The Wind Rise - Farewell to dream( 4.5/5 ).

"People must have goals and ambition, sometimes we have to abandon everything else and chase them with with a purpose. Regardless of the outcome, whether it be success of happiness, it doesn't really matter."
- Gu Long.

Once upon the time in every body life, no matter how bitter they become in later life, they have a dream at one point. Some dream to become a soldier. Some dream to become a teacher.

Hayao Miyazaki was no different than those men. He build several excellent animation film for all people in the world could enjoy. Those animations such as 'Spirit Away', 'Princess Mononoke' and many other touch many people heart, including mine.

For a time, things have been good.

But like all things, it has come to an end. When I heard from last year that Miyazaki have a plan to retire and make this one last film for all of us , I sighed with sadness. Then I make my plan to see this film. His last film. His last hurrah.

The film called 'The Wind Rise'.

The Wind Rise is a story base on story of Jiro Horikoshi, an airplane designer.

Jiro was a Japanese boy who was born in the undeveloped 1920 Japan. Despite how poor his country was, he have a big dream.

To build the best airplane ever made.

Along the way of his life, he was frequently visit in his dream by Count Caproni, an Italian aeronautical engineer. I found him to be excellent character since he works at both mentor and foreshadowing of Jiro's life. He too, have big dream to build on airplane.

Which only use for war.

And Jiro walk down to the very same step as he work on Zero airplane project, the plane that was so infamous by their use of Imperial Japan in WWII. 

For this I feel that the film give me very interesting thought. If this was said another anime, it would have some sort of question like 'What is the mind behind slaughter machine?' or 'Is advance technology only make slaughter more efficient?' The film did not ask me that. Instead, it shows Jiro as a normal human with only passion for his wife and his dream for building an airplane. For me, Jiro represent the change. 

Not change from old-Japan to Imperialistic Japan, just change of the passage of time.

Alongside of Jiro, the film also show pre-WWII Japan with some sort of nostalgic through Jiro's wife, Naoko. If Jiro is a symbol of future change, a young, dedicate, and frail Naoko was symbolized a dying old Japan who was on it's last breath.  

And as Jiro found out that his dear wife Naoko was dying from Tuberculosis, he was represent a choice. He have to choose whether to leave his job with his wife to sanitary(past) or stay with his job to create an airplane. He choose the latter with support of his wife.

Like the future needs support from the past.

When the time that Zero was finish, Naoko passed away like a past that can never turn back. 

His success was also the come and gone like a spirit wind of summer. It can make your feel better but it never last. Once Zero complete, Jiro was left with nothing but empty heart. His love was gone and his masterpiece become a killing machine. 

In the last scene, as Jiro walk along the dream scenery airplane graveyard while watching the Zeroes fly away, I also felt like I was watching the fond memory of hyping for Miyazaki's film pass away myself. When Naoko said goodbye to Jiro and tell him to live, it felt like a goodbye message to the us. No matter if this is really his last film, his time was passing by like a wind which can never be control.

And so we must move on and live to the best of our live.