Review of The Wind Rises

What does it mean to truly create? This is the idea that is explored in Studio Ghibli's the wind rises. Loosely based on the life of engineer Jirō Horikoshi as he develops a new model of plane to be used during the 2nd world war. As we see Jirō work on his design a romance blossoms with a lady named Naoka, who is ill with tuberculosis. Jirō has a dream to create aircraft's that are innovative and can compare to other great engineers like his hero Giovanni Caproni. Even if he knows his planes will be used to kill during the war hestill wants keeps on designing. He does this for his wife who is sick in bed never knowing when she will die. His plane is no longer a weapon of war instead an artistic vision representing his love for his, wife who dies after his new plane the Zero Fighter is built.

This film truly shows the beauty of creativity and the negatives that can arise from peoples dreams to create, but also the artists desire to create not for for the people and things they love.

“But remember this, Japanese boy... airplanes are not tools for war. They are not for making money. Airplanes are beautiful dreams. Engineers turn dreams into reality.”
― Hayao Miyazaki, The Wind Rises