The Wind Rises is a mostly hand drawn film by famed Studio Ghibli cofounder
Hayao Miyazaki. The art is decent but not up to par with previous Ghibli works
Arriety and Ponyo. But much like From Up
On Poppy Hill, I have no idea why this film needed to be animated. It doesn't
use the format to add anything to the story.
I have nothing really good to say about this film, which I find maddening.
The pacing is slow, the soundtrack dull and the film exhibits Miyazaki's well
intentioned chauvinism. And unlike most Studio Ghibli films, the characters do
not go through a transformation of any sort, there is no naturalism or strong Japanese
cultural references.
The plot consists of following engineer Jiro Horikoshi around the world as he
learns how to become a world class aircraft designer. Jiro eventually returns
to Japan to put his knowledge to use in creating war machines for the
Japanese military. There are no other significant characters in the film and no
one else gets more than passing characterization.
Even more damning was the message. Which was, as I could unpack it, to
be true to your artistic vision and damn the consequences. Even when your form
of art is to design a fighter plane that would be used in Japan's wars of aggression
leading up to WWII. One could imagine a film about a German architect designing
concentration camps. But as long as the buildings he designed were to his
utmost artistic vision then it would be okay with Miyazaki. I'm sure that was
not his intention. But that's the mess his film left us with.
1/4 stars.
