The Wind Rises

Hayao Miyazaki

Typically first rate work - a fictionalized biopic of the Japanese aeronautical engineer who designed the Zero and other planes in WW2.

Drawings, colors, landscapes were superb, of course. The story was engaging, sometimes heartening, sometimes heartbreaking...just like real life. Strong depiction of the Tokyo 1923 earthquake and its aftermath.

Film skirted the issue of the rabid militarism Japan fell into during this period and indeed provided the money for this character's dream projects. Still, it was moving and a feast for the eyes. Possibly his last film.

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