HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE Review: A Colourful Cosmos of Charisma

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Anime is probably one of the most diverse niche categories in all film genres, but never did a film spark my interest as much as Howl’s Moving Castle. A product of the infamous Studio Ghibli Collection, Howl’s Moving Castle is brought to us by Japanese director and writer Hayao Miyazaki: the creator of Academy Award winning ‘Spirited Away’(1999) and ‘My Neighbour Totoro’ (1988). Miyazaki’s combined style of lighthearted stories, creepy monsters and dazzling visuals, might seem like an unsuccessful dynamic, especially in Hollywood, but the charmingly colourful and charismatic elements found in these films, bring a humbled quality to suggest the film is not trying to be anything but what it is. 

Based on the 1986 fantasy novel by British author Diana Wynne, Howl’s Moving Castle tells the tale of a young girl Sophie (English dubbing by Emily Mortimer) who’s boring, humdrum life is transformed when she encounters a platinum-haired wizard named Howl (English dubbing: Christian Bale) who saves her from two prying soldiers. This mysterious fellow soon vanishes leaving Sophie uncertain if she really met this man or if she was dreaming. Later that evening whilst she is closing her hat shop, Sophie is confronted by a sour witch with an unknown vendetta, and is cursed to live as a 90 year old lady for the rest of her existence, a.k.a. any young girl’s worst nightmare, or any woman over 30. 

Shamed, Sophie flees her hamlet to find comfort in ‘the waste’: an isolated and feared territory that serves as a home for enchanted creatures. Travelling through the waste she meets a turnip-head scarecrow (also cursed), boards a moving mechanical castle (with legs) and is introduced to fire demon Calcifer (voiced by Billy Crystal) and an aspiring apprentice Marco (voiced by Josh Hutcherson). Whilst taking refuge, Sophie realises the owner of the castle is actually the handsome sorcerer Howl. But through embarrassment she chooses not reveal her true self and instead poses as their new cleaning lady. It’s really quite the setup.

Howl & Grandma Sophie, Photo courtesy of Studio Ghibli

The plot gets very complex from here on, with underlining themes of war, magic and blob-monsters disturbing the whimsicality of this film; we essentially follow Sophie as she assists Howl in battling his demons, inside and out, whilst also trying to recover her youth. It’s a tale full of adventure and romance but probably a bit confusing for younger viewers to follow. Luckily Miyazaki’s amusing script is utilised by Billy Crystal who plugs sharp, witty humour into the film’s blander situations for some lighthearted relief amidst the seriousness. 

The pacing can sometimes feel inappropriate and ineffective, with either none or little dialogue at points, making the movie seem much longer than a mere two hours, probably too short for the film’s content. However, the stunning set designs revive the film’s storyline at yawn-provoked moments and are a visionary monument for the animation; to quote Sophie: “It’s like dreaming!” 

The true hook for this film is the message. Most animations are notorious for providing some psychological therapy using self-assessing storylines, but Miyazaki’s flair for female heroines like Sophie, who conquer their own destiny, is beloved trait in this film. The classic ‘inner beauty’ tale may have been overused in Hollywood productions, but does not fail here to challenge our reverie and inspire young women to see past vanity and aim to be more in this world. Okay, the unreality of walking castles and wizards are beside the point, but it’s the creative influence, allowing us to escape into a region full of colourful characters and vibrant visuals that make Howl’s Moving Castle impressive. 

Post by Rebecca Jennifer Munns - 21/03/2017