The Wind Rises

Supposedly the animated feature swan song for Hayao Miyazaki (although he has made that claim before with some of his past films), The Wind Rises ends up being an unusual choice for the filmmaker to cap off his career, while at the same time probably being his most personal film.  As is to be expected from Miyazaki, there are some wonderfully surreal images (although this time, they are pretty much restricted to dream sequences the main character has), and a beautifully detailed hand-drawn look that is unmatched by just about anything out there right now.  At the same time, the story itself is entirely grounded in reality, with none of his trademark fantasy elements whatsoever.

Rather than his usual passion for fantasy and wonder, Miyazaki has chosen to give us a heartfelt and compelling historical drama set in the early 20th Century based on the life of Japanese aircraft engineer, Jiro Horikoshi.  The movie's format and script has already created some controversy, as it chooses to almost completely ignore the fact that Horikoshi's plane designs were used for war and destruction (including their involvement in a certain day that will live in infamy), as well as whitewashing over some of Japan's historical tragedies, such as their strife with China at the time.  Instead of telling the whole historical story, it simply wants to be a story of a man in love with creation.  Miyazaki is obviously intent on covering only one certain aspect of the story, not giving a history lesson.  And besides, when you think about it, it's perfectly understandable that the filmmaker would want his last film to be about a man's imagination and drive.

And besides, it's not as if the movie completely ignores what Jiro's designs were eventually used for, as the film's final scene has a sobering feel.  I can understand why some people would be upset about these aspects not being emphasized, but I am here to review the movie that Miyazaki has made, not the movie some people think he should have made.  What he has made is a movie that celebrates those who rise above the ordinary in their respective fields, just as the director himself has done many times in his career.  The film opens with Jiro as a boy, who dreams of becoming a pilot, but his poor eyesight has ended that dream before it could begin.  One night, he has a dream where he is visited by a famous Italian aircraft engineer named Caproni (English dub voice by Stanley Tucci), who convinces the boy that he can still pursue his passion by building what he loves.  This dream inspires young Jiro, and drives the course of his young and eventual adult life.

As an adult in 1927, Jiro (now voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) heads to Tokyo to take a job with the Mitsubishi Corporation, who is trying to design a modern day marvel aircraft for the Japanese military, as well as advance Japan's air technology, which is woefully behind other militaries, such as Germany.  Jiro's devotion to design and original thinking wins him the favor of his short-tempered boss, Kurokawa (Martin Short), and eventually leads to him being a key member of the team.  We also get to witness some important moments in Japan's history at the time through Jiro's eyes, the most memorable being a stunning sequence that recreates the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923.  But the film's main focus comes into play when he meets Nahoko (Emily Blunt), a wealthy young woman who has become a victim of a tuberculosis outbreak, and becomes the love of his life.  The way that Jiro and Nahoko inspire each other becomes the heart of the film, and lends it a certain level of gravitas when it becomes clear that Nahoko's health is not improving.

Seeing The Wind Rises for what it is, a celebration of creativity and inspiration, you can understand what Miyazaki was trying to do with this film.  And while the fact that it ignores a lot of the historical outcomes of Jiro's work is certainly a stumbling block for the film, I don't feel it completely crushes its worth.  As I mentioned, this is not intended to be a movie about the horrors of war.  Could Miyazaki have celebrated the human creative spirit by choosing a different historical subject?  Of course.  But I cannot second guess the man.  This is the movie and the subject he has chosen, and while the film has obviously been whitewashed in some way, its more troubling subject matter is still present in some form.  If anything, what brings the film down just a little and prevents it from joining the director's other masterpieces is that its reality-focus keeps it a little too grounded.  The director is obviously more comfortable dealing with the fantastic, and while he holds our attention with this historical drama, there are some lapses in energy, as well as some jumps in time and place that could have been handled a little bit better.

Those who have followed Miyazaki's career up to the present are bound to find a lot to like in The Wind Rises.  As expected, it's beautiful to look at, and there is still no theatrical experience quite like seeing a detailed Studio Ghibli production on the big screen.  Also as is to be expected, the English dub provided by the Walt Disney Studios (who have decided to release this film under its Touchstone Pictures label, due to the adult nature of the story and the PG-13 rating) is quite good for what it is.  I have never personally been a fan of dubbing foreign films, but the Disney Studio dubs of Miyazaki's films have generally been a step above, and it's no different here.  The only problem I do have with it is that Joseph Gordon-Levitt sounds a bit less enthused at times in his performance as Jiro.  I understand that the man is supposed to be somewhat of an introvert, and probably wasn't exactly "Mr. Personality" in real life, but Gordon-Levitt's line readings sound downright monotone at times.  Maybe it was just me, as I haven't heard anyone else bring it up in reviews or discussion of the film.

If this is truly the last film from Hayao Miyazaki, then at least he has left us with a wonderful vision, as well as a strong celebration of invention, passion and love.  It's not a perfect film, but it leaves us with some unforgettable images, as well as a heartfelt and honest love story in the middle of it all.  Just like all of his films, I imagine I will be revisiting this many times in the future.

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