Wenn der Wind weht (1986) Online

An elderly couple (Hilda and Jim -- voiced by Peggy Ashcroft and John Mills) -- who have experienced WWII -- prepare for a nuclear war believing every word that the government says and expecting a short and happy outcome should the worst happen.

I have watched a lot of movies and I expect to watch a lot more movies before I am through, but I won't see anything quite like this one. If you think you have seen everything and had everything possible thrown at you from a TV/Cinema screen -- then think again.

When The Wind Blows must be the most disturbing film I have ever seen -- and it is a low budget cartoon with a PG certificate! The movie starts by playing for laughs and introducing us to the daily routine of our elderly couple.They are living in the past and think of war in a kindly way. This is to soften us up for what follows -- and what follows will stay with you for the rest of your life.

Having your emotions manipulated by cinema is nothing new, but this film uses real government information and very real scenarios.

If only more people could see this film and debate the messages it contains we would have a safer and better world.

I remember when this was released in the cinemas in 1986 in the UK. It had a fairly small release, yet attracted a lot of publicity. I didn't see it till it was on TV one Christmas - not the right time to show such a film. I was still only eleven or twelve and found it far more disturbing than any Nightmare On Elm Street, Poltergeist or American Werewolf that I'd seen. The fact that the couple are so naive and innocent along with the sweet, old-fashioned comic-book style animation really manipulates the viewer so cleverly, that when the bomb hits and the true tone of the film reveals itself, the viewer is caught off guard just like the innocent couple are. You are plunged into the dark, deathly tone of the storyline and compelled to watch in the hope that this sweet couple will survive, whilst at the back of your mind, always knowing that they have little time left. It still has the same effect now on a third or fourth watching. It's so disturbing to see, yet something so compelling that you cannot turn away or turn off. As an historical piece of eighties cold war/anti-nuclear protest filmmaking, this is a timeless film that should be studied as part of history education when it comes to the 2080's and the world looks back a hundred years on a part of the 1980's that weren't so optimistic. This is a unique film that stands alone in terms of animation and stands out from all the typically optimistic, big and bright blockbusters of the eighties.

This film is an amazing contrast: its extremely dark subject matter is totally belied by the beautifully-drawn backdrops and sweet cartoon style. As adult animations are so rare this style grabs you at once, and it is impossible not to be gripped. Anyone who doesn't remember the Cold War should note that the advice about the doors and painting the windows white was the true advice at the time. Where this film is so effective is its perfect charicatures of elderly folk determined to keep the British stiff upper lip, with no idea about nuclear weapons. My grandparents are exactly like this couple, I could see my nan also bringing in the washing during the four-minute warning. We never see the couple's son but his refusal to adhere to the government's "Protect & Survive" advice, singing the Tom Lehrer song down the phone to his father, is a far more realistic attitude towards what is about to happen. Living only 12 miles from London when I first saw this film I was inclined to agree with the son (and still do). Although the geopolitical map of the world is different now this is still an immensely valuable film as it shows what the risks were during the Cold War and is a chilling reminder that although the Cold War may be over, the weapons are still here. It could not be more different in presentation to the equally brilliant but far more horrifying Threads - but the message is the same.

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.

This is a film you will never forget. I watched it as a teenager expecting something soppy and sentimental (it was made by some of the same people who made the Snowman, a Christmas tale featuring the chorister Aled Jones).

John Mills is superb as the male character, his voice carries the echoes of his former glories as hero, officer type and all round good guy. With lavish casting, animation and soundtrack the plot is given a painful intensity.

Instead my family were treated to horror of the worst kind. A horror that deals with ordinary comfortable society. The two lovely elderly characters are my grandparents, my neighbours. We see them crumble and disintegrate in the nuclear aftermath. They prepare cheerfully for a nuclear war and wait helplessly in the fallout for a rescue which will never come.

Don't watch it with your parents, you will cry and be reminded about it for years afterwards.

There are very few films that attempt to realistically describe life after the bomb. If it is a Hollywood production, there has to be an optimistic ending - take "the day after" with a simple but uplifting message: some will die, there will be personal tragedy, yes - but we'll make it under the guidance of our government.

This film takes a different approach: the format (animated) and the setting (rural England) perfectly match the soothing government messages: build a shelter, keep some food and drink - you'll be alright.

