Hayao Miyazaki's fond cinematic farewell is part historical drama and part loving tribute. As it stands, it may not be his most iconic work, but it is certainly an emotional farewell for a much-beloved film genius.
Based on a short story of the same name, "The Wind Rises" is a biographical animated film depicting the life and and times of Jiro Horikoshi — chief engineer of several Japanese fighter planes during World War II. The film, albeit loosely based on Jiro's life, serves as more of a tribute to his passion for aviation more than anything else. As part of such, Miyazaki doesn't shy away from the irony that exists between Jiro's lifelong dedication to pacifism and his involvement with wartime efforts. In fact, Miyazki paints an empathetic portrait of a humble man who struggled to balance passion with morality.
"The Wind Rises" portrays two worlds in conflict with one another; one being that of Jiro's dream world, in which he takes flight with famed Italian engineer Giovanni Caproni, and the other being reality. Both worlds are depicted in exacting detail with a personal touch that is truly unique to Miyazaki. Each scene is seemingly more picturesque and grandiose than the last. Unlike his previous work, the two worlds in "The Wind Rises" remain staunchly in opposition with one another.
This lack of seamlessness sets the film apart from previous Miyazaki efforts. Unlike the whimsical nature of a film such as "Howl's Moving Castle," "The Wind Rises" relies more upon character development than fantastical elements. As a farewell effort, though, Miyazaki manages to encompass an entire career's worth of knowledge into a single film. At times the movie is notably quirky, but given the time period and source material, there's also a fairly ominous tone embedded throughout.
There are several historical elements scattered throughout that help ground the film in reality, most notably the devastating Kanto Earthquake of 1923, which proves to be jarring when coupled with the dream sequences. These historical events help reaffirm the film's biographical nature, yet even the earthquake sequence is beautifully done with exquisite detail — a difficult juxtaposition only Miyazaki could successfully execute.
All in all, this may or may not be remembered as fondly as "Spirited Away," but "The Wind Rises" will assuredly be regarded as an emotional curtain call for one of the most important film directors of our time, in animation or otherwise.