Howl's Moving Castle (film)

Howl's Moving Castle
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Hayao Miyazaki
Produced by	Toshio Suzuki
Screenplay by	Hayao Miyazaki
Based on	Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Starring	Chieko Baishō Takuya Kimura Akihiro Miwa
Music by	Joe Hisaishi
Cinematography	Atsushi Okui
Editing by	Takeshi Seyama
Studio	Studio Ghibli
Distributed by	Toho (Japan) Walt Disney Pictures (International)
Release date(s)	November 20, 2004 (2004-11-20)
Running time	119 minutes
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese
Budget	¥2.4 billion USD$24 million
Box office	¥23.2 billion $231,711,096 (worldwide)

Howl's Moving Castle (ハウルの動く城, Hauru no Ugoku Shiro) is a 2004 Japanese animated (anime) fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli and based on the novel of the same name by Diana Wynne Jones. Mamoru Hosoda, director of one episode and two movies from the Digimon series, was originally selected to direct but abruptly left the project, leaving the then-retired Miyazaki to take up the director's role.

The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 5, 2004 and was released in Japanese theaters on November 20, 2004. It went on to gross $231.7 million worldwide, making it one of the most financially successful Japanese films in history. The film was subsequently dubbed into English by Pixar's Peter Docter and distributed in North America by Walt Disney Pictures. It received a limited release in the United States and Canada beginning June 10, 2005 and was released nationwide in Australia on September 22 and in the UK the following September. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 78th Academy Awards in 2006.

Wynne Jones's novel allows Miyazaki to combine a plucky young woman and a mother figure into a single character in the heroine, Sophie. She starts out as an 18-year-old hat maker, but then a witch's curse transforms her into a 90-year-old gray haired woman. Sophie is horrified by the change at first. Nevertheless she learns to embrace it as a liberation from anxiety, fear and self-consciousness. The change might be a blessed chance for adventure.

Plot

Sophie, a hatter, is a responsible, though plain, 18-year-old girl who runs her late father's hat shop. When on her way to the bakery to visit her sister, Lettie, she encounters by chance the mysterious (and handsome) wizard Howl, who takes a liking to her. This arouses the ire of the Witch of the Waste, who has been seeking Howl's heart for herself. Later that night, she comes to the hat shop and curses Sophie, transforming her into an old woman. As the curse prevents her from telling anyone of her condition, Sophie decides to run away and seek out a cure. Along the way, she befriends a sentient scarecrow that she names Turnip Head, who eventually leads her to Howl's castle.

Once inside, Sophie meets the fire demon Calcifer, who powers the castle and recognizes that Sophie has been cursed. Calcifer offers to break the curse in exchange for Sophie's help in breaking the spell between him and Howl, which keeps Calcifer bound to the house. The next morning, Markl, Howl’s young apprentice, comes downstairs and begins to create potions and spells for Howl’s patrons. He is perplexed by Sophie’s presence, but does not try to throw her out. Throughout the course of the story he comes to love her like an older sister. When Howl appears, Sophie announces that she is the castle's new cleaning lady, hired by Calcifer because he was sick of how dirty the castle was. As she adjusts to life in the castle, she discovers that the front door is a magic portal leading to several places.

Currently, the land Sophie is living in is caught up in the beginning of a war with its neighbor following the mysterious disappearance of the other realm's Crown Prince Justin, and slowly the war begins to creep into Sophie's country itself. Howl receives summons from the King, who orders his various assumed identities to fight in the war. However, Howl fears Madame Suliman, the royal court's magician and his former mentor, and comes up with an idea to send Sophie, with the protection of a magic ring and Howl himself in disguise, as his mother to announce what a coward he is and that he would ' be of no use'. At the palace, Sophie runs into Suliman’s asthmatic dog, Heen, who she originally thinks is Howl undercover. She also meets the Witch of the Waste, who had previously been expelled from the court many years ago and now seeks to regain the royal house's patronage; instead, Wizard Suliman punishes the Witch by draining all of her power, causing her to regress into a harmless old woman, with little memories of her past actions, only remembering her obsession with Howl. Suliman tells Sophie that Howl will meet the same fate if he does not contribute to the war. As Sophie vehemently protests these measures, the Witch's spell temporarily weakens due to the love in her words. Suliman realizes Sophie's true relation to Howl and her feelings towards him and allowing the witch one small victory over Howl, she knows of someone he cares about. Howl then arrives to rescue Sophie, dressed up as the King, but his cover is blown when the real King enters. Sulliman tries to entrap Howl, but with Sophie's help they manage to escape, with the now senile Witch and Heen tagging along. The magic ring Howl gave Sophie guides her to Calcifer, but Suliman begins tracking her to get to Howl.

