User Reviews

When the Wind Blows (1986) is an animated film directed by Jimmy T. Murakami and based on the graphic novel of the same name written by Raymond Briggs. It features the serene voices of John Mills and Peggy Ashcroft who voice Jim and Hilda Bloggs, a retired old couple living in the Sussex countryside. When the threat of Nuclear War starts to loom ominously, the stoic couple build a shelter in their home and set about storing provisions suggested by the government pamphlets. But do they, or anyone else, really understand the fall out of a nuclear strike?.

There was a time in the 1980s when Nuclear War was a distinct possibility, paranoia was rife and adult folk actually started to contemplate the end of humanity. Film makers were quick to tap into the topic and produce movies to further stir those paranoid juices. America produced the dated but very impacting The Day After in 1983, with the film causing Ronald Reagan to reevaluate his Country's nuclear arms policy, while in 1984 the UK gave the cinema world the bleakly shattering Threads. A year prior to The Day After shaking the boots of those watching it, Raymond Briggs, author of the delightful The Snowman, was moving into more adult territory with his work. Propelled by a sense of loss for his parents, whom the Bloggs' are based on (they had featured in his Gentleman Jim 1980), he was inspired to write When the Wind Blows after watching a BBC television programme about nuclear contingency. Thus the film version was to arrive in 1986. Naturally in animated form, so as to simultaneously entice and awaken the kids of the day to Nuclear War possibility and the effects of such.

When mooching around for some back story on Briggs and how he came to write it, I came upon a review for the film that chastised the characters for being stupid! Well it's more stoic naivety than stupidity say I, and it's that that drives When the Wind Blows forward. The stupidity comes with the government instructions in how to cope with such a nuclear attack. That these two amiable old pensioners, survivors of the last World War no less, can't grasp the seriousness of the situation is not stupidity, leaflets handed out gave hope that one could survive such an event. As they, as charming an old couple you could wish to meet by the way, go about their business out in the quaint countryside, they show a tender bond that can't be broken, not even by what they think is just the latest War. It's very much a we shall overcome attitude that gains emotional weight as the fall-out starts to take hold and our adorable couple become ill. Come the finale, all the acerbic touches and the underlying message at the film's core, hits home hard, yet Murakami still manages to keep it tender enough, ultimately doing justice to Briggs' excellent literary work.

As potent now as it was back in the 80s. Lest we forget that the threat of War, nuclear or otherwise, is never far away from us all. 9/10

A fantastic little movie. I read an article which said that the first five feature-length British animations were ANIMAL FARM, YELLOW SUBMARINE, WATERSHIP DOWN, THE PLAGUE DOGS and this one. None of them are meant for kids, certainly not in some instances, and yet all have a streak of quality running through them and perhaps say something about the British character or the tastes of the British public. I came to WHEN THE WIND BLOWS as a huge fan of both Raymond Briggs and his book, with THE SNOWMAN an ever-present favourite since childhood, and this is another sterling adaptation. Murakami uses cutting edge animation technology to keep this single-location black comedy involving and entertaining throughout, the voice performances and animation are excellent, and the juxtaposition of knowing humour and touches of working class life with nuclear annihilation is untouched.

It is hard for me to write a positive review of this movie.

This is not a reflection of the quality of the animation; the beautiful hand-drawn characters and backgrounds were truly wonderful. Nor is this a disparaging comment on the performance of the actors, for they were brilliant. The writing, directing, score, etc...all are of extremely high quality.

The reason it is hard for me to speak well of the film is because of the enormous emotional impact it will have on you. I saw WTWB in my freshman year History of Animation class with Howard Beckerman, with little more warning for what I was about to experience than, "It's a tough little film".

I was an absolute wreck. I have not been so emotionally affected by a movie since.

Thought-provoking, stirring, and genuinely moving. It's hard to write favorably about something that had such a devastating effect on me. And yet, as you see, I have.

"When the Wind Blows", just like "Grave of the Fireflies" it's a heartbreaking animated tale about two innocent characters that had a childish vision of the world, and how the war has terrible effect on their lives.

Despite the cute style of animation, that may look as something aimed for children, this movie is pretty disturbing and sad: The scenes aren't very explicit, but many parts of this movie shocked me a lot. However, I love this film, and I would recommend it to anyone (Unless you don't like to see sad movies) because, despite being pretty depressive and dark, it is also beautiful and moving.

"When the Wind Blows" is one of the most intense, powerful and poetic films (animated or not) ever made. If you liked films as "Watership Down" "The Plague Dogs" and "Grave of the Fireflies" you couldn't miss this movie.

