The Wind Rises (Hayao Miyazaki 2013): Japan

Reviewed by Lisa Walters. Viewed at AFI Film Fest 2013

The Wind Rises, an animated film made by Hayao Miyazaki (‘Spirited Away’) was a much different experience than the animated features I’m usually obliged to sit through with my children. You know at first glance that fantasy will be a big part of this adventure, when Jiro, the main character, is flying in a plane and stands up on top of the plane, without any trouble. But it’s the smooth way Miyazaki takes you there that’s nice, he doesn’t throw the fantasy in your face, he gently places it there, suspension of disbelief, for you to take in. The problem is, it takes too long to get there. Watching the tale of this young man, who designed a fighter plane (Zero) for the Japanese army right before World War 2, it’s hard at times to grasp whats real and what’s fantasy, something that annoyed me over time. But the shots were long and beautiful, and if you are in for a long, long trip, then you will enjoy. I felt that the story of Jiro’s life could have been told in about an hour less time, some of the scenes went in to long, overlapping fantasies that didn’t seem to mean anything. But I did like the story over all, and when  Jiro is imagining planes he designs in his head. and they show the planes crashing, it’s clever and visually effecting to see.  I liked his little sister, however the dialogue was far too simple and unrealistic. (“Mother will scold us!”)  Eventually the story progresses in to a love story of sorts, then a tragedy?. And along the way you’re not sure if you should believe a character is real or imagined. I noticed a lot of little things in the animation that probably took a very long time to do, small detail in the flowers, the ceilings, the dresses on the women in the movie. Beautiful payoff, after a long journey . Just like The WInd Rises.