Kaze Tachinu is a historical mood not only inspired, but also imagined in Japan, which is an animated biographical drama film by Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli. This feature came out in 2013 and, unlike other Miyazaki’s films, is more realistic as it is based on historical events rather than fantasy worlds. The film tells the story of Jiro Horikoshi, a Japanese engineer who designed the Mitsubishi A5M and A6M Zero aircraft used by Imperial Japan during World War II.
The movie begins with the young Jiro as he imagines piloting an airplane he had built himself. But Ms. Sayo mentions that he can’t be a pilot as there is a typo in the script, and he possesses nearsightedness that doesn’t allow him to become one. His dream is now shattered, yet he resolves to keep the aviation flame alive by being an engineer, an aircraft designer- the engineer makes the aircraft and does not have to fly it. This aspiration is further enhanced by the presence of Giovanni Battista Caproni in his vision who was an Italian aeronautical engineer and told Jiro to pursue his love for flying even though he could not do so by himself. Such dream sequences are key in the story development of the movie, helping to fuse Jiro’s dreams and his resignation to society’s and technology’s restrictions.
Jiro immigrates to polish his engineering skills at the Tokyo Imperial University, from where he goes to Mitsubishi after graduation, where he easily becomes one of their new innovative design experts. However, Japan at this time is economically and technologically rather backward, unable to catch up with western countries in the aircraft industry. Such is the balance of work that Jiro’s defenses receive short shrift due to the lack of elements and socialist realism that is gaining popularity amid war expectancy. Jiro doesn’t waver in his desire to create marketingable aviation art while reflecting on the ethics of doing so. The planes that he wishes to design, make and fly are intended to be used in fighting — a war, a thought which constantly nags Jiro throughout the movie.
As Jiro travels, he encounters Nahoko Satomi, a woman he first saw a few years earlier during the Great Kanto Earth Earthquake of 1923. Their relationship develops, and Jiro enjoys her love and affection. But, for Nahoko suffers from tuberculosis, which at that time was rather an ordinary but quite chronic disease, and this casts a shadow on their relationship. Even as her health fails, Nahoko’s unwavering love and support are always present in Jiro’s life and they marry regardless of her illness. This kind of relationship enables Jiro to escape his work-related issues, and most importantly, the ugly reality of the politics of the day.
With the advancement of Jiro’s career, he is assigned to design a new advanced fighter plane for the Japanese military, which results in the A5M and in the end the A6M Zero. Jiro is offered quite a number of opportunities, but the fact that those planes will be used in battles upsets him, which makes him contemplate ethics of his work even more. In one of his dreams, he talks to Caproni about the things which worry him, and the latter consoles him that creation is beauty and beauty is ephemeral. Caproni tells him that he did not have to be squamish because all artists and makers have to live with the filth that rests behind their creations.
Sadly, Nahoko becomes even more ill, and in a tragic scene, she decides to part ways with Jiro to avoid him seeing her in that state. This loss shatters Jiro, and the film implies that his efforts will never enable him to find peace or happiness. Finally, he has to deal with the consequences of his masterpieces, as monstrous as they are the everlasting pain of mourning several intimate people. The last shot does not bring resolution, but at least some comfort as Caproni’s ghost tells Jiro not to stop dreaming and creating. However, the film put across the idea that creation has its consequences, war itself is tragic, creating beauty in a world of conflict is so hard, and it is a tragedy when so many dreams remain broken and unfulfilled.
Cast & Crew:
Director and Writer: Hayao Miyazaki — Miyazaki, co-founder of Studio Ghibli, is known for his work in the films My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke among others. He began making The Wind Rises to make it his last film, a movie about flying, and everything that defines him as a filmmaker.
Producer: Toshio Suzuki — He is a key figure who has been a producer for Studio Ghibli for many years and has worked closely with Miyazaki.
Main Cast (Japanese version):
Jiro Horikoshi’s voice is provided by Hideaki Anno – the voice of Jiro is given by Anno – the creator of the Neon Genesis Evangelion series – with heightened emotion or in a more tender, reflective manner.
Nahoko Satomi is played by Miori Takimoto – Taking on the part of Nahoko, Takimoto infuses her with innate warmth and vulnerability, as well as capturing her resilience and fragility in equal measure.
Hidetoshi Nishijima – Honjo – Honjo, a close friend of Jiro, works in the same field as Jiro and serves as an easier way out from Jiro’s own moral dilemmas.
English Dub Cast: In the English version, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Jiro, Emily Blunt as Nahoko and Stanley Tucci as Caproni amongst others.
According to the ratings on IMDb and critic reviews, The Wind Rises is rated 7.8 out of 10. The Wind Rises movie brought together the critics’ and audiences’ breathtaking and dramatically plunging views because of its composition, inner detail, and adult ideas. Miyazaki’s previous works have come to be praised for their fantastical imagery and a childlike imaginative appeal, while the narrator of the screenplay, The Wind Rises, has a more reflective voice and a historical outlook. They appreciated how Miyazaki dealt with an intricate characterization of Jiro, who is believed to love and create but has to face some ethical challenges. In particular, the film won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film and several others in Japan and other countries.
The Wind Rises had some error and rubs people’s sensibilities the wrong way. There were some critics who felt that the film was wrong in that it did not really deal with the responsibility of the Zero fighter planes which became closely identified with the Japanese military aggression during the Second World War. It was received both positively and negatively because the film Jiro was portrayed as a dreamer who was not caught up within the mechanics of war, because many felt that Miyazaki had once again idealized a little too far a period of the Japan’s humiliating history. In contrast, some critics actually supported such subplot arguing that it was a subtle way of addressing the ethical questions that Jiro encountered without the filmmakers unambiguously criticizing or praising him.
In his defense, the director claimed that The Wind Rises was an expression of love for the beauty and the innovative spirit despite its disastrous consequences for Jiro. He appreciated the ethical complexities within the plot and referred to it as an exploration of the dilemma and the consequences that await from the makers of work that may be abused. What is fascinating about his interpretation of Jiro’s inner struggle, though, is that it does create spaces for contemplation about people in history who have had a role in its making without power in determining its outcome.
Conclusion
The Wind Rises is a uniquely animated art masterpiece that portrays fighter planes which is in fact very different from the magical touch of other films directed by Miyazaki. Rather it tells the story of the man who chased his dreams during the times when Japan was engaged in war and about the growth of their aviation industry during that time. It has become a frustrating but love filled purposive struggle with the inevitable – the death of a father and childhood which is a fierce drive to create something special and meaningful. There are echoes of tenderness in the most inhospitable regions of the soul, seamlessly standing against the deadly beauty of the desires that man possesses.
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