Review of Howl's Moving Castle

Background

Howl's Moving Castle (ハウルの動く城) is a 2004 Japanese animated fantasy film scripted and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. The film is based on the novel of the same name by English writer Diana Wynne Jones. The film was produced by Toshio Suzuki, animated by Studio Ghibli and distributed by

Toho.

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 $190 million in Japan and $235 million worldwide, making it one of the most financially successful Japanese films in history.

  About

                                         

A young woman named Sophie is cursed by the Witch of the Waste, turns into an old woman, and is unable to tell anyone of her plight. Unable to continue her job at her mother's hat shop, she goes to the ambulatory castle of the notorious wizard Howl and insinuates herself into his household. Sophie befriends Calcifer, the fire demon who powers the castle and who is bound to Howl by a contract, the terms of which Calcifer cannot reveal. They promise to help each other with their problems. Like Calcifer, Howl can also see through the Witch's spell, and he and Sophie fall in love. Sophie helps Howl confront his former teacher, and the Witch of the Waste. 

  Characters

Sophie Hatter

Eldest daughter of the Hatters’ family. Starting out with not knowing what to do with her young life, she befriends Howl. And the Witch of the Waste, jealous of their friendship, casts a spell on Sophie, turning her into a 90-year-old woman. After moving into Howl’s castle, her love for him makes her turn young at certain times.

Howl
The handsome yet mysterious master of the moving castle. Going by the names Jenkins, Pendragon, and of course Howl, he doesn’t respond to the calls of the royal palace, though he possesses great powers. He spends the rest of his days amusing himself.

Calcifer

Howl’s fire demon, who also holds Howl’s heart. He is the one moving the castle, and is bound on the fireplace by a contract he made with Howl. Making a deal with Sophie, he says that if Sophie breaks the contract, he will turn her into her normal self.

Markl

Howl’s apprentice. He does not have a family, and lives in the moving castle, and deals with the people who come to order potions.

Witch of the Waste

A witch who wants to pursue Howl. She had once served at the Royal Palace in Kingsbury, but was sent away and now lives in the Wastes.

Scarecrow Prince (Turnip Head)

A scarecrow with a turnip for a head that Sophie saves in the Wastes, and wanting to return the favour, he follows her around.

Madame Suliman

The Royal Wizard of Kingsbury. She was once Howl’s master, and has much influence in the Royal Palace.

Review

Howl's Moving Castle is a touching and meaningful story. One of the themes of Howl's Moving Castle is its anti-war message and its affirmation of the heart. There the dark black clouds of smoke from the trains fill the air with pollution. But the most toxic thing of all is war itself with destructive battles going on in the air and on the land. Howl is transformed into a great birdlike warrior as he tries to put an end to conflict. The strong and wonderfully diverse cast of characters is this film's greatest strength. The characters are more or less stereotypical, yet their physical appearances and interactions with each other ensure a unique feel to it all.

References:

Wikipedia

Studio Ghibli Wiki

Online Ghibli

Youtube

Google Images

Post by Kenneth