howl's moving castle movie notes - eagle.pitt.edus moving castle... · title: microsoft word -...

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Howl’s Moving Castle Hauru no Ugoku Shiro , 2004, Japan Film Overview Howl’s Moving Castle is one of Miyazaki’s more fantastical and magical movies to date. Containing all the things that make a Hayao Miyazaki movie amazing, while inserting one of the more mature love stories the famed director has dealt with so far. Set in a time when war is escalating in a land resembling early twentieth century Europe, we meet a young woman named Sophie. Thinking herself plain and condemned to live an uninteresting and unfulfilling life as a hatter, a chance encounter with the great wizard Howl changes the course of her life. Cursed by the Witch of the Waste for catching the fancy of Howl, Sophie is turned into a ninety year old woman. Instead of lamenting her fate, she uses it as a chance for liberation from her current predicament, freed of the anxieties of having to be beautiful and industrious. Seeking out Howl, she finds his famed moving castle, powered by a noisy daemon of fire, Calcifer. Meeting Howl, Calcifer, and Howl’s apprentice, Markl, Sophie soon finds a new surrogate family, falls in love with Howl, and not only helps bring peace to Howl, and inadvertently to the warring nations. The tale is based off of a novel by the same name authored by Diana Wynne Jones, with changes made to suit the storytelling sensibilities of Miyazaki. The story is one of selfempowerment in regards to the character of Sophie, with her finding the inner strength she did not believe she was capable of having at the beginning of the film. For the wizard Howl, Miyazaki focuses on a young man’s selfish focus on unlimited power and has Howl mature as he is exposed to the selfless love of Sophie, process that allows him to figuratively and literally regain his heart. Magic is also another driving force of this movie, being the main motivation and tool of many characters, but with Sophie, the one who thinks herself most ordinary, having the greatest magic of all that is able to save everyone she encounters in one way or another. Howl’s Moving Castle is a fun, family friendly tale with heartwarming characters and an even more heartwarming finale. Hayao Miyazaki is a prominent Japanese filmmaker of many popular animated feature films. He is also a cofounder of Studio Ghibli, an animation studio and production company. In 2006, Time Magazine voted Miyazaki one of the most influential Asians of the past 60 years. In 2005, he was named one of the Time 100 Most Influential People. Movie Notes Onmyōdō – A syncretic tupe of magic that came over form China to Japan, only to incorporate more native elements of Japanese sensibilities and spirituality. Eastern magic, usually referred to in Japan by the word onmyōdō, has its origins in old folk practices found in most natureoriented religions that were found throughout Asia at the time. With the influence of Taoism, another layer was added on top of it to be able to control spirits, turn into demons, escape the body, control the elements, and gain immortality. While embodying many similar aspects of Western magic, Eastern magic has less to do with verbal incantations and more with the individual ability and prowress of the magic practitioner and potions. Invoking gods, feng shui, the principles of yin and yang, and using the traditional five elements (with the five elements of Japan usually being fire, wind, water, earth, and void), onmyōdō still persists in Japanese popular culture and in the shady alleys of Tokyo where tourists usually don’t find themselves. Setting The setting for the film is not unlike the setting for other Miyazaki films such as Porco Rosso and Kiki’s Delivery Service. With the former movie occurring in Mediterranean Europe after World War I and the latter set in an alternate Europe where World War II never took place. Howl’s Moving Castle seems to take place in a Europe as World War I escalates, albeit in a fictional Europe, with fictional nations and characters. This European world is more fantastical and colorful, taking most of its inspiration from late 19 th century French and Victorian culture, while also simultaneously including 20 th century forms of transportation. The main track of the film itself, “The MerryGoRound of Life,” calls to mind Italian musical influences; as if it was music you would hear one play in Venice. The air ships used in the war scenes recount zeppelins, while Howl’s Moving Castle itself seems to have stepped out of a Dickensian novel. The

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Page 1: Howl's Moving Castle Movie Notes - eagle.pitt.edus Moving Castle... · Title: Microsoft Word - Howl's Moving Castle Movie Notes.doc Author: Kizior, Matthew David Created Date: 2/20/2015

