‘The Wind Rises’ was the final adition to the Studio Ghibli canon, which is the brain child of famed and respected Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki.
The movie was released in 2013 and was met with critical acclaim and love from audiences globally.
The film follows the life of Jiro Horikoshi in a fantastical fashion. We see the young boy grow and show interest and dedication towards flying and aeronautical engineering. The plot follows his trips to Germany and into adulthood during war time in Japan and to the epitome of his career.
The movie won several awards and has many of the features of a Ghibli film that audiences have come to love.
‘The Wind Rises’ is a stunning and emotional film, but it does have its faults. It has the trademark hand-drawn animation style that is beautiful and makes everything look serene and magical. It has a very minute amount of the fantasy element, because it is a biographical story. But it is sneaked into through the dreams and imagination of the main character Jiro.
The musical score of also of course soothing,pristine and classical, and the main song brought me to tears. So on music this movie gets full points.
The story of Japan and Jiro is also interesting and significant and the stakes are likewise high, so it is a well-balanced movie regarding themes, emotions and cultural value.
Perhaps it is the pacing that makes the movie feel over all like it missed the mark. We follow Jiro through multiple occasions in his life, so it can be become difficult to relate to his aspirations. We know that he wants to be an engineer, and he doesn’t have any problem related to that. He’s already the best in the business, and even when the love story kicks in it feels a bit forced. He and his wife are deeply affectionate which is uncommon for the franchise, but even so the romance feels rushed.
And another area of concern is the build up to the flying tests and the impending war, which we do not see in the film, but we understand what the tension is about.
I would say ‘The Wind Rises’ is about going after ones dream while having the awareness that the world does mistreat talented people, but that shouldn’t stop them from pursuing their goals.
It’s a very mature Ghibli film, and it’s a must watch for fans of the franchise because it’s the last big film and is full of references to past films. Like there is this scene where looks at a fallen plane, and that reminded me of ‘Castle in the Sky’.
And what it lacks in pacing and plot it makes for it in emotion and sentimental charm, and for those who can relate and understand the essence of the film, it is perfect.
Why Should Pakistanis watch ‘The Wind Rises’?
I think our audience would enjoy to watch such a lovely and well made animated film, as we generally don’t produce many of our own.
The movie takes place during a time when Japan was struggling and didn’t know what their identity was in the modern world. A lot of the characters feel like the country and economy is behind, which we can relate to. And we can inspired by how despite everything Jiro remains steadfast.
And overall its a nice, bittersweet movie, that is best enjoyed once you watch it three times.
Maheen Ahmed – Writing to create culture
@lahore_la_notte_