I don't know when to start praising the gem that is When the Wind Blows. It is absolutely wonderful in every aspect, in the characters, in the dialogue, in the story, in the animation, everything. Raymond Brigg's(The Snowman, Father Christmas and The Bear) book is very chilling, and as well as being well adapted, the story to When the Wind Blows is superbly told. Not only that it is heart-breaking and disturbing especially in the final fifteen minutes. The animation is beautifully done and quaint and begs the question "it can't happen here, could it?", and the music is very haunting, and David Bowie's title song compliments the film perfectly. The dialogue is moving, clever and intelligent, the pacing and direction are right on the money and the characters Jim and Hilda are sweet and wonderfully voiced by John Mills and Peggy Ashcroft. Then there is the fact that few of us knew how to conduct ourselves should there be a nuclear winter, which is powerfully brought to home. All in all, poignant and clever and definitely a must see, also deserves to be better known. 10/10 Bethany Cox.

I was like a lot of people. I saw 'When the Wind Blows' and I really didn't know anything about it. I saw that one of the voices was provided by Peggy Ashcroft ('A Passage to India' is one of my favorite movies) and was drawn to it.

What struck me first was the drawing style. It looks like a children's storybook. It is sort of fitting that this movie looks like a fairy tale because it's story is anything but.

The movie takes place in the home of an elderly couple John and Hilda who know that WWIII is emminent but think that the government will have the same jolly, let's-all-pitch-in spirit of WWII. The first half is the two of them preparing for war. They have pamphlets on how to set up a bomb shelter but are totally unprepared for the impact of nuclear weapons.

When the bomb hits, the second half deals with their slow realization that the government isn't going to help and the harsher realization that they are slowly dying.

The movie is chilling because it looks so sweet. These two lovely people are so naïve, they have no idea what will or has happened to them.

The movie is patently for adults. Animated films for adults don't do well and don't get a wide distribution because of the false assumption that all animated films are for children. 'When the Wind Blows' is a disturbing film about a disturbing subject. It puts together two things that seem to be on opposite ends of the spectrum, and animated film and a dark social message.

Because these two themes mesh together so well, the movie leaves you breathless and in deep discussion afterwards.

"When The Wind Blows" is an animated movie, adapted from the marvelous repertoire of Raymond Briggs, about an unexceptional retired couple who are about to live through a hugely exceptional event. Undoubtedly you've seen many terrific animated movies before. Most likely you've also watched many great dramas dealing with the horrible effects of (nuclear) warfare before. But surely you haven't seen anything like "When The Wind Blows", as it's the most totally unique and original take on the tragic & horrific effects of war ever accomplished. You don't expect the story and the atmosphere to be disturbing, but they are! You don't expect the animated characters to move and affect you, but they do! And you honestly don't expect a movie like this to haunt your thoughts for so long after finishing it, but IT DOES! Everything about this 'cartoon' is downright astonishing; from the peculiar & dared narrative structure (Jim and Hilda are the only two characters), the constant atmosphere of overpowering menace (the feeling of war is literally present), the moody soundtrack (including David Bowie and Roger Waters) and - last but not least - the detailed character drawings of the adorable protagonists. Jim and Hilda are unique in their naivety. When increasingly alarming news bulletins warn people about the outbreak of war, they obediently follow government-distributed pamphlets and 'build' a bomb shelter out of wooden doors and bedroom pillows. The couple lives completely isolated, so they have no real idea about the horrific seriousness of the situation, but they're not really worried as long they got their security brochures, each other's company and their (fond) memories of the last time this happened during WWII. Even after the bomb has fallen, when Jim and Hilda appear to be the last remaining souls in England (but physically suffering as well), the extremely amiable couple simply carries on preparing grocery lists and drinking tea. It's nearly impossible to accept, but these drawn and animated figures are far more moving and identifiable than real actors and actresses. Probably everyone who watches this film will recognize his/her own grandparents whilst observing Jim and Hilda. They're a bit unworldly - aren't all elderly folks - overly caring, friendly, calm and often downright frustratingly ignorant! The second half of the film, when acid raid and dusty clouds tumble down, is almost unbearably saddening and emotionally devastating. The drama elements are sincere and effective and, even more importantly, they never once feel exploitative. And, in case it isn't obvious just yet, "When The Wind Blows" definitely isn't a film for young children or even overly sensitive people to watch. It's a criminally underrated and unforgettable masterpiece that courageously illustrates the unstable ambiance of the cold-war era and I can only insist admirers of true cinema to track it down.

This has to be one of the most stunning films I've ever seen.

Although it was ages ago that I saw it, this is one of those rare films that stay with you for years.

A very chilling story of World War III, done in such a way that you can't help love the characters. Based on the UK Government's woefully inadequate how to survive a nuclear war leaflets from back in the 1980s. Such wonderful ideas such as building a fallout shelter from your house doors, or painting your house white to reflect the blast come to life in possibly one of the most disturbing films ever.

