Kaze

Miyazaki’s final film, “Kaze Tachinu” (The Wind Rises) has apparently been screening at The Landmark for the past week with the run ending today. Panicked and bought a last minute ticket to see it last night.

I have a VHS of Totoro that I wore down as a kid rewinding and re-watching. From there to Mononoke Hime to Spirited Away I grew up watching Miyazaki films, so this one was a little bittersweet. It had all the hallmarks of a Miyazaki film…large open fields with random gusts of wind, people rushing through crowds after coming to a realization, whimsical forms of transportation, extreme hunger after leaving the theater…between the thoughtful story, the gorgeous animation and the amazing score, it was the right ending to the ride that has been Miyazaki’s career.

There was a lot of controversy in Japan as it follows the life of a military plane designer pre-WWII so while it’s clearly an anti-war/anti-militarism film, the main focus is the creation of a killing machine (manufactured by forced colonial labor and used in Axis campaigns). I was a little surprised at just how nationalist it was at points, but balanced with Miyazaki’s previous films it contextually didn’t feel unsettling.

Thank you, Miyazaki-san.  Your work has been a textbook for life.