By Julia Kern
Howl’s Moving Castle, directed by Hayao Miyazaki, is an adaptation of the original fantasy novel by the same name. British author Diana Wynne Jones first published this novel in 1986 by Greenwillow Books of New York.
The story follows our protagonist Sophie, a young milliner (a person who makes hats), who is turned into an elderly woman by a witch who enters her shop and curses her. Sophie seeks the wizard, Howl, in hopes of lifting the curse. However, Sophie gets caught up in Howl’s avoidance of being recruited to aid the king in a war which Howl has a pacifist outlook on. Sophie and Howl also have an eventual romance that blossoms between them throughout the runtime of the film.
Fans of Miyazaki’s films will note that a lot of his films, although made for all audiences, have political or personal messages meant for a more mature perspective. Themes of anti-war messaging, as well as the protection of nature, are most common.
Miyazaki is an artist as well as a storyteller. Miyazaki illustrates his message not just through the story and characters, but also the beautiful and sometimes frightening imagery.
The world of Howl’s Moving Castle is a captivating one. The fictional, vaguely Germanic country of Ingary is colorful, bright, and lively at the beginning of the film.
Nearing the end of the film, the ongoing war reaches the town. Bombs fall from fantasy-like airships, destroying the beautiful town we have come to know and love. The colors used are purposeful, in depicting how horrible and evil war is. Once a brightly lit and colorful world now turned to fire and ash.
Howl’s Moving Castle, although based on a preexisting work, was influenced by Miyazaki’s opposition to the United States invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Similar themes are shown in other works such as My Neighbor Totoro, Porco Rosso, Pom Poko, and many others. However, I think Howl’s Moving Castle most effectively combined these themes of nature and man’s obsession with war and destruction
I think Howl’s Moving Castle is a beautiful movie, with an important message that can still be applied today. It’s often the case that animation is looked down upon due to its association with children’s content. This is why it’s important to remind ourselves that animation is a medium, rather than a genre. There are things you can show in animation that would never have the same effect in a live-action adaptation. I’m unsure if the message of the film would have the same impact if it was told without the stunning animation that Miyazaki provides.
If you are at all interested in viewing Howl’s Moving Castle on your own time, you’re in luck! The film is celebrating its 20th anniversary and will be back in theaters from Sept. 29 through Oct. 12.
Julia is a journalism major at Cal Poly Humboldt. She loves film and is a regular on Letterboxd, and is an ex-Regal subscriber (never subscribed)! To quote Robin Williams in her all-time favorite movie, Dead Poets Society, “The powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?”
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