Animation to watch
The Wind Rises ( Japanese with English subtitles, or English language version, cert. PG) is (he says) the last film to be made by Studio Ghibli cofounder Hayao Miyazaki, now 73. It’s a fictionalised account of the career and romance of the designer of the Zero fighter plane, Jiro Horikoshi (Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the English version).
It also draws on a 1937 novel by Tatsuo Hori, The Wind Has Risen, but the literary inspiration is credited to a line from Paul Valéry’s poem The Graveyard by the Sea – Le vent se lève!
From Jiro’s childhood dreams of meeting his hero, Italian aircraft designer Gianni Caproni (Stanley Tucci) to his love for tuberculosis sufferer Nahoko (Emily Blunt), he shows great honour. At Mitsubishi he and his fellow engineers take pride in their technological advances - flush rivets, retractable undercarriages etc.
Miyazaki’s essentially pacifist stance means that the end use of their capabilities is not glossed over so much as bypassed, although “Japan will blow up” is a common theme on impending war. Jiro’s time spent with Junkers in Nazi Germany also raises questions about the work.
The activities of the secret police in both countries cause problems. Castorp (Werner Herzog), a German living in Japan, helps Jiro in his relationship with Nahoko, but has to flee shortly afterwards.
Jiro’s manager Kurokawa (Martin Short), though abrupt, proves to be an ally as he and his wife (Jennifer Grey) host a hastily arranged marriage when Nahoko leaves her mountain sanatorium to spend what little time she has left with Jiro. Jiro’s younger sister Kayo (Mae Whitman), now a doctor, also knows the consequences.
So does Nahoko, but she is determined not to let her condition prevent consummation of the marriage and this too is delicately handled. One constant is Jiro’s slide rule, but in these tender scenes, he can work it onehanded while he holds her hand.
Miyazaki’s drawing is, of course, brilliant, from Caproni’s ill-fated Noviplano, a ninewinged flying boat that would look part of a surreal dream if it wasn’t real, to the luminous sheen of Nahoko’s bridal gown. The 1923 Kanto earthquake, where Jiro helps Nahoko as a child, roots the story in real events and shows the power of animation.
Some cinemas may offer alternate shows of the original version with subtitles or the English version, but others including some arthouses may have only one or the other - thankfully at Cornerhouse in Manchester I could watch the original version and pop back for a flavour of the dubbed version. Choose the original – the English version will be the one eventually shown on TV. Frank Sidebottom was the comic creation of the late Chris Sievey, an alter ego with a papier-mâché head, always ready to celebrate his home town of Timperley. Journalist and author Jon Ronson was a member of Frank’s (real) band and has now, with Peter Straughan, scripted Frank (dir. Lenny Abrahamson, cert. 15) in which the head is occupied by Michael Fassbender as leader of Soronprfbs, an indie band whose music is as inaccessible as its name is unpronounceable.
A chance encounter on the beach of his home town enables wannabe songwriter Jon Burroughs (Domhnall Gleeson) to join the band as keyboard player. They’re off to a lakeside cabin in Ireland to lock themselves away to produce an album, but relations within the band are strained.
Clara (Maggie Gyllenhall) resents the new addition, and while manager Don (Scoot McNairy) recruited Jon, his mental state is fragile. Mental illness is a constant theme, adding a serious side to what could otherwise be merely a strange spoof band comedy.
A running joke is Frank’s need to vocalise his facial expression behind the head – “welcoming smile”, etc – but it is remarkable how Fassbender’s movements give the fixed face painted on the head a sense of emotion, from the elation of an invitation to the Texas music festival South by South West (SXSW) to inevitable disillusionment. Amid the often bizarre business of relating to a man who never removes his fabricated head, Ronson’s script is both funny and poignant.
Stephen Rennicks composed the music, including the song “I love you all”, a bit Joy Division, which may well hit the charts. That’s in contrast to the stuff Jon writes, but Frank is nothing if not an encourager, even of the mediocre, helping to make this a fun, fascinating and rewarding film.