The Wind Rises is the latest Hayao Miyazaki film that I have been wanting to watch for some reason didn't. And the moment I saw it was going to be on TV I recorded it and watched it during New Year's Vacation. And it is no surprise that I loved it. Shed tears over it, felt great happiness in watching all the visuals and liked the characters.
As I have found out from wikipedia, the film is a fictional biography of Jiro Horikoshi, a plane designer/engineer who was not able to fly because his eyes needed thick glasses from childhood. I don't know about the real life guy but this one was very sympathetic and human. He is ordered to design a fighter plane (he worked at Mitsubishi) to be used in World War II and he did it. His "zero"s made an impact at war. He also mentions at some stage that none of them returned from the war. He is not into war per se but he is not enough anti war to refuse the assignment. Also he really wants to make planes.
The worst thing in the film for me, and the most human, is how his fiancé (they got married but with an old ceremony, I don't think it was ever registered). The lady has tuberculosis and she had to go to a retreat to get better. But she couldn't stay away from Jiro and she runs away to be with him. Now logic would dictate that he sent her back. But he doesn't they got married with an ancient ceremony (that scene was so so good) and after that she lives with him while he works on his plane trying to meet the deadline. At one scene he comes home late and his wife makes him draw his drawing desk nearer to where she lays down and he holds her hand while he works with his other hand. And he wants to smoke so he asks his wife's permission to release her hand, but she refuses to let go. And he knows smoking while in the same room with a tuberculosis patient is not good since he mentions it. But his wife says she doesn't care. And the stupid man lights up a cigarette. Ok I'm a smoker (maybe 5 a day or something) but even I was shocked at this. Then I gave it a thought. Here I'm, smoking while knowing that it is very bad for me. This is what I meant by being a human thing to do. They just don't care at that moment.
It is never clear what happens to her but she decides to return to the clinic/retreat suddenly leaving letters to everyone. I thought it was like a pedigree cat. They do ran away from home when they are terminal.
Anyway, back to the film. It grabbed me from the get go and ended being that type of film I didn't want to end. I fully recommend.
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