MOVIE: The Wind Rises

Sorry for the delay of this post, as I originally read this article  around February 27th, 2014. I was sitting on the train ride home from work when I stumbled upon an article by Colin Covert that I thought was really interesting and truly highlighted the storytelling of Hayao Miyazaki and anime overall. This review, that can be read Here, was very insightful to the plot and Hayao Miyazaki's artistic style. Covert wrote honestly that "while the film's artistry is incontestable, many viewers are distressed by its subject." He is pointing out how American viewers wanted more of a focus on WW2 instead of the life of the main character. He continues with "the filmmaker has a personal connection with the horikoshi.... Koreans, Chinese and others who experienced war atrocities at the hands of the Japanese have accused the film of political irresponsibility. But its real agenda, if you look carefully, is quite another matter." Covert articulately points out that yes, people find a conflict in viewer interest, but the most important part is what Miyazaki wants the audience to see. Yes there are many films that have political and historical agendas, however, "Miyazaki has put aside childish themes and delivered a gorgeous, morally difficult adult fable."This is probably one of the best reviews I have read about a Miyazaki film in a while because it incorporates the film with its relation to real life while still keeping them both separate, granted I'm not reading that many film reviews right now.

One thing that I did want to point out about this film review was that Covert wrote about culture. He states that "we meet Jiro as a boy dreaming of flight and follow him through his student days, courtship and marriage. He is a romantic soul (voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt), as much an artist as an engineer. He’s a cultured fellow. Traveling to Tokyo to find employment, he discusses French poetry with Nahoko, a pretty train passenger." French poetry shouldn't be used in the context of describing how cultured a person of Japanese descent is. It makes it seem like the Japanese are otherwise uncivilized or civilized to a lesser degree, when in reality they are just as civilized as all other cultures, and should be judged on a scale more appropriate to Japanese education and "culture." Other than this jarring term used, I overall enjoyed the article because of how it highlights anime and storytelling from Japan as a whole. Maybe this will help nudge anime into a more public eye, to be viewed as something adults can enjoy on a more mature level as well.

Thank you for reading~!