When the Wind Blows

"...it's no fairy tale."

1986 1h 24m EN

🙌

7.5

BANGER

🍅

88%

FRESH

⭐

7.7

IMDB

★7.5TMDB · 356🍅88%Rotten Tomatoes★7.7IMDB · 13,236

AnimationWarDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

With the help of government-issued pamphlets, an elderly British couple build a shelter and prepare for an impending nuclear attack, unaware that times and the nature of war have changed from their romantic memories of World War II.

“...it's no fairy tale.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

John Mills
Jim Bloggs (voice)
Peggy Ashcroft
Hilda Bloggs (voice)
Robin Houston
Radio Announcer (voice)
James Russell
Russian submariner (voice)
David Dundas
Additional Voices (voice)
Matt Irving
Additional Voices (voice)
Bernard Montgomery
Self (archive footage)
Harry S. Truman
Self (archive footage)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jimmy T. Murakami
Writers: Raymond Briggs, Jimmy T. Murakami, Richard Fawdry
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

84 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

40 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Roger Waters. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor John Cary shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

John Mills and Peggy Ashcroft and Robin Houston carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "...it's no fairy tale.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0090315 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jimmy T. Murakami directs. Roger Waters scores. John Cary cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

184 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
240 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Original score by Roger Waters. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor John Cary shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5John Mills and Peggy Ashcroft and Robin Houston carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "...it's no fairy tale.".
7IMDB entry: tt0090315 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 13 themes, including "husband wife relationship", "countryside", "nuclear war", "england".

The technical file

Original score: Roger Waters
Editing: John Cary
Runtime: 84 min · 1h 24m
Status: Released
Box office: $5,274
Original language: EN
IMDB: When the Wind Blows (1986)
Rotten Tomatoes: 88% 🍅 Fresh
IMDB rating: 7.7/10 · 13,236 votes
MPAA: 16+

Awards

1 nomination total

Annecy Cristal for a Feature Film

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Jimmy T. Murakami

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

tensharpe2023-02-03
★ 9/10
“When The Wind Blows” is a heartbreaking, horrendous, portrayal of the fallout following a nuclear attack on the United Kingdom. Based on the book by “The Snowman” creator Raymond Briggs, this film manages to show the full horror of an elderly couples experiences once missiles have struck. Opening with real Cold War era footage accompanied by David Bowie’s haunting theme song, “When The Wind Blows” follows similar animation style to that of Briggs other famous works. ( “The Snowman” , “The Snowman and the Snow Dog” ) Such dark narrative seems unfitting for this animation style but it works perfectly. The innocence of the two main characters as they desperately try to follow official advice while believing their idyllic village life will one day return to normal is heartbreaking. It’s impossible not to warm to Jim and Hilda as they slowly succumb to the effects of radiation sickness and the realisation of what has become of the World they knew. What is extremely clever is how the narrative incorporates the official United Kingdom protect and survive leaflet issued at the time by the government of the day. This adds realism to the proceedings as Jim and Hilda carry out the instructions in the leaflet, clearly unaware of the absurdity and horror of their situation. Brilliantly written and heightened through the animation the story and premise is starkly worrying today as it was in 1986

Production companies