Wenn der Wind weht (1986)

Wenn der Wind weht: Directed by Jimmy T. Murakami. With Peggy Ashcroft, John Mills, Robin Houston, James Russell. A naive elderly British rural couple survive the initial onslaught of a nuclear war.

“Subjects donu0026#39;t come much bigger than total species extinction and in the mid-80s, the imposing shadows thrown by the superpowersu0026#39; 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.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhile Mick Jacksonu0026#39;s telemovie Threads remains the screenu0026#39;s most potent account of mass panic on apocalypse day, this British to-the-frame adaptation of Raymond Briggsu0026#39; 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.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAt 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 Briggsu0026#39; 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 wouldnu0026#39;t be too far from this.”