Film review: The Wind Rises

Adapted by writer-director Hayao Miyazaki from his manga of the same name, The Wind Rises is reportedly the final work from the legendary Japanese filmmaker, who co-founded Studio Ghibli and crafted the animated fantasies My Neighbour Totoro, Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away.
By The Newsroom
Published 17th May 2014, 21:00 BST

Nearsighted from a young age, Jiro Horikoshi (voiced by Hideaki Anno) knows that he will never be able to take to the skies as a pilot.

But the young man still clings to his dream of designing planes inspired by Italian aeronautical designer Caproni.

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Following the Great Kanto earthquake of 1923, Jiro joins the aircraft division of a major Japanese engineering company.

And his skills soon propel him to the fore as one of the world’s most accomplished airplane designers.

Meanwhile, he nurtures a deep friendship with his colleague Honjo (Hidetoshi Nishijima) and falls head over heels in love Naoko (Miori Takimoto).

These personal successes are set against a backdrop of strife and devastation for Japan including the great depression, the tuberculosis epidemic and the country’s steady descent into the Second World War.

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The Wind Rises is also released in an English language dubbed version for audiences with an aversion to subtitles.

It features Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Jiro, Emily Blunt as Naoko and John Krasinski as Honjo.