But then the story is continued through to the (very painful) end: there is no more government, there is no more mailman, there is

no more you....

I saw this film when i was about 13 and it had a huge impact on me. Everything comes together so well to produce a stunning overall effect. The animation is unique and uses many contrasting styles from soft, cartoony character design to harsh, powerful and sometimes disturbing imagery reminiscent of some of Gerald Scarfe's work in 'The Wall'. The soundtrack is also superb and subtely integrated into the storyline, using both instrumental and vocal tracks from David Bowie, Roger Waters and Genesis.

As you watch the film you are given a 'fly-on-the-wall' perspective of an elderly couple 'preparing' for a nuclear blast. Their innocence and naivety is moving whilst at the same time full of hope. They dutifully follow governmental leaflets firmly believing that the powers that be will never let them down. This viewpoint is harrowing for the viewer as we know that there is no real hope for either of them and yet still they carry on even after the blast, with a quiet dignity and bravery which is very endearing.

This is not a film with a happy ending and nor should it be. For this reason some may call it depressing but the media of film should not always be used to merely entertain.

There are few films out there that truly have the power to make an impact on us that will last the rest of our lives, thankfully When The Wind Blows is one of them. A daring and innovative movie which is so much more than just a cartoon.

It is also now available at last on DVD. I intend to order my copy very soon. Highly recommended.

'When the Wind Blows' is an amazing piece of animation in more ways than one. Amazing, firstly, for being such an elusive dark horse that, in spite of its quality, remains little known to this day. Amazing also for the seamless mode in which it combines dimensions, propping 2D characters up against both 2D and 3D backgrounds. And, finally, amazing for being so bursting in valor and heartache in the gut-punch it delivers. Indeed, if you want my stance on things this humble little flick ranks alongside 'Yellow Submarine' shoulder-to-shoulder as two of the most eye-catching pacifist movies ever made. What's really interesting is that, while the central message is essentially the same (give peace a chance), these movies couldn't be more of a contrast. 'Yellow Submarine' is at one end of the spectrum; quirky, light-hearted and dripping with colour, it's a very hippie, flower power kind of vision that (among other things), shows us the potential joys of living in a world without conflict. WTWB is right at the other – up to its neck in darkness and somberness, it offers up the alternative route; the pure horror of a world wrecked by nuclear war. Before you settle down to watch this, bear in mind that WTWB isn't easy viewing – in fact it's a flick that grows more and more painful as it goes – but it's a fulfilling one nonetheless that leaves a real lasting impact on the viewer and certainly a film everyone, adults *and* kids alike, should watch.

Even if you're a hardcore war endorser, you simply couldn't be human if you didn't, at any point, feel the slightest pang of conscience for the two characters stuck in the middle of this one. Jim and Hilda are an elderly couple living a tranquil life in a small cottage out in the countryside – they embody just about the most benign and peaceful kind of civilian you could imagine. Yet they are doomed to suffer the most for something over which they have no voice. They place their trust in a line of government-issued pamphlets and, in spite of the obvious flaws and contradictions in their advice, manage to construct a shelter that will stand up to the bombing. And, miraculously, it works – but it leaves them totally unprepared for a threat even more horrifying, devastating and noxious than the blast itself; the nuclear winter, or 'fallout', that must follow.

When Raymond Briggs first set out to tell this incredible and nerve-jangling story, he chose to do it in one of the most unlikely formats available; a children's comic book. To some extent, something *is* lost in translating the original story to film – it's a faithful adaptation, and really maintains Briggs' look, feel and sense of character (he himself had quite a big finger in this pie), but in merely being a movie it lacks the naïve innocence that only a children's storybook could really provide. The advantage it does have, however, is the chance to delve into his sketching style and produce some quality animation, a challenge it rises to well – there are some brief interludes throughout the story which feature beautiful, even mesmerising artwork, serving up a sharp contrast to the painful reality our heroes are facing. The background score is entrancing, and the lyrics of Roger Waters' end-credits number just demand to be listened to. John Mills and Peggy Ashcroft were the *perfect* selections for the voices of Jim and Hilda. And, like the original source material, it makes brilliant use of understatement to paint a bigger, much more ghastly picture. Hard though it may seem, this is a film that really demands multiple viewings, as so many things are left to us, the viewers, to suss out for ourselves.

