Revisited: The Wind Rises

The Wind Rises 風立ちぬ is a 2013 animated biopic about Jiro Horikoshi, a Japanese aerospace engineer. The film is a fictional retelling of his life through the scope of a manga written by Hayao Miyazaki and the novel The Wind Has Risen by Tatsuo Hori.

I like consuming entertainment that puts me in my feelings. It doesn’t necessarily have to be happy- it just has to put a shock to my system. With The Wind Rises, that’s precisely what you get. This time around, I decided to check out the subbed version in hopes of getting a more authentic experience. I really love this film, and it was way more enjoyable the second time around.

The music score was beautiful. The animation was captivating, colorful, and great to look at.. This was a story that took place in the early 1900s, and ya girls surprised at how well they managed to replicate what World War II-era Japan looked like. How I’d imagine it to look like anyways. And still, somehow, be able to retain that modern animation aesthetic. The illustrations were poppin’.

The romance between Jiro and Nahoko developed pretty fast. But considering the circumstances, I get it. It was like a whirlwind, which connects that aspect to the flight theme and wind-related reference made throughout the movie. Miyazaki and the team really captured these moments in time so well.

This was an adult story through and through. I think that was one of the reasons why the lighter sides of this movie stood out so much. Like the scene where Jiro and Satomi were playing catch with a paper plane. It was a silly exchange, but so necessary to build this blossoming relationship. Their relationship took center stage for a while, but this movie had other themes that are more interesting. The duality between life and death. A looming war! These are the things that legends are made of.

Flying is a theme that Ghibli loves to pieces, and it’s an essential piece in this story as well. Flight is a symbol of liberation. To no longer be tied down. For Jiro, it was a long-time dream, but for Naoko, It set her free. Most people would argue that this movie ended on a sad note, but Satomi was able to send everyone off with a smile. She got to say goodbye on her terms, people don’t always get that. Even if it’s a little sad, some good came from it.

.The Wind Rises will have you feeling so many things. This movie is so dope and is one that should be added to your watch list.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imtdgdGOB6Q

What did you think of The Wind Rises?