Sophie learns that Howl transforms into a bird-like creature to interfere in the war, but each transformation makes it more difficult for him to return to human form. Howl shows his appreciation for her by transforming the castle so that it can lead to Sophie's old home as well as Howl's childhood residence, which he gives to Sophie as a gift. During their walk together, Sophie changes back and forth between her old and young selves until she temporarily stops at her young self albeit with silver hair. Sophie fears he's preparing to leave them, because he knows his remaining time as a human is limited. A bomber ship flies over Howl's home and he causes it to malfunction. However, he is then forced to leave Sophie back in the castle while he returns to interfering in the war. Soon after, Sophie's mother visits the house and somehow recognizes Sophie, despite her old appearance. They then have a happy reunion. However, Sophie's mother is actually under Suliman's threats and leaves behind a bag containing a "peeping bug" under her orders. The former Witch of the Waste discovers it and promptly destroys the bug by tossing it into Calcifer. Unfortunately, Calcifer gets sick after eating the bug, rendering him unable to protect the castle from being discovered when Markl opens the windows to air out the Witch's cigar smoke.

A few hours later, the city is carpet-bombed by enemy aircraft while Suliman's henchmen invade the hat shop. After arriving in the nick of time and protecting the hat shop from the bombing, Howl draws the guards away, while Sophie and Calcifer bring the castle to the West. Sophie pulls Calcifer out of the castle to destroy the magic and cut off all ties to the city, so that Howl would not be continually forced to defend them (During this time, Sophie has continuously stayed young). They replace Calcifer in the castle's remains and create a smaller version of the moving machine so they can rescue Howl. Unfortunately, the Witch discovers Howl's heart in Calcifer's flames (after Calcifer explains that he needs a part of someone for assistance in powerful magic) and grabs it. To save her from burning, Sophie douses her and Calcifer with water. With Calcifer extinguished, what is left of the castle breaks apart and Sophie and Heen are thrown over a cliff and separated from Markl and the Witch, with the now barely glowing Calcifer still in her hands.

Sophie recovers in tears, believing that she has killed both Calcifer and Howl, as their lives are interconnected. As she is sobbing, Howl's ring points to the remains of Howl's castle door, but Sophie doesn't see it until Heen alerts her; she walks through it, with Heen reluctantly following and finds herself in Howl's past, where she sees Calcifer being caught by a young Howl as a falling star. Howl and Calcifer make a contract with each other; Howl swallows Calcifer, who then emerges from his chest with Howl's heart as well. Sophie is pulled back into present time, but before leaving, she yells to Howl and Calcifer that she knows how to help them and they should find and wait for her in the future. They watch in surprise as she is swallowed up by the ground, with a little dog following her. Lost in time and space and falling to the earth, Sophie is guided back to the present by Heen, who keeps urging her to hurry, before the passageway collapses.

Back in the present, Sophie finds Howl, having now lost his human consciousness in bird form, and realizes that he has been waiting for her all along. When they return to the others, Sophie pleads with the Witch to give back Howl's heart, which she puts back in his chest after Calcifer agrees to it. Although Howl has not yet regained consciousness Calcifer returns to his original form and flies away. With Calcifer gone completely, the remains of the castle with everyone still atop, slides down the cliffs and Turnip Head is forced to almost sacrifice himself to stop the fall. As a result of his brave actions, Sophie gives him a kiss, transforming him back into the missing Prince Justin, who had been cursed by a witch until he could receive a kiss from his true love.

By now, Sophie has fully transformed back to her youthful self (with the exception of her silver hair) and Howl recovers and sits up, immediately feeling the new burden of his restored heart, though glad to see Sophie again and comments on her 'starlight' hair. Though he has come to love Sophie as well, Prince Justin realizes that her love is for Howl and leaves to put an end to the war, as does Suliman, who spies on the group using Heen. Calcifer returns, realizing that he could not bear to leave his friends. Howl, Sophie, and the others are later seen aboard a new, flying castle powered by Calcifer of his own free will, high above the bomber planes now returning home from the end of the war. The film ends with Markl and Heen playing on a grassy area of the castle, overlooked by Calcifer, with the former Witch of the Waste watching from a chair like a kindly grandmother, while Howl and Sophie share a kiss on a balcony at the head of the flying castle.

Cast

• Sophie is voiced by Chieko Baisho in Japanese and Emily Mortimer in English.
• Howl is voiced by Takuya Kimura in Japanese and Christian Bale in English.
• "Grandma Sophie" is voiced by Chieko Baishō in Japanese and Jean Simmons in English.
• The Witch of the Waste is voiced by Akihiro Miwa in Japanese and Lauren Bacall in English.
• Calcifer is voiced by Tatsuya Gashūin in Japanese and Billy Crystal in English.
• Markl is voiced by Ryūnosuke Kamiki in Japanese and Josh Hutcherson in English.
• Madame Suliman is voiced by Haruko Katō in Japanese and Blythe Danner in English.
• Lettie is voiced by Yayoi Kazuki in Japanese and Jena Malone in English.
• Honey is voiced by Mayuno Yasokawa in Japanese and Mari Devon in English.
• Prince Justin/Turnip Head is voiced by Yō Ōizumi in Japanese and Crispin Freeman in English.
• The Minister of Defense is voiced by Akio Ōtsuka in Japanese and Mark Silverman in English.
• Heen the dog is voiced by Daijirō Harada.
• Madge is voiced by Rio Kanno in Japanese and Liliana Mumy in English.
• The King is voiced by Mark Silverman.
• Kabuto is voiced by Tomoe Hanba.