Final note – stay right until the *very* end of the closing credits. This experience just isn't complete without hearing that chilling beeping as it fades.

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

i've seen this animation film twice ..

the more you see it, the more you love it ..

the whole film is approached with an air of bitter irony .. sometimes it gets slightly emotional but in a very nice way ..

animation skills of superior quality ..

characters and the dialogs are so well presented that it could be a theatrical play as well ..

the quality of the film is such that there are times where you forget that you are watching an animated movie ..

one more thing : you HAVE to watch this film!

This film is based on a story by Raymond Briggs ,of "The Snowman" fame. This film is proof that cartoons aren't just for kids and it will disturb you deeply. Mr and Mrs Bloggs,voiced by John Mills and Peggy Ashcroft,are a sweet English couple, peacefully living out their remaining years in the country,whose lives are going to be shattered by nucleur war. The main premise of the film is that they really don't have a clue about what is going to happen.They get very little advice and what advice they do get is different.The government gives different advice from the local council. The film is full of reminiscences about WWII and how the couple believe that the government and emergency services will see them all right in the end. After the bomb hits it is sad to the see the couple slowly deteriorate but even to the very end still certain that the government and emergency service's will come to their rescue. Watch this film if you ever get a chance but don't watch it expecting a happy ending because the end will just wrench at your heart strings and leave you thinking "but for the grace of god go I"

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

Along with 'Threads' this is probably one of the best anti war films. Adapted from Raymond Brigg's 1982 Graphic Novel, legendary Japanese animator Jimmy Murakami does an amazing job of bringing the story to screen. Originally Murakami wanted a live action film but he didn't have the budget so instead used a combination of 3D backgrounds and 2D characters and it works extremely well.

The story follows retired couple Jim and Hilda Bloggs as they reminisce on their experiences of the Second World War through rose tinted glasses, as WWIII begins. John Mills and Peggy Ashcroft bring Jim and Hilda to life making you forget that you're watching two animated drawings. They try and 'do the correct thing' in making a fall out shelter despite conflicting government advice (the famous 'protect and survive' leaflets) but don't grasp the situation. Amazingly they survive a superbly animated nuclear attack but then it just gut wrenching to watch them succumb to radiation sickness but not knowing what is happening.

Finally the soundtrack is also one of the best, with specially written songs from David Bowie, Roger Waters and Genesis perfectly complementing the film.

This is a MUST SEE movie! I won't bore you with details right out of the chute, so heres the simple version: GET IT - WATCH IT - TELL OTHERS!

Here's the skinny: This is a movie that not only will stir you in amazing ways, but it has music from Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Genesis, etc. NOTE: The music is written FOR this movie, so even if you have all of your favorite artists albums, until you have this you don't have their best works! So not only are you watching a quality movie, but the soundtrack is a collector's item!

When I first watched this movie I had no idea what to expect. What it presented was far more than I could ever imagine!

It didn't try to goad me with scenes of the horrors of war, it didn't try to move me with petty sympathies, it spoke up about the realities in a very demure way that any viewer will find hard to ever forget!

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.

Life like the wind can be a very fleeting thing, we always think we have enough time in our lives and death is far behind, but the moment it comes is always the least we expect and we realize how little time we really had. There are few movies I cry to and this film is one of them.

Based on a graphic novel by Ramond Biggs whom made the famous Christmas story "The Snowman". I love the combination of both 2D and 3D animation in places it really made the universe the character were in seem less cartoonish and feel uncompromisingly real, from the way the characters walk to certain locations of the house really feels like your there. The nuclear explosion scene how it was presented and executed I'll admit is one of the most disturbing, horrifying, and unnerving scenes I've ever seen, the only other time I seen this was in the anime film "Barefoot Gen". The music is great it really fits the film, I even like the theme song by one of my favorite singer's David Bowie.

But what really makes this film is really the couple Jim and Hilda Bloggs the movie focuses on. These characters really feel like ordinary people it's easy to forget their animated characters. From some of the things they say to one another which feels like the usual things you'd talk about. There are times when you really cringe at their ignorance about the war but you also at time feel heavy pathos for them as both are just struggling to survive by what they have as well as the information from the government pamphlets which made it all the more sadder because you know the information is a lie.

