Today’s quick review: The Wind Rises. Ever since he was a boy, Jiro Horikoshi (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) has dreamed of building airplanes. Taking inspiration from Italian aircraft designer Count Caproni (Stanley Tucci), Jiro lands a job designing one of Japan’s first metal fighter planes. As he wrestles with the technical and ethical challenges of his work, a twist of fate introduces him to the love of his life: Nahoko Satomi (Emily Blunt).
The Wind Rises is a Japanese animated romantic drama written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. The movie is based loosely on the life and career of Jiro Horikoshi, as well as on a novel by Hori Tatsuo. The Wind Rises takes Miyazaki’s signature style and applies it to a grounded, biographical story set in 1930s Japan. The movie’s touching themes and visual artistry make it an effective drama, but it lacks the raw imagination that fans may expect.
The Wind Rises is one of Hayao Miyazaki’s more mature works. The film retains the gorgeous visuals and gentle tone he is known for, but it weaves in more realistic concerns as well. Jiro’s love of aviation is pure and shines through in the animation, but the specter of war threatens to twist his designs to destructive ends. His romance with Nahoko is similarly mature, a sweet and earnest tale of love in the face of hardship.
The result is a beautiful, wistful film that touches on life’s challenges without giving in to despair. The Wind Rises is not as fanciful as other Studio Ghibli films, nor is its story as active. Those hoping for the simple escape of a fantasy world will not find it here. But those who are interested in a contemplative film with fine craftsmanship and life-affirming themes should give The Wind Rises a try.
For a more adventurous Miyazaki film about the love of flying, try Porco Ross or Kiki’s Delivery Service. For a more hopeful romance from Studio Ghibli, try Whisper of the Heart. For a romance with a historical setting and touches of fantasy, try Millennium Actress. For a similarly beautiful and much more tragic story of World War II’s impact on Japan, check out Grave of the Fireflies.
7.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for beautiful animation and a bittersweet story.