Quand souffle le vent

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....

This movie is not fun. It's an amazing movie and a seriously important message but it's not a fun ride. The animation is really cutesy and simple which fits the simplicity of the couple. The couple is really charming due to their normality and naïveté. The live action stuff and animations is also just really nice to look at. This movie can feel a little slow throughout but for the plot it's telling it works really well. With all this being said, it's hard to say I recommend this film as impactful and important as the message is the movie is just so dreary, bleak and kind of horrifying. The way this couple is so unaware of the danger they're in is actually scary to watch. And just the way this story is told is in a very cheery manner but with such horrifying undertones. The biggest issue is it's depressing to a point that it's not fun to watch.

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 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.

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.