There is a lot that really tugs at our emotions, one scene where we see as the explosion is continuing the camera then focuses on a picture of the past and we see both Jim and Hilda past in a montage as they were young and when they grew old. It clinched at my heart because I knew that those times from their past are gone forever. Another scene that was disturbing was when both were outside and they think they smell roasted meat and when we see shots of a town in ruin we know exactly what that smell is, it really gave me a sick feeling inside.

It even tugs from the little moments like when Jim wonders why the milkman hasn't arrived. It tugged me because all of the modern conveniences we would take for granted are gone forever, this made me appreciate all of those little things like going to the grocery store and having food and supplies always there for us to buy; or simply even the mall to get video games/movies. Down to the just seeing the physical toll the aftermath is taking on the couple which is gut wrenching because once Hilda's hair falls off their dying.

But what really tugged at my emotions the most was just the sense of familiarity, the couple reminded me a little of my own grand parents whom have now passed away along with the house they live in which looks or at least almost looks similar to the house I use to visit my grand parents at. This all the more increased the emotional weight.

The fate of the couple in the end broke my heart and I literally broke down and cried, it is something that will haunt you forever.

This film really made me appreciated life, grateful that I can still play and buy video games, do martial arts, have a girlfriend and friends, and just simply do all the things I do best in life because none of use really have all the time in the world, like the wind life blows away.

Rating: 4 stars

Like many of the viewers of this highly underrated film, I first saw it at school in my R.E. class. I was highly moved by it at the time (lets face it, you don't shed even a dignified tear in front of your classmates readily, do you?) and continue to be so today. Even after many more viewings, the final scene where Jim starts to pray still moves me like just about no other moment in film.

Joseph Stalin once said that "one death is a tragedy, a million is a statistic." While that is obviously a chilling statement coming from him, it has a tragic truth about it. Reading a black and white discussion on the ins and outs of nuclear combat, the potential casualties and damage, has limited effect. Only when brought down to the surface level, to the individuals affected, can anyone really understand why nuclear war would be such a tragedy. Illogical as it is, cold statistics telling us millions will die have less impact than the deaths of just two, immensely warm and lovable characters.

WTWB is now available on DVD, and I would highly recommend getting hold of the book too, which can be found reasonably easily & cheaply online. There are a few extra details in it, and some fascinating tributes at the start from British politicians,publications and pubic figures as diverse as Tony Benn and Claire Rayner. All the public information stuff in the film is accurate too, and the Protect and Survive material can be found with a simple web-search. It serves as a poignant reminder of the lunacy of nuclear war, a threat which is not so far gone as some people seem to think.

Subjects don't come much bigger than total species extinction and in the mid-80s, the imposing shadows thrown by the superpowers' volatile arsenal of nuclear warheads pretty much blackened the entire planet. With last-grip, nerve-stretched lunacies like Mutually Assured Destruction dominating US and Soviet policies, the standoff also had the vinegary whiff of desperate farce about it. War is hell but at least there are winners. In a nuclear conflict, everybody - and everything - loses. One big bang and we all fall down. Or, in the case of When The Wind Blows, fall-out.

While Mick Jackson's telemovie Threads remains the screen's most potent account of mass panic on apocalypse day, this British to-the-frame adaptation of Raymond Briggs' graphic novella is unquestionably the most humane. Say hello and wave goodbye then, to Jim and Hilda, our naive retired home counties couple who, on hearing of an imminent World War III, set about merrily obeying the ridiculous instructions from government protect and survive pamphlets. They whitewash the windows (to shield the radiation), stock up on supplies (a tin of Christmas pudding) and cheerfully anticipate a Blitz-style cosy-up sipping Olvaltine under Anderson shelters.

At first, it plays out like a black comedy - just as the bomb hits, dim Hilda goes to get the washing in - but as the insidious crackle of fall-out settles and the sickness sets in, the movie reveals its true nature: an unbearably intimate, gently accentuated tragedy with a tenacious pacifist streak. Blending 2D cells with 3D modelling, director Jimmy Murakami is technically adventurous but crucially, his connection to Briggs' material is total. In fact, with its working class nuances, droll dialogue and mundane aura , you sense that if Mike Leigh made cartoons, the results wouldn't be too far from this.

Jim and Hilda Bloggs (voiced by the late Sir John Mills and Dame Peggy Ashcroft and based loosely on Raymond Brigg's parents) are a retired couple living simple lives in Sussex until The Cold War report on the radio (voiced by Robin Houston) announces the bomb is going to drop on Britain. What happens starts with preparation for nuclear attack suggested by government nuclear war information leaflets that Jim picked up from the library, the survival of the blast and their gradual disintegration of health through radioactive poisoning.

