Directed by animation auteur Hayao Miyazak, his final work is the story of a Japanese designer trying to create his dream plane.
Set in Japan is the story of a Jiro Horikoshi, who as a young boy always wanted to fly planes but develops a love of designing them instead. Through his story historical events are charted, from the Great Kanto Earthquake, to the Great Depression and finally World War II.
Where other directors are rushing to 3D animation, Miyazak illustrates how wonderful traditional 2D animation still can be. The film is visually spectacular, with some incredibly beautiful expressionic and naturalistic scenes. Geared towards an adult audience, it shows Jiro’s subconscious motivations, his career rise, as well as him falling in love, whilst all being cleverly interwoven and driven forward by historical events.
Few films are able to capture the creative process, but The Wind Rises succeeds with a subtlety and a deft of touch rarely found in standard films, never mind animated ones. The dreams sequences are also a delight with Jiro’s hero Giovanni Battista Caproni becoming his mentor, guiding him through the pitfalls of their turbulent times. The soundscaping is also cleverly thought through with natural disasters taking on a hauntingly humanistic tone.
The love story is sincere, and also intertwined with tragic historical events, from their meeting in the Great Kanto Earthquake to their reunion with the onset of the Nazi’s looming over them. Though Jiro and Naoko relationship is genuine and heartfelt, it does at times feel neglected as does Jiro’s relationship with his sister.
The film, knowingly or not, raises a pertinent question. Jiro has a passion for building planes, but he can’t escape the fact his plans are being used for war. It’s touched upon briefly and is clear in the Caproni dreams sequences that Jiro is aware of this dilemma, but he never faces the consequences of his actions directly. Instead he is somewhat aloof to the fact that his beautiful creation will cause so much devastation.
As a film that depicts the creative process, it excels, as a film that depicts the consequences of those creations, it side steps the issue. This is no Grave of the Fireflies, but then again, nor is it trying to be.
An ode to flying and creativity if this is Hayao Miyazak’s last film it’s a great last film to go out on.
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