The two little old age pensioners take you right through from before to after the war. And I can still see my sister and mom crying towards the end. Radiation sickness is brought to the screen in such a way you just wish that the old dears could end it all now. Yet they endure and the story of their love for each other shines through as the one hope in a World gone mad.

If you've never seen this film, I would suggest you try and find a copy. Forget the Terminator (and others of that ilk) with their flashy bangs and multi million dollar budgets, this film really brings the horror of a possible Nuclear War home.

SPOILERS May be included in my review:

It takes a truly gifted film and TV maker to mix humour and light hearted dialogue with utter heartbreak. These talented geniuses reel in their audience and lull them into a sense of light hearted expectation and then sucker punch a hole straight through their soul leaving them feeling like they've hit by an emotional freight train. Paul Whitehouse could do it the 'The Fast Show' (Rowley Birkin QC comes to mind) - as could Sir David Jason's character Derek Trotter in 'Only Fools and Horses' The finale of Ben Elton and Richard Curtis' 'Blackadder Goes Fourth' where they go over-the-top to be shot down instantly in the fabulous last scene ever to be shot in the Blackadder series. You know that you have been laughing real hard the whole way through the show and you know you absolutely should not be laughing now.

As I say, a tough thing to do successfully. This animated masterpiece does the same. 'PinHead' from the movie Hellraiser claimed he was going to 'tear you soul apart' - well scriptwriter Raymond Briggs, director Jimmy Murakami, voice actors John Mills and Peggy Ashcroft, Soundtrack contributors Pink Floyd - David Bowie - Genesis - Paul Hardcastle - Squeeze and the hundreds and hundreds of animators do just that..... Who doesn't recognise their Aunts and Uncles, Mothers and Fathers, Grandmothers and Grandfathers in the two elderly main protagonists Jim and Hilda. With their British stiff upper lip, their almost romantic notion of war dating from their experiences in WWII - 'we'll teach the Hun like we did in 42' as an example of their utterly misguided hopes that it will all be OK.

It's not OK. It's as far away from OK as it possibly could be. Jim and Hilda are expecting a few bombs and so hide under the makeshift shelter they have built. They built the shelter because the government told them to. The government knew it was pointless to do so but they lied about the survivability of the 300-400 megaton attack the United Kingdom would suffer and Jim and Hilda believed them. Touchingly, during the build up as the mood darkens slowly - relentlessly - Jim calls his son in London to make sure he is prepared for the attack and that his 'inner core or refuge' is built and they are ready to get into it, only to find his son on the end of the telephone in a state of utter mental overload/breakdown. Jim assumes his son is drunk and even though we only hear the conversation from Jim's side it is obvious to everyone *except* Jim that his son has simply lost his mind. Jim almost thinks it's funny, the viewer knows it is anything but....

As the pace quickens and we find our lovable (and we do love them) Jim and Hilda in their inner core or refuge, we witness an amazing animated piece depicting the end of the world as Jim and Hilda know it. The dust settles and the second act is an abject lesson in horrific despair, with an almost clinical breakdown describing and showing stages of the breakdown of the human body and the breakdown of Jim and Hilda's everything. A breakdown of the breakdown of everything ...

20 minutes ago the film was showing us a dear old couple arguing like only those who've been married for 50 years can argue. Good natured banter with Jim pointing out to Hilda that very large thermonuclear weapons are on their way and now is perhaps not the time to be bringing the clothes in off the washing line and finishing cleaning the pots and pans. 20 minutes ago Jim was reassuring Hilda that everything will be just fine once the bombs had gone off and that they can get the mess cleared up when the all clear signal is broadcast.

20 minutes ago Hilda was not passing blood in the toilet. 25 minutes ago Jim wasn't vomiting blood. 30 minutes ago Jim and Hilda had a full head of hair instead of the clumps that are falling out now. 35 minutes ago Hilda wasn't breaking out in awful blistering and hemorrhaging from every orifice.

At this point the viewers mind is utterly shattered with the complete hopelessness of their situation. As I watched them trying to survive the unsurvivable I found myself hoping against all hope that this lovely pair of old timers would live, somehow survive.....long enough to be killed by the leukaemia and bone cancers that are a near 100% guarantee after their level of exposure I guess... I didn't want them to die, nobody wants them to die, except maybe the crazy bastards with the launch codes tucked away under a mountain somewhere safe and air-conditioned.

Hollywood tries to condition movie watchers to an often wishy-washy happy ending.... 'Oh no hold it there sir - there'll be none of that nonsense in this film .... for Christ's sake this is not Hollywood dear viewer, they've just been exposed to so many roentgens that their internal organs are turning into liquid sh|te'

Talk about mixed emotions. Just f****** hardcore.

Glen Lewis