Differences between film and novel

Diana Wynne Jones did meet with representatives from Studio Ghibli but did not have any input or involvement in the production of the film. Miyazaki traveled to England in the summer of 2004 to give Jones a private viewing of the finished film. She has been quoted as saying:

"It's fantastic. No, I have no input—I write books, not films. Yes it will be different from the book—in fact it's likely to be very different, but that's as it should be. It will still be a fantastic film."

The film is very different from Jones's original novel. The plot is similar, but it is flavored with Miyazaki's familiar style and characters, as well as several missing or drastically altered key plot points from the book. The plot is still focused on Sophie and her adventure while cursed with old age; however, the main action of the film's story takes place during a war, and its plot is chiefly concerned with Howl's attempts to avoid fighting in it for pacifist reasons. This aspect of the film's plot is actually rooted in Miyazaki's political views as a pacifist – in an interview with Newsweek magazine, Miyazaki told the interviewer that the movie had started production "just as your country [the USA] had started the war against Iraq", and the subsequent rage he felt about the Iraq war "profoundly impacted" the film. The film is located in a fantastical nation somewhat reminiscent of pre-World War I Alsace. Many buildings in the town are identical to actual buildings in the Alsatian town of Colmar, which Miyazaki acknowledged as the inspiration for its setting.

In contrast, the novel is concerned with Howl's womanizing and his attempts to lift the curse upon himself (discovering later how his lethal predicament is entangled with the fates of a lost wizard and prince) as well as running from the incredibly powerful and beautiful Witch of the Waste, who is the story's main villain and not at all the ugly, yet harmless, character she plays on screen. Another noteworthy change is that Sophie is herself an unwitting sorceress totally unaware of her power, with the ability to "talk life into things" such as the hats she makes and her own walking stick, taking on a life of their own the more attention Sophie gives to them.

There is also a chapter in the book that detours for one chapter into 20th century Wales where Howl is known as Howell Jenkins and has a sister with children. This glimpse into Howl's complicated past is not shown in the film, but one of Howl's aliases is "The Great Wizard Jenkins."

Soundtrack

The soundtrack CD was first released on November 19, 2004 by Tokuma. Artist Joe Hisaishi also composed and conducted a Howl's Moving Castle: Symphony Suite, an album published on January 21, 2005 which includes ten re-arranged pieces from the original soundtrack.

Reception

Howl's Moving Castle received mostly positive reviews. As of August 2011, review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes reports that 86% of critics gave positive reviews, based on 148 reviews, certifying it "Fresh". USA Today critic Claudia Puig praised it for its ability to blend "a childlike sense of wonder with sophisticated emotions and motives" while Richard Roeper called it an "insanely creative work". Other critics described it as "a visual wonder", "A gorgeous life-affirming piece", and "an animated tour de force." Roger Ebert, of the Chicago Sun-Times, gave it two and a half out of four stars, and felt that it was one of Miyazaki's "weakest" films.

Top ten lists

"There's a word for the kind of comic, dramatic, romantic, transporting visions Miyazaki achieves in Howl's: bliss."

—Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

The film appeared on many critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2005.

• 2nd – Ella Taylor LA Weekly (tie)
• 4th – Kenneth Turan Los Angeles Times
• 5th – Tasha Robinson The Onion
• 6th – Lawrence Toppman, The Charlotte Observer
• 6th – Jonathan Rosenbaum, The Chicago Reader (tie)
• 8th – Michael Sragow, The Baltimore Sun
• 8th – Michael Wilmington The Chicago Tribune
• NA – Peter Rainer The Christian Science Monitor (Listed alphabetically)

Awards

• Osella Awards for Technical Achievement; 61st Venice Film Festival
• Best Japanese Movie Overall; 2004 Mainichi Film Awards
• Excellence Prize, Animation; 2004 Japan Media Arts Festival
• Animation of the Year; 2005 Tokyo International Anime Fair
• Best Director (Hayao Miyazaki); 2005 Tokyo Anime Awards
• Best Voice Actor/Actress (Chieko Baisho); 2005 Tokyo Anime Awards
• Best Music (Joe Hisaishi); 2005 Tokyo Anime Awards
• Audience Award; 2005 Maui Film Festival
• 1st Runner Up, Golden Space Needle Award; 2005 Seattle International Film Festival
• Nomination, Best Animated Feature; 78th Academy Awards

Influences

Gore Verbinski cited it as an influence for Rango.

External links

• Studioghibli.tv: STUDIO GHIBLI TV (trailers and other related anime works)

• Howl's Moving Castle
• Hauru no Ugoku Shiro [Howl's Moving Castle ] at the Internet Movie Database
• Hauru No Ugoku Shiro at the Big Cartoon DataBase
• Hauru no Ugoku Shiro [Howl's Moving Castle] at AllRovi
• Howl's Moving Castle at Nausicaa.net
• "ハウルの動く城 (Hauru no Ugoku Shiro)" (in Japanese). Japanese Movie Database. http://www.jmdb.ne.jp/2004/eb004590.htm. Retrieved 2007-07-21.