Synopsis
In 2013, the Japanese animated historical drama, The Wind Rises which is created by Studio Ghibli and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, is remembered from the fantasy epics that the director is usually known for. Most of his films possess a bit of magic and fantasy, however, The Wind Rises is much more personal, telling the story of the Jiro Horikoshi: the designer Japan’s Zero fighter plane during WW2 which is unlike many other stories that Miyazaki has created. The Wind Rises is a more personal story, telling the realities and emotions that Jiro must of felt during the war.
The entire movie focuses on Jiro’s determination and dream of becoming an engineer. Jiro is a passionate engineer and his entire life is devoted to building airplanes. His dreams of becoming an engineer is strengthened by the strong figures of his life like Giovanni Caproni, who is a famous Italian aircraft designer. Caproni is so passionate about his craft that he dreams of making it and is an inspiration to many dreamers.
Jiro’s journey revolves around the 1923 The Great Kanto Earthquake, Japan’s struggle during the 1920’s – 1930’s, and the societal tension before the war. He continues via university education and joins a new firm and, as has been said so often he has been revered for his intelligence, hard work, and his sweet silence.
After the great earthquake, during the chaos he meets with a young girl Naoko Satomi. He helped her, and years later the two ended up reconecting by chance at a mountain resort. A sweet love story begins to blossom as their fates align. Naoko, despite her gentle and kind nature, is sick but struggles to keep her love for Jiro, and later her relationship becomes the center of Jiro’s worl.
Despite his numerous accolades and prominence as one of the best engineers in Japan, Jiro carries a great burden. He constantly struggles to complete his work while making time for Naoko. His work, especially the aircraft he designed and built, has been greatly appraised. Regardless, the shadow of war prompts one to question the meaning and intention behind his work.
In the entire movie, Jiro is shown and described as someone who creates for the purpose of beauty and honing his skills as opposed for destruction. Jiro sees and values planes as sculptors, the artwork of man’s yearning to fly and touch the clouds. In his subconscious, Caproni tells him, ‘What engineers do for others, do for yourself, and let the engineers do the rest.’ Consider yourself fortunate.
To him, it’s a stroke of luck that she picks the warmer of the two Jiro’s, a testament to the quiet, passionate bond they protect. The last moments of the film are full of sentiment, pondering love and loss, as well as dreams, and the ever-changing winds that alter the path of life.
Cast & Crew
As with the rest of the movie, the Wind Rises comes in two versions and has the accompaniment of a highly skilled cast and crew for both the Japanese and English editions.
Main Japanese Voice Cast
Hideaki Anno, Jiro Horikoshi’s and the protagonist, gentle in nature, and a highly skilled winds engineer. Though primarily a director, Anno captures the character in a calm and reflective manner.
Miori Takimoto, Naoko Satomi’s love is unfading, and even when she is sick, she has soft and elegant love, along with the determination to help Jiro.
Mansai Nomura, Caproni in Jiro’s dreams is a mentor. He inspires him while guiding him through his life.
The key parts are voiced by Hidetoshi Nishijima, Masahiko Nishimura and Steve Alpert.
English Voice Over Cast
“Jiro Horikoshi, Head of Operations” Joseph Gordon-Levitt
“Naoko Satomi” Emily Blunt
“Caproni” Stanley Tucci
Other characters are voiced by John Krasinski, William H. Macy, and Werner Herzog.
Crew
Director & Writer: Hayao Miyazaki
Producer: Toshio Suzuki
Music: Joe Hisaishi – the beautifully emotional score deepens the film’s poetic essence.
Studio: Ghibli
The film is of particular importance as it was first announced as Miyazaki’s last film before retirement, which he has since returned to direct once again. As such, it embodies the spirit of a last goodbye: quiet, reflective, and teeming with sentiment.
Critical Reception & IMDB Ratings
The Wind Rises is a beautifully animated Japanese film that boasts a 7.7/10 score on IMDb alongside the various international accolades it has received. The film focuses on emotional storytelling with more mature themes.
The film was the recipient of the Best Animated Feature award at the Academy Awards and nominated at the Oscar’s as well. Critics were impressed with the film’s internalized tone and Miyazaki’s gentle approach to adult themes.
The Wind Rises is a film that focuses on beauty and grace instead of action and fantasy, and that is what makes it special. The film is one that stays with you for a long time after you have seen it.
Themes and Messages
The Wind Rises is full of themes like dreams, time, love, and creativity. One of its important themes is that life is always moving, like wind, and we have to learn to navigate through it; softly at times, and fiercely at others.
- The Pursuit of Dreams
Every person has a set of obstacles that they have to face in life. These obstacles appearing in dreams is represented in Jiro’s dream of becoming a craftsman. He shows that in life, one has to face many setbacks to be successful, but ultimately they will prevail.
- Love and War
The film makes it clear that in this world, not everything can be good. War is one of those things. It does center around Jiro, but more so it looks at creation as a whole. Pieces of beauty, like what Jiro has crafted, can have purposes that are dark.
- Love and Loss
The love story between Naoki and Jiro is one that many will cherish. It is soft, pure and very beautiful to witness. It shows you that even in sadness, you are able to find beauty.
- Nature and Change
The intertwining the phenomenon of the wind is tied to change, fate, and life’s uncontrollable hand. One of the film’s poems ‘The wind is rising! We must try to live!’ by a french poet Paul Valéry is ‘What’s of the Wind’ a nd it gets a literary ‘shoutout’ when it tries to portray the theme of the film. The poem is inspirational, which may probably be the central theme of the poem when it’s recited ‘across the film’.
The conclusion
The Wind Rises is not only a work of animation, a film which is deeply and tenderly thought about, but a meditative piece on life itself. It captures the quiet dignity of pursuing and realizing one’s dreams, the almost sorrowful sides of love, and the value of producing something of importance within a deeply complicated world.
The Wind Rises, gifted to us by Hayao Miyazaki, is adorned with tender stories and sky-high animation. It has a way of touching the viewer deeply and poetically. It has world wide impacts, and continues to resonate and encourage others. The quiet hue, the soft melodies and the expectational plot collects the viewers and The Wind Rises becomes a piece which urges the world to reflect, cherish kindness and have hope about the poignant, transient moments life has to offer.
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