Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, based on his 2009 manga of the same name, The Wind Rises tells a fictionalized story of Japanese aircraft engineer Jiro Horikoshi and his creation of the Zero, a Japanese fighter plane used during World War II. Outside of Jiro’s dreams, this story doesn’t feature the fantastical elements that typically appear in Miyazaki’s films, but that doesn’t make the plot or animation any less compelling.
Buy The Wind Rises Blu-rayIn 1918, Jiro as a young boy dreams of being a pilot but is limited by his nearsightedness. He meets Italian engineer Giovanni Caproni, who claims the dream is his. Throughout the film, Caproni appears to Jiro in his dreams, offering inspiration and guidance.
University student Jiro travels by train as a devastating earthquake hits Tokyo. He helps a young girl and her companion, who broke her leg, get home. After graduating, Jiro and his friend Kiro get a job at Mitsubishi working on a fighter plane. After a failed test for the Imperial Army, their employer sends them to learn from the Germans.
More years pass. Jiro’s work on a plane for the Imperial Navy proves unsuccessful. Taking time away at a resort, he reunites with the girl from the train, Nahoko. Spending a few days together, they fall in love. Jiro proposes, and she accepts; however, due to contracting tuberculosis, she wants to wait to get married, to which he agrees. Jiro balances the pressures of making a successful plane with caring for Nahoko, both made more difficult when the police want to speak with Jiro about his brief interaction with Castorp, a German who is against the Nazis who have taken control of his country and are now allied with Japan.
Miyazaki ties up the plotlines satisfyingly well. Jiro is a fascinating character. The juxtaposition of a man driven by a desire to create beauty whose work is used to create death and destruction is intriguing. The work by the Studio Ghibli animators matches the exquisite art the company is known for. Even if the story doesn’t captivate the viewer, the visuals surely will.
The video is presented in an 1080p/MPEG-4 AVC encoded transfer at the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and appears to be the same used for a previous release by Walt Disney Pictures. Colors pop in bold hues and are brilliantly shaded to create the appearance of shadow and light. Blacks are inky and whites are bright, creating a strong contrast. Details are vivid, from rain splashing off things to wind ripping through a field of grass to flecks of snowflakes, ash, and petals floating in the air. Thin black lines are the edges of objects, and items in backgrounds have been created with less-defined edges compared to foreground to contribute to a sense of depth.
Audio is available in DTS-HD Master Audio Mono in Japanese and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono in English. The former delivers a rather robust presentation. The track sounds clean, free from age or defect. Composer Joe Hisaishi creates a great variety of music, using different instruments related to the nationality of characters. The sound effects showcase the track’s wide, dynamic range, from quiet moments in the rain as romance blooms to the cacophony of planes, roaring passed spectators and crashing into the ground.
The Bonus Features, all in HD, are:
- Behind the Microphone (11 min) – Voice director Gary Rydstrom and English voice cast members (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Stanley Tucci and William H. Macy) talk about the film.
- Original Japanese Trailers and TV Spots (10 min)
- Film Completion Press Conference (83 min)–Miyazaki, Hideaki Anno (voice of Jiro), and Yumi Matsutoya (singer of film’s theme song, “Hikouki-gumo”) are interviewed by a moderator Nakayama for about an before opening up to the press.
- Storyboards (126 min): The film is presented through storyboards.
- 10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki (49 min) – New to this release, the final episode in a four-part series about the filmmaker takes viewers behind the scenes in his studio as he and his team work on The Wind Rises.
Miyazaki’s The Wind Rises is a classic film in a director’s filmography filled with classic films. The GKIDS Blu-ray offers a high-definition presentation that properly highlights the impressive artwork on display and contains a stellar audio track. The extras offer fans a deep appreciation of the film.
