If the wind is rising, then we must try to live. — C.H.
It's nice to know that Hayao Miyazaki is planning to direct at least one more film, because this biopic of Japanese aviation engineer Jiro Horikoshi always felt somewhat muted for a final statement. It's easy to see why Miyazaki related to Horikoshi, given their shared love of flying machines and the creative similarities between artists and engineers, but it would've been interesting to see more direct contemplation of how "beautiful dreams" become weapons of war as art is twisted out of its creators' hands. Instead, The Wind Rises focuses more on the doomed romance between Jiro and his consumptive crush Naoko in an effort to show that just because you know how a journey will ultimately end doesn't mean it isn't worth pursuing. If the wind is rising, then we must try to live. — C.H.