Hayao Miyazaki has returned and "The Wind Rises" may be his last film. That is sad because his films have been consistently effective and stunning in their imagination and artistic detail.
Many of his previous works were aimed at children, although many adults get just as much enjoyment out of them. The director's latest film however, is probably more exclusively directed at a more mature audience.
Often in Miyazaki's films, he makes use of and has a fascination with flying contraptions that seem to defy gravity and our own expectations. With "The Wind Rises", flying devices (airplanes in particular) are the movie's main subject. The films protagonist, Jiro, is an airplane engineer. The viewer follows Jiro as he grows from a child, already sure of his direction in life, through his education and into early adulthood as he sets out on his intended career.
The film takes place in the years leading up to World War Two. I believe it is based on true events but obviously a lot of artistic license has been taken.
The imagery and animation are things to behold and the use of colour is majestic. The detail that goes into many of the scenes are stunning and it is amazing to know that a majority of the film is hand-drawn.
The title of the film comes from a quote by Paul Valery and alludes to the fleeting nature of life. The film's protagonist is an embodiment of the ideal of seizing life by the horns and chasing after one's dreams.
This may be one of Miyazaki's greatest achievements and if it is his last, it is a fitting note of closure and a tremendous encapsulation of all his previous output.
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