As people Jim and Hilda were more everyman than simple. During the film, they often confuse the Russians for the Germans, reminisce nostalgically over what war used to be like (a characteristic of my late granddad), they reflect on the irony that the Russians were our allies in the Second World War and refer to Stalin as 'a nice chap...more like an uncle he was, I liked his moustache and his pipe' even though he was a murderous dictator in his own country. Jim and Hilda were actually the main characters in Raymond Brigg's book 'Gentleman Jim' before 'When the wind blows'. Jim was a council toilet cleaner before he retired and his character got into trouble with authorities for trying to get above his station.

Their son, Ron, does not take the news seriously, laughing at his father and advises him to buy a protractor to measure the degree of his refuge shelter. It is probably the main attitude people would have when faced with the stark realities of nuclear war and needless to say he and his family die. All the way through the film, Jim and Hilda are content to believe Ron and his family survived the blast.

For me, the most important line of the whole film appears almost 15 minutes in when Jim says; 'you somehow knew where you were then, I don't even know who the people are these days...It's got very impersonal...You knew where you stood'. How apt is this now in an age where you don't know what to believe regarding political events like 9/11, the connections between Bush and Bin Laden and the reasons why the US meddle with Middle Eastern affairs at all (not that I should mention the world 'oil'). To bring the film into a modern day context there is a bit of Jim and Hilda in all of us to some extent, either swallowing whatever the governments say or remaining ineffectual regardless of whether what they say is true or not.

Jim does his best to keep it together for Hilda who tries to explain everything away in the best way he knows how, certain that the emergency services are going to rescue them both. However, as his explanations become less plausible, I got the impression that they were being optimistic for the other's benefit and not as a result of their own. If you listen to Hilda's tone of voice in the last scene, after being sceptical and dismissive throughout the film, you get the distinct impression by know she accepts her fate with dignity making it fitting that she asks Jim in the final scene to pray to someone arguably higher than the government before they die.

Different media are involved in the film including small video clips, pastel created dream sequences, caricatures of world leaders are portrayed and even an inked Russian enemy is added to the proceedings. The 3D effects intermingled with 2D animation which added a more surreal quality with depth as a result. The animation in general is very fluid and believable (for example, you see a poor bird drag itself around when Jim and Hilda venture outdoors).

The soundtracks were okay though Bowie's effort was pretty weak and, in a way, found it a bit anachronistic to have a 'modern' 80s soundtrack attached to a film involving two people who were of a different time despite living in the 'present'. Roger Waters faired a little better with his acoustic offerings which seem to reflect the mood better. David Dundas's role in the film remains uncredited (not entirely sure what he does even though he is mentioned) but he had a one hit wonder back in the late 70s with the song 'Blues Jeans on'.

There is also a slightly surprising uncharacteristic section within the film as the couple get ready for the bomb blast. Jim calls his wife a stupid bitch after she hesitates to enter the refuge because she wants to get the washing in. I always thought the word 'bitch' was too contemporary and out of context for dear old Jim. Maybe this was to emphasize the seriousness of the situation.

This cartoon has that 'Animal Farm' and 'Watership Down' quality to it. It lulls you into a false sense of security thinking this is a kid's film and I think it is this conceit that becomes the films biggest achievement. Half an hour in the bomb goes off and around the hour mark you really see the radiation poisoning taking it's toll on poor Jim and Hilda. Even when they are both ill, they are so optimistic the government will save them that you believe that is the only possible way to end the film. There is nothing graphic here at all and it's all tastefully done and even the conclusion has a certain amount of peaceful dignity to it. You realise that what you have sat through for approx. 80 minutes wasn't a children's film at all which leads me onto my next and final point...

The tragedy of this cartoon is it didn't find an audience. Kids, despite it's childlike animation, would be upset by it's subject matter if not bored by the lack of action (a lot of the film involves Jim and Hilda talking) while the grown-ups would readily dismiss the whole exercise as just another Raymond Brigg's kiddie movie after his success with The Snowman.

