summary: Hayao Miyazaki’s last Studio Ghibli film was The wind blowsstarring Jiro Horikoshi. Jiro dreamed of flying since he was a child and brought this passion into a career in aeronautical engineering. He developed the Mitsubishi A5M and Mitsubishi A6M “Zero” used in World War II. The film details his life and its impact.
type: drama
company: Studio Ghibli
Format: Movie; 126 minutes.
date: July 20, 2013
Where to buy: Amazon (affiliate)
The Wind Rises Soundtrack Review
Highlights
Art: It’s not as wild as Miyazaki’s previous works, but it’s appropriate considering the storyline.
Erlang: His dream brought many tragedies.
Side characters: Their perspective covers Erlang’s blind spots.
Hayao Miyazaki’s swan song: A perfect ending to a wonderful career.
Comments on The Wind Rises
The wind blows To expose the complexities and contradictions of the human condition for all to see. The story centers on Jiro Horikoshi, a dreamer and idealist dedicated to creating beautiful airplanes. But these lofty ambitions were tainted by the massacre of countless people during the war. It is within this personal conflict that Jiro’s story is told, providing a powerful conclusion to Miyazaki’s career.
The tragedy was caused by a single-minded passion that bordered on obsession. In it, we see a man eager to take Japan Airlines to greater heights. His head was constantly in the clouds, and in his dreams he met and talked with his idol, Italian count and aviation pioneer Giovanni Caproni. The Count is a source of inspiration and a voice that reminds Jiro of what he will face if he pursues his dream to the end. The film depicts this dilemma well when Caproni compares the beauty and ugliness of Jiro’s dream to the pyramids.
Nonetheless, Jiro’s passion drives him forward, earning him the admiration of his superiors but also making him seem indifferent to what’s going on around him. His focus transcends everything else, which causes much admiration and consternation, but ultimately, it makes him deeply human.
Jiro’s seeming ignorance is offset by the excellent supporting cast. Among them, Motoro Honjo, played by John Krasinski, is one of the highlights of the film. Honjo is an engineer and Jiro’s friend, and he plays a cynical role throughout the film, voicing the doubts in the audience’s mind. Stanley Tucci’s Count Caproni also does an excellent job as Erlang’s spiritual mentor, showing him not only what’s possible but also the pain his conscience must endure.
One of the most fascinating aspects of the film is the relationship between Jiro and his wife Naoko. The manner of courtship is typical of the Taisho period, but it adds symbolic meaning to the duality of Erlang’s dream. In the film, we see her as beautiful and considerate, but also fragile and delicate. The closer Jiro gets to designing Japan’s air war machine, the closer the two get to tragedy. Her parting words near the end of the film crystallize the moral foundation of Jiro’s pursuit, creating a brilliant and bittersweet ending.
The scenery is relatively tame for a Miyazaki film. They have no advantages Ponyounderwater scenery, the marvelous workings of the eponymous castle howl’s moving castlenor is it an evocative place Spirited Away. Instead, a notable scene in Miyazaki’s depiction involves the violent rolling of the ground. 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. Then there’s Miyazaki’s love of aviation, which is reflected in the delicate ribbon construction of Count Caproni’s plane and the practical yet deadly design of Jiro’s plane. The use of color is also appropriate as the browns and grays of ash and rubble depict the devastating aftermath of the earthquake and Japanese military invasion.
When looking at Hayao Miyazaki’s filmography, we find that the works range from the whimsical to the fantastic, but all touch deeply on the human ability to soar to great heights and the frailties that drive human beings to low. The wind blows is the culmination of all these elements. We are left with a deep sense of loss and a strong sense of the tragedy Erlang endured. But it also brings with it a sense of sadness as we say goodbye to a master of his craft.
grade: Excellent