Review When the Wind Blows (1986)

[Doctor Omega]

When the Wind Blows is a 1986 British animated disaster film directed by Jimmy Murakami based on Raymond Briggs' graphic novel of the same name. The film stars the voices of John Mills and Peggy Ashcroft as the two main characters.

The film was Briggs' second collaboration with TVC, after their efforts with a special based on another work of his, The Snowman, in 1982. It was distributed by Recorded Releasing in the UK, and by Kings Road Entertainment in the United States. A subsequent graphic novel by Briggs, Ethel and Ernest (1998), makes it clear that Briggs based the protagonist couple in When the Wind Blows on his own parents.

When the Wind Blows is a hybrid of drawn animation and stop-motion animation. The characters of Jim and Hilda Bloggs are drawn, but their home and most of the objects in it are real objects that seldom move but are animated with stop motion when they do.

The soundtrack album features music by David Bowie (who performed the title song), Roger Waters, Genesis, Squeeze, Hugh Cornwell and Paul Hardcastle.

 

[Carol]

Such memories of seeing this the first time - no words for how sad, how sweet, how shocking...does it come in a Korean translation yet? Might not be a bad idea.

 

[Hux]

A beautiful little thing.

 

[Carol]

Yes, but capable of causing the same amount of gibbering as Threads, just a couple of years earlier which is no mean feat for a cartoon.

 

[Hux]

The ending of the Snowman (with the piano instrumental version of Walking in the Air) always gets me.

It was especially sad last Christmas with it being the first since Bowie's death.

 

[Carol]

The ending of the Snowman

Nope - I'm a soggy mess as soon as they're airborne... and please don't start me on the Snowdog - that's one overwhelming double bill.
But then again, there's Fungus the Bogeyman - could take Shrek with one warty arm tied behind his back with ropey snot.