There was a time when your average animated movie had to be the rather nauseating Disney affair. Thank God, "When the wind blows" came and (sort of) put an end to it. It's a rather sad, emotional story about a nice couple of old persons in the middle of a nuclear war. Nothing melodramatic here, only sensitive parts of life in rather horrible situations... The animation is pretty good and rather original (that's another change). Overall it's a rather gripping movie. PS : the ending is absolutely brilliant.

Jim and Hilda are two English retirees, living in a cottage in the country. War with Russia seems imminent and Jim starts taking precautions against a nuclear attack. Remembering World War 2, Jim and Hilda staunchly believe that everything will be okay, even if nuclear weapons are involved. But will it?

Powerful, poignant anti-war movie. Mixes nonchalance and English laugh-in-the-face of danger humour with some incredibly shocking reminders of the effects of nuclear war. Funny and terrifying, all at the same time.

Quite emotional too. We see flashes of Jim and Hilda's history, the life they had, the simplicity and innocence of their existence and how this is shattered.

As this masterpiece begins, It seems to bring a pleasant British countryside atmosphere until the subject of nuclear war enters. At first it seems like a splendid joy of English humour.

Basically the story involves an elderly couple trying to survive the aftermath of a radioactive missile explosion. From the harrowing image of clouded streets, damaged houses and burnt trees to the ignorance of the pensioners, this groundbreaking dystopian chiller brings a surreal fear to mind.

The most upsetting is the result of the bomb's fall out, The character's skin decaying to the shocking reaction of an old woman crying out in horror as her hair falls out.

Its a pity such films like this are so under rated, Along with the incredible vocal performances, excellent direction and Roger Water's terrifying film score, This movie deserves much more credit.

I remember seeing this movie on YouTube. I love the use of live action and 2D animation put together and the story was depressing to watch. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union were having a fight with the US and the whole of NATO and that includes England, the country that these two live in. When WWIII started, we see them dying from radiation sickness through the third act of the movie.

What the movie was portraying this two couple saying that they'll survive a war if one is coming, as they did during the second world war, showing determination and confidence that they'll survive a nuclear war, which sadly they didn't in the end, it didn't show but you can tell that they were dead.

The music sends a depressing chill down your spine and the story makes you feel sorry for the characters. However, despite it being animated, it is not suitable for young kids.

When the Wind Blows is one of those films that keeps on haunting you long after the end credits have stopped rolling.

It focuses on an elderly couple preparing for and enduring a nuclear attack on great Britain. Both are endearing in their love for each other, and their naive trust that all will be well if they prepare well. Sadly for them, none of the precautions they take protect them from nuclear fall-out. The point of the couple being naive was to emphasize how ludicrous and futile the advise the government offered to its citizens on how to react to a nuclear blast was. The movie rips all the advise given in the brochures and public information films to shreds by showing a couple who did their best to follow all the prescriptions to the letter, and proving that none of the advise they were given is of any use to them.

The writer cleverly chose as his main characters an elderly couple who have survived WW2. It gives him the opportunity to hammer home to the audience that a nuclear war is not going to be even remotely comparable to the hardships of WW2. A lot of people used to say to each other that a nuclear war wouldn't be so bad as the doom-sayers predicted. After all we already survived 2 world wars. Sure many people would die, but most would survive and carry on regardless.

Apart from the obvious political messages the movie has, its just a heartbreaking tale about a couple coping with the aftermath of a disaster. Although they bicker like old couples do, it's their love for each other that gets them through the day. They seem like a good team. He's more aware of the reality of the world outside, she's a practical thinker. When he sometimes gets a bit carried away with his memories of world war 2, she gently corrects him. When she panics, or worries about unimportant things like getting the laundry inside before the bomb falls, he protects her by preventing her from doing anything stupid. In the end their love is as strong as ever, which is very moving.

This movie in part was intended to give people who were too complacent a wake-up call. I remember seeing it when I was only thirteen thinking I was in for a nice animation film. It shook me up alright. Now I'm older, I see the subtler points of the movie, and it still gives me chills.

The opening sequence of the film consisting of news footage doesn't fit in very well with the rest, which is a pity. Personally I would have chosen to let the movie start with the man reading the papers in the library. Other than that, I think the movie made very few mistakes, and the animation styles changing over from sketchy and dreamy sequences, conventional drawn animations, and stop motion techniques work together nicely. As it is it stands out as a great achievement in serious animated movie-history.