 Howl’s  Moving  Castle  

Hauru  no  Ugoku    Shiro,  2004,  Japan    Film  Overview  

Howl’s   Moving   Castle   is   one   of   Miyazaki’s   more   fantastical   and   magical   movies   to   date.  Containing  all   the   things   that  make  a  Hayao  Miyazaki  movie  amazing,  while   inserting  one  of  the  more  mature  love  stories  the  famed  director  has  dealt  with  so  far.  Set  in  a  time  when  war  is   escalating   in  a   land   resembling  early   twentieth   century  Europe,  we  meet  a  young  woman  named  Sophie.  Thinking  herself  plain  and  condemned  to  live  an  uninteresting  and  unfulfilling  life  as  a  hatter,  a  chance  encounter  with  the  great  wizard  Howl  changes  the  course  of  her  life.  Cursed  by  the  Witch  of  the  Waste  for  catching  the  fancy  of  Howl,  Sophie  is  turned  into  a  ninety  year  old  woman.  Instead  of  lamenting  her  fate,  she  uses  it  as  a  chance  for  liberation  from  her  current  predicament,  freed  of  the  anxieties  of  having  to  be  beautiful  and  industrious.  Seeking  out   Howl,   she   finds   his   famed   moving   castle,   powered   by   a   noisy   daemon   of   fire,   Calcifer.  

Meeting  Howl,  Calcifer,  and  Howl’s  apprentice,  Markl,  Sophie  soon  finds  a  new  surrogate  family,  falls  in  love  with  Howl,  and  not  only  helps  bring  peace  to  Howl,  and  inadvertently  to  the  warring  nations.  The  tale  is  based  off  of  a  novel  by  the  same  name  authored  by  Diana  Wynne  Jones,  with  changes  made  to  suit  the  storytelling  sensibilities  of  Miyazaki.  The  story  is  one  of  self-­‐empowerment  in  regards  to  the  character  of  Sophie,  with  her  finding  the  inner  strength  she  did  not  believe  she  was  capable  of  having  at  the  beginning  of   the   film.   For   the   wizard   Howl,   Miyazaki   focuses   on   a   young   man’s   selfish   focus   on  unlimited  power  and  has  Howl  mature  as  he  is  exposed  to  the  selfless  love  of  Sophie,  process  that   allows  him   to   figuratively   and   literally   regain   his   heart.  Magic   is   also   another   driving  force  of  this  movie,  being  the  main  motivation  and  tool  of  many  characters,  but  with  Sophie,  the  one  who  thinks  herself  most  ordinary,  having  the  greatest  magic  of  all  that  is  able  to  save  everyone  she  encounters  in  one  way  or  another.  Howl’s  Moving  Castle  is  a  fun,  family  friendly  tale  with  heartwarming  characters  and  an  even  more  heartwarming  finale.      Hayao  Miyazaki  is  a  prominent  Japanese  filmmaker  of  many  popular  animated  feature  films.  He   is  also  a  co-­‐founder  of  Studio  Ghibli,   an  animation  studio  and  production  company.     In  2006,  Time  Magazine  voted  Miyazaki  one  of  the  most  influential  Asians  of  the  past  60  years.  In  2005,  he  was  named  one  of  the  Time  100  Most  Influential  People.      Movie  Notes  

•  Onmyōdō  –  A  syncretic  tupe  of  magic  that  came  over  form  China  to  Japan,  only  to  incorporate  more  native  elements  of  Japanese  sensibilities  and  spirituality.  Eastern  magic,  usually  referred  to  in  Japan  by  the  word  onmyōdō,   has   its   origins   in   old   folk  practices   found   in  most  nature-­‐oriented   religions   that  were   found   throughout  Asia   at   the   time.  With   the  influence  of  Taoism,  another   layer  was  added  on   top  of   it   to  be  able   to  control  spirits,   turn   into  demons,  escape   the   body,   control   the   elements,   and   gain   immortality.  While   embodying  many   similar   aspects   of  Western  magic,  Eastern  magic  has  less  to  do  with  verbal  incantations  and  more  with  the  individual  ability  and  prowress  of  the  magic  practitioner  and  potions.  Invoking  gods,  feng  shui,  the  principles  of  yin  and  yang,  and   using   the   traditional   five   elements   (with   the   five   elements   of   Japan   usually   being   fire,   wind,  water,  earth,  and  void),  onmyōdō  still  persists  in  Japanese  popular  culture  and  in  the  shady  alleys  of  Tokyo  where  tourists  usually  don’t  find  themselves.  

