Posted on 11/07/2013 1:25:10 PM PST by C19fan
“The Wind Rises” is the type of art film that typically speeds into the Oscar race. Critics at film festivals have swooned over its nuance. It delivers messages about turbulent modern times by examining traumatic events of the past. The film’s 72-year-old director and writer, Hayao Miyazaki, a cinematic giant, has said the ambitious animated picture will be his last, a final bow.
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One explanation for the sensitivity? Although “The Wind Rises” has a strong pacifist message, it is essentially a biopic of Jiro Horikoshi, an aeronautical engineer whose contribution to the world was a killing machine. His designs led to the Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter, which was used to devastating effect during World War II.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
“His designs”? Don’t you mean Howard Hughes designs?
For years the name Mitsubishi was changed to the English, Three Diamonds Brand so they could sell “fancy” tuna in the United States.
“Hayao Miyazaki, a cinematic giant”
Never heard of him.
Miyazaki is regarded as one of the greatest animated film-makers of all time. He’s picked up at least one Academy Award for “Spirited Away” and he’s been nominated for a couple of others.
He really is one of the titans of cinema. Right up there with Kurosawa, quite frankly.
“Right up there with Kurosawa, quite frankly.”
The hell you say! :)
I really hope I can see an original Japanese version with subtitles, because watching this film with voice-overs by “American Celebrities” like Tom Cruise, Danny Devito or Jennifer Aniston will absolutely ruin it.
The Disney Corporation is America’s Ministry of Culture. Its too bad they have anything to do with this film
Remarkable man, that Hughes. All those planes that couldn’t take off or fell down on the first try..
The same thing he's said about his last half dozen movies - eventually we stop believing you, Hayao.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Momotar%C5%8D_no_Umiwashi
I particularly like the part where the children were taught how to clean machine guns....
About that time Popeye was firing shells by holding them in one hand and punching the back with the other. Tough guys!
It has been claimed that the Zero’s design showed clear influence from American fighter planes and components exported to Japan in the 1930s, and in particular the Vought V-143 fighter. Chance Vought had sold the prototype for this aircraft and its plans to Japan in 1937. Eugene Wilson, President of Vought, claimed that when shown a captured Zero in 1943, he found that “There on the floor was the Vought V 142 [sic] or just the spitting image of it, Japanese-made,” while the “power-plant installation was distinctly Chance Vought, the wheel stowage into the wing roots came from Northrop, and the Japanese designers had even copied the Navy inspection stamp from Pratt & Whitney type parts.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Zero
Of course Kalashnikov borrowed design elements from Schmeisser, Browning and others too.
I have all his stuff on DVD. The whole family loves it. Great family entertainment.
Good point although when Disney dubbed Miyazaki's "Howl's Moving Castle" they used Lauren Bacall and Jean Simmons. It was nice to hear two of Hollywood's most distinctive voices do the dub work.
Like Kurosawa I make mad films.
OK, I don’t make films-
But if I did they’d have a samurai...
Typically, you’d have to try to find it in an art-house cinema - that’s the most likely place a subtitled version would turn up.
Either that, or wait for it on DVD or BluRay.
I quite agree with your crack about Disney being America’s ‘Ministry of Culture’. The reason though is that many years ago, Disney signed the rights to distribute the films of Miyazaki from Studio Ghibli. Realistically, I doubt Fox or Columbia or Universal or whatnot would have done it, so Disney was probably the only game in town at that time, unfortunately.
Miyazaki hasn’t produced a decent movie since Mononoke-Hime.
A lot of Miyazaki’s films are very deeply rooted in Japanese folklore and mythology. “Princess Mononoke” is indeed very difficult to explain to anyone outside Japan.
Here in the Czech Republic, there’s a great animated film called “Alois Nebel”, but unless one is familiar with the history of the expulsion of the Sudeten Germans at the end of WWII, I would imagine the story may not make a lot of sense.
The graphic novel version of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is one of the best comics ever made. As great as the movie is, the comic blows it away.
Freegards
Miyazaki is a GOD among men. His works have inspired countless artists and professionals.
I highly recommend ‘Princess Mononoke’ (Billy Bob Thornton, Claire Danes, and Billy Crudup do voices in the English release), ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ and ‘Spirited Away’ just to start. His works are unbelievably well done.
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