The Japanese animation Kaze Tachinu (The Wind Rises) presents audiences with the life of a historical character - the aeronautical engineer Jiro Horikoshi. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Horikoshi as conveyed in the film is the apparent conflict between his intentions and the end result of his actions. In real life he is recorded to have said “All I wanted to do was to make something beautiful.” Unfortunately for history and for his conscience, this “something” became the Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter aircraft, a deadly machine used by the Japanese Government for most of WWII. The film is the first non-fiction work in Studio Ghibli’s history and certainly the most realistic to date, even taking into account the many dream sequences incorporated into the story. Apart from its subject matter, The Wind Rises is also momentous in that not only is it Director Hayao Miyazaki latest film, it is also his last. The 72 year old animation legend has, as of the 1st/ September, publicly announced his retirement from film-making after 50 years in the business. His final project appears to be a work with extreme personal meaning. Indeed, the very name of Studio Ghibli is a form of tribute to one of the main characters in the film; the Italian aeronautical engineer, Mr. Gianni Caproni, whose namesake- another fighter-plane used in WWII- was nicknamed the Ghibli.
Composer Joe Hisaishi is certainly no stranger to Studio Ghibli. The Wind Rises marks their 9th collaboration and they have a 10th - The Tale of Princess Kaguya, set for release this coming November. Despite the realism of the story, Hisaishi has woven together a score that maintains the charm and innocence characteristic of his earlier works. In fact, his score is probably the main element linking Kaze Tachinu to Studio Ghibli’s typical filmatic style.
As is to be expected, the score is highly thematic. One such theme, the “Main Theme” is in 4/4 time and is first heard in the film’s opening scene and returns numerous times throughout the film. It is the chief unifying factor of the score and consists of a charismatic little tune, infused with the mix of Folk and Classical writing that has become an auditory trademark for Hisaishi’s previous Ghilbli scores. Its most distinctive feature is a swift, momentary modulation to the dominant which occurs at the end of the first phrase. Another such theme is the “Dream theme”, also in 4/4, it is notable for its march-like qualities, both rhythmically and melodically. This military feel and grandeur matches the onscreen majesty of Caproni’s wondrous dream planes.
The score is a testament to Hisaishi’s fantastic orchestrations, and utilises various techniques to expand each of its main themes and tailor them to fit different scenes. Of these techniques, they are some which are particularly prominent for example; changing the writing from homophonic to polyphonic, changing the instrumentation, developing the underlying rhythms to produce greater movement and momentum, image “painting” and changing the tessitura from low to high or visa versa. Overall, I felt the score was yet another wonderful entry in a long list of accomplishments for Hisaishi. “The world is a dream” says Mr Caproni in the first dream sequence. Certainly, the composer helped to embody this musically by weaving a whimsical and charismatic work that epitomises a child’s sense of wonder and optimism. In terms of the film as a whole, I felt it was particularly effective in balancing out the seriousness of the subject matter. 24/30