1986 (Not Rated)
Directed by: Jimmy Murakami
Original Graphic Novel by: Raymound Briggs
This anti-war film illustrates the stark contrast between nuclear destruction and how mundane life continues afterwards. The first part of “When the Wind Blows” starts with a slow set-up with the elderly married couple, Jim and Hilda, going through their normal
routine; they eat breakfast together, call their son, read the newspaper and learn of the escalating tensions between the Western Allies and the Soviet Union. The movie elegantly shows how life continues on, even when international politics are in hell. The second half of the film starts after Jim and Hilda have attempted to take proper precautions from the incoming nuclear attack, and a beautiful scene cuts between them together and the outside world; where cars are flipped and houses are effortlessly collapsed. The scene shows the brutality of nuclear war, making it a perfect anti-war film. After this point forward the couple attempts to return to normalcy while slowly succumbing to radiation poisoning. What really makes this a tragic movie is that until the end Jim and Hilda pretend that everything is fine, this may make you think that they are dumb or ignorant to their situation; however, it is revealed at the end that they knew the entire time that they wouldn’t be able to ever return to normal. Yet, they kept their facade to protect and comfort each other: caring for each other after the world has ended. “When the Wind Blows” shows the crushing reality of nuclear warfare, and how people attempt to live after everything they ever knew has been flattened. –Zoe Hooper
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