Even in the hard times, we all must learn to live in the midst of them...
Jiro Horishoki (English dub voice: Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a man with a dream. He wants to build airplanes. As he grows up, he witnesses the great Kanto earthquake and Japan gets caught in the storm that becomes known as World War II. Through the war, Jiro works for a airfare and weapons company, falls in love, and builds the machine of his dreams.
The main strong point of The Wind Rises is the animation. In what could be known as the last remaining studio to do hand-drawn animation, Studio Ghibli uses it to near visual perfection. From terrific depictions of flying and the earthquake, to beautiful, painting-like views of the Japanese countryside, the animation is worth the price of admission alone. Characters are neatly-designed and backgrounds carry an amazing sense of realism of sorts. It truly is amazing to watch.
The script is also nicely-written. While the film may be oddly-titled, the screenplay is told through subtleties and interesting dialogue that sell the film's emotional and dramatic tone. While the subtle screenplay is due to matching the mouthing of the original Japanese dialogue, it still works very well. The foreign setting of the movie is unique and interesting, and the historical depiction is very spot-on.
The voice acting is a fairly mixed bag, some do great, some not so great. The great ones include Emily Blunt, Martin Short and Stanley Tucci. Blunt is very nice and compassionate as love interest Naoko. Short does a terrific job as Jiro's slightly foul-mouthed boss, while Tucci is surprisingly great as Jiro's childhood hero Caproni, who appears in visions/dreams. Mae Whitman is another solid performer, giving an interesting performance to Jiro's younger sister. On the downside, Levitt is a bit confusing as Jiro. He does bring some softness and an interesting amount of subtlety to the character, but his overall performance falls short of memorable. Krasinski is the weakest of the voice cast, with his serious and cigarette-obsessed character being also unmemorable. Werner Herzog, William H. Macy, Jennifer Grey and Elijah Wood's characters do not appear enough in the film to really sell their performances.
On the downside overall, the movie could have been shorter. At over 2 hours, a few scenes in the movie are drawn-out and slow.
Hayao Miyazaki has been considered an animation legend, and one of the most well-known pioneers of hand-drawn animation. I haven't seen many of his works, as out of all Studio Ghibli films, I have watched only The Secret World of Arrietty and Ponyo. But I really like Japanese anime, because it's so unique and it feels more like paintings being brought to life. Its something that no other animation studio could do.
The Wind Rises is a departure from just about anything Studio Ghibli has ever pursued. Their movies usually feature confusing worldviews, far-fetched ideas and fantasy-laden stories. This, on the other hand, is based on a true story (Jiro Hiroshoki was a real person). It dramatizes the happiness and sadness of life. And it showcases a period of history in a way I never imagined I would see it. At the same time, The Wind Rises has been advertised as the final film for Miyazaki, as he is retiring from feature films following this.
I was concerned about this movie in whether or not it would be too melodramatic or upsetting for me to watch again. But the overall result was a film that is just so unique and interesting, I was engaged for most of the film. A breathtaking ride that I didn't hesitate to get off of.
An emotional and compelling farewell piece for Miyazaki, The Wind Rises is a beautiful, well-made flick that is worthy of its Oscar nomination.
Score: 8.5/10
Content Problems Families Should Be Aware Of
Language: People hurl out "d---" seven times. One use of "h---".
Adult Content: A few kisses. After their wedding, Nahoko gently says "come here" before Jiro turns off the light and the scene fades out.
Violence: A mildly intense depiction of a violent earthquake and brief war images. One brief image shows a sickly person coughing up blood. Airplanes crash, fall apart, and dive to the ground. It is implied that someone dies. A splint is put up someone's leg.
Alcohol/Drugs: Brief drinking. Cigarettes are smoked frequently.
Other: A few instances of implied Japanese spirituality. A somewhat sad ending that may not go so well with younger viewers.
