Kaze tachinu (2013)

A look at the life of Jiro Horikoshi, the man who designed Japanese fighter planes during World War II.

Director:

Hayao Miyazaki

Writers:

Hayao Miyazaki (comic), Hayao Miyazaki (screenplay)

Stars:

Hideaki Anno, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Miori Takimoto

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 26 wins & 52 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hideaki Anno	...	Jirô Horikoshi (voice)
Hidetoshi Nishijima	...	Honjô (voice)
Miori Takimoto	...	Naoko Satomi (voice)
Masahiko Nishimura	...	Kurokawa (voice)
Mansai Nomura	...	Giovanni Battista Caproni (voice)
Jun Kunimura	...	Hattori (voice)
Mirai Shida	...	Kayo Horikoshi (voice)
Shinobu Ôtake	...	Kurokawa's Wife (voice)
Morio Kazama	...	Satomi (voice)
Keiko Takeshita	...	Jirô's Mother (voice)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt	...	Jirô Horikoshi (voice)
John Krasinski	...	Honjô (voice)
Emily Blunt	...	Nahoko Satomi (voice)
Martin Short	...	Kurokawa (voice)
Stanley Tucci	...	Caproni (voice)

Storyline

Jiro dreams of flying and designing beautiful airplanes, inspired by the famous Italian aeronautical designer Caproni. Nearsighted from a young age and unable to be a pilot, Jiro joins a major Japanese engineering company in 1927 and becomes one of the world's most innovative and accomplished airplane designers. The film chronicles much of his life, depicting key historical events, including the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, the Great Depression, the tuberculosis epidemic and Japan's plunge into war. Jiro meets and falls in love with Nahoko, and grows and cherishes his friendship with his colleague Honjo.

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Plot Keywords:

studio ghibli | three word title | airplane | engineering | japan | 

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Taglines:

Ikineba. (We must live.)

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Genres:

Animation | Biography | Drama | History | Romance | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some disturbing images and smoking

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site [Japan]

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese German Italian French

Release Date:

21 February 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

Untitled Hayao Miyazaki Project

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

JPY 810,775,632 (Japan), 27 July 2013, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$313,751, 23 February 2014, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$5,209,580

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$136,454,220

Company Credits

Production Co:

Studio Ghibli,Buena Vista Home Entertainment,Hakuhodo DY Media Partners

Technical Specs

Runtime:

126 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (Mono)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

After the first screening of the film, director Hayao Miyazaki said it was the first time he ever cried during the screening of his own movie.

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Goofs

After the heavy rainstorm, Jiro folds the umbrella that he and Nahoko walked under, but the umbrella shows no sign of being wet once the sun shines and Nahoko's father appears.

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Quotes

Caproni: Be careful, this may be a dream but you can still lose your head!

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Connections

Featured in 19th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards (2014)

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Soundtracks

Das gibt's nur einmal
Lyrics by Robert Gilbert
Composed by Werner R. Heymann
Performed by Hideaki Anno, Morio Kazama and Steve Alpert (as Stepehen Alpert)
[Courtesy of Universal Music Publishing Group]

User Reviews

Film Authority on The Wind Rises

Aviation has always been a key element of the Studio Ghibli films; from the flying broomstick in Kiki's Delivery Service to the airborne armies in Howl's Moving Castle. So for Hayao Miyazaki's reported swan-song to focus on the development of aeroplane design is no surprise. A fictionalised biopic of designer Jiro Horikoshi, The Wind Rises is a stunning achievement, an animated film that uses the medium to tell a compelling, highly emotional story that has appeal for children and adults alike. Horikoshi's designs were used during World War 2, and that detail may make The Wind Rises unpalatable to some. But Miyazaki's films have never focused on battle-lines, but on the personal stories involved, and The Wind Rises gains power from the balancing of the beauty of the designs against the knowledge that the purpose for which the designs will be used leads to death and unhappiness. It's a bitter-sweet paradox, and one that many directors would sweep under the carpet. Instead, Miyazaki puts Horikoshi's dilemma centre-stage, and depicts the designer's angst as he finds himself immersed in industrial and international intrigue while he attempts to keep his own thinking pure. A subplot, invented for the film, relates how Horikoshi's work life is informed by his chaste romance with Naoko, a woman with tuberculosis who won't marry until she recovers. Horikoshi's dreams take flight while his day-to-day reality struggles to leave the ground behind. The Wind Rises stirs up sensational aerial dream sequences, but also captures the bleakness of life on the ground, as Tokyo recovers from a devastating earthquake. Horikoshi and Naoko journey to the Magic Mountain resort in an effort to address her physical malaise, and their interaction with a mysterious German spy, beautifully voiced by Werner Herzog, sketches out the sinister world of warmongering that forms the backdrop to their romance. Studio Ghibli films have always been beautiful to watch, and The Wind Rises excels in every frame. But the overriding message, about the role of a gifted individual to overcome the constraints of society, is just as beautifully wrought; The Wind Rises is required viewing for anyone who wants to have their spirits lifted and soar like the wind for two blissful hours.