands is without a stable source of water has nothing to do with geography; they have industrialized to the point where their entire landscape is a barren wasteland, and their skies are filled with smog and chemical waste. Both of these countries hide from their unique problems; their ignorance means that they are destined to fail at enriching their respective nations through their war, and only bring ruin to both. Their greed is championed as pride and their tyranny is excused as being in the interests of national security.
There is a sad inevitability to Windaria that has led to it being described as a "tearjerker". Consider when Allen enthusiastically accepts a fancy red hovercraft from the insidious Legato (Abe Lasser)--a Shadowlands adviser who immediately looks sinister--tempting Allen with riches and the prospect of ending the war before it starts through a secret mission. Allen returns home--after playing around with his new toy in the valley--and reveals his assignment to Marie, who sees this as a tragedy waiting to happen. She tries to persuade him not to leave her, because she knows that she will never see him again; when he tries to reassure her, he repeats that "everything will be okay" in so many different ways all at once, that it is as though he were trying to convince himself. After Allen departs, Marie is approached by a fellow valley dweller who worries about Allen's safety; Marie puts on a brave face and tries to assure him that Allen will be fine. It's clear just how little Marie believes her own lie; she understands that those who become involved in this conflict will only bring devastation upon themselves and those they love. Allen's hubris invites corruption into his soul, leading him to become the executor of the Shadowlanders' abhorrent plan to flood Lunaria while their armies do battle in the valley. He hasn't been portrayed as evil up to this point, previously coming across as ebullient and even childlike in his enthusiasm--even when he tells a little white lie at the market about the freshness of his vegetables. Allen is persuaded into believing that he can make a difference by making sacrifices to his integrity. He is seduced by women and money, and loses sight of the reason he took the assignment in the first place--to protect the woman he loves from destruction. Allan and Marie's tragedy is mirrored in Veronica and Roland; the hawkishness of their parents and the burden of fulfilling their dying wishes is the only legacy they leave behind for their children. There is a touching scene where Veronica and Roland meet for a secret rendezvous in the eldritch forest and joke about what it would mean if they were forced to confront one another in battle. They meet again after witnessing the other leading warriors against their respective kinsmen, and their reunion transitions from bitterness to resigned despair; they have been caught in the undertow of their families' strife, and their only escape is death.
Recommended for: Fans of a touching and poignant tragedy about how easily people can become wrapped up in the proxy wars of politicians and rulers, and the destruction it brings. Windaria is a haunting and beautiful animated film that has a powerful message--as relevant in today's politically-charged times as ever, where people seem to praise acrimony over sympathy, and retribution over forgiveness.