• Setting  The  setting  for  the  film  is  not  unlike  the  setting  for  other  Miyazaki   films  such  as  Porco  Rosso  and  Kiki’s  Delivery  Service.  With  the  former  movie  occurring  in  Mediterranean  Europe  after  World  War  I  and  the  latter  set  in  an  alternate  Europe  where  World  War  II  never  took  place.  Howl’s  Moving  Castle  seems  to  take  place   in   a   Europe   as   World   War   I   escalates,   albeit   in   a   fictional   Europe,   with   fictional   nations   and  characters.  This  European  world   is  more   fantastical   and  colorful,   taking  most  of   its   inspiration   from   late  19th-­‐century   French   and   Victorian   culture,   while   also   simultaneously   including   20th-­‐century   forms   of  transportation.  The  main  track  of  the  film  itself,  “The  Merry-­‐Go-­‐Round  of  Life,”  calls  to  mind  Italian  musical  influences;   as   if   it   was  music   you  would   hear   one   play   in   Venice.   The   air   ships   used   in   the  war   scenes  recount  zeppelins,  while  Howl’s  Moving  Castle  itself  seems  to  have  stepped  out  of  a  Dickensian  novel.  The  

Page 2: Howl's Moving Castle Movie Notes - eagle.pitt.edus Moving Castle... · Title: Microsoft Word - Howl's Moving Castle Movie Notes.doc Author: Kizior, Matthew David Created Date: 2/20/2015

setting  Miyazaki  has  set  up  for  this  film  lends  to  the  fantastical  and  magical  premise,  while  also  celebrating  the  more  wondrous  aspects  of  his  story.  

• Anti-­‐War  Message  Miyazaki  has  always  been  an  outspoken  critic  of  certain  ideologies  and  practices  that  he  finds  harmful  to  the  earth  and  humankind,  with  one  of  his  stances  being  an  anti-­‐war  stance.    He  put  a  critical  eye  of  Fascist  Italy  in  his  Porco  Rosso  film.    He  lambasted  the  creation  and  use  of  weapons  of  mass  destruction  in  Nausicaa  of  the  Valley  of  the  Wind  and  Laputa:  Castle  in  the  Sky.  In  Howl’s  Moving  Castle,  the  anti-­‐war  message  is  hard  to  ignore  due  to  it  being  a  major  plot  point  of  the  whole  film.  Miyazaki  even  gives  the  reason  for  the  war  an  absurd  reason:  A  prince  is  missing  and  no  one  knows  where  he  is,  so  naturally,  all-­‐out  war  has  broken  out.    We  are  introduced  to  one  king’s  court  and  the  mage  that  presides  there,  with  her  maliciousness  and  scheming    going  to  father  lengths  than  the  first  supposed  villain  of  the  film,  the  Witch  of  the  Waste.    The  destruction  itself  is  shown  in  its  full  scope,  with  the  war  scenes  being  some  of  Miyazaki’s  most  engrossing  and  accomplished  animation  sequences  produced  during  his  career.  At  the  crux  of  the  whole  story  though  is  the  relationship  between  Howl  and  Sophie,  with  these  two  protagonists  learning  to  love  each  other  during  a  volatile  time  in  the  history  of  their  world.  A  great  toll  is  taken  on  their  relationship  due  to  the  sacrifices  Howl  makes  in  order  to  stop  the  war.    While  this  film  is  one  of  enchantment  and  values,  the  anti-­‐war  message  is  heard  loud  and  clear  and  affects  every  part  of  the  movie  just  as  much  as  the  magic  and  personality  of  the  characters.