
A Postcard from the Wastes — ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’
There are some films which can’t be summed up with any lesser adjective than ‘beautiful’. Music, animation, characters, themes… Everything blending together to create a stunning viewing experience. For me, ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ is one of those films. It inspires me in so many different ways, and works on so many different levels. It’s somehow at once quirky, and funny, and elegant, and heart-wrenching. The plot’s a little confusing — I’m still not sure whether I understand how the story actually hangs together, and to be honest (whisper it) maybe that’s not entirely my fault — but the fact that the film works even so is a colossal testament to director Hayao Miyazaki’s artistry. Even if his story tails off into loose ends, we can’t help but become entranced by the world and the people that he’s created.
‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ is (very loosely) based on the brilliant Diana Wynne Jones novel of the same name. The premise is the same: in a magical kingdom far, far away, a shy, sensible young milliner called Sophie is transformed into an old woman by the Wicked Witch of the Wastes. She sets off on an epic adventure of self-discovery/ international-conflict-aversion, during which she encounters and befriends Howl, a powerful wizard and cowardly heartbreaker, who lives (almost) alone in his famous and mysterious moving castle. If you enjoyed the film — and even if you didn’t — I’d really recommend the book (and its two sequels) to you. It’s funny and rambling and tends more towards magic realism than the straight-up fantasy of the films — to the extent that it even has a few short interludes set in real-life Wales.
Hayao Miyazaki takes Wynn Jones’ premise and runs with it, pushing and pulling the characters and plot-line to fit his studio’s strengths. He also alters the thematic focus of the tale. Where the original book plays with gender roles, class stereotypes and fairy-story tropes, this film strikes a more serious tone. Although it has light-hearted moments, by and large it is a serious meditation on the nature of love, the limits of responsibility and the trauma of war.
One theme that’s common in both, however, is the treatment of Sophie’s ageing. As an elderly, female protagonist, front and centre throughout the story, she is definitely a rarity within mainstream fiction. Despite this, Miyazaki doesn’t shy away from diving deep into Sophie’s character. She’s not a swooning, passive female; nor is she a stereotypically feisty ‘strong woman’. Instead, she is very much her own character, complete with contradictions — awkward and brazen, sharp-tongued and kind, no-nonsense and romantic, shy and determined.
Sophie’s quiet, stolid, strong personality — with its occasional flashes of humour or fiery temper — is what keeps this film ticking over. Her devotion to Howl and the inhabitants of his castle sneaks up both on her and on the viewer, making their relationship one of Studio Ghibli’s most compelling romances. As Sophie falls in love with Howl, we begin, in turn, to fall in love with her, and the magical world she inhabits.
I would actually argue that ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ is one of Studio Ghibli’s most important contributions to women’s liberation. In an understated way, Sophie represents the quiet agony of the everywoman — her envy, her insecurity, her suppressed desire. None of us are likely to be literally cursed by a witch, but for many women, Sophie lives out one of our worst fears: that we will grow old before we’ve ever really had a chance to live.
Besides Sophie, the Wizard Suliman and the Witch of the Wastes are both strong female characters in their own right, directly or indirectly moving the plot forward. Even though a large proportion of their attention revolves around Howl, either seeking to harm or protect him — or both — there’s no denying that these are powerful women with an impressive degree of agency.
Strong female characters are by no means the only compelling aspect of the film’s world-building. The Moving Castle — practically a character in itself — is gloriously steampunk, while the towns and cities of Sophie’s kingdom have a luscious fairy-tale aesthetic. The rural ‘wastes’, teeming with grass and wildflowers, seem to beckon us forward into the screen, panning over the scenery and inviting us to explore. A few minutes later, we’re dragged back down to earth by the film’s vivid, violent depictions of war and power, fusing creepy dark magic and horrifying, inexorable machinery. Joe Hisaishi’s brilliant soundtrack serves to accentuate every peak and lull of the action, setting our skin crawling one moment, soothing us into pleasant heart-ache the next. The neo-romantic style of the music, full of angular chromatics and waltzy rhythms, only adds to the quirky, magical mood of the film. Hisaishi can be pleasantly restrained at times, too. Rather than over-egging the musical pudding during emotionally tense moments, he’ll sometimes back off, leaving the audience to fill in the blanks themselves. The overall effect is elegant yet satisfying — Hollywood do well to take note.
Would I go so far as to say that Howl’s Moving Castle is my favourite Ghibli film? Perhaps not. The pacing still doesn’t quite sit right with me — the ending seems too abrupt, while the plot sags two-thirds of the way through. Sometimes, the dialogue is a little serious, a little stilted — a far cry from Diana Wynne Jones’ sparkling repartee. And of course, the competition is incredibly stiff. For a tear-jerking final act, ‘The Tale of Princess Kaguya’ can’t be rivalled (it had me in floods). If you’re looking for a well-paced, satisfying plot, ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’ has the edge. And honestly, the world-building in ‘Nausicaa’ and ‘Princess Mononoke’ is so hauntingly imaginative that it’s hard to say that Howl’s Moving Castle wins on that front, either.
But! The sweet, vibrant, everyday magic; the fun, multifaceted protagonist; the tender, slow-burn romance; the incredible soundtrack… When I think about this film, I get all warm and fuzzy inside. Without a doubt, Howl’s Moving Castle is up there as one of my top 5 Ghibli movies, and it’s definitely in the running for the number one spot.
If you haven’t seen it yet — what are you waiting for?! Go and rustle it up on Google Play/ iTunes/ wherever floats your boat. It’s a classic of our times.
If you liked Howl’s Moving Castle, You’ll Probably Also Like…
- Howl’s Moving Castle (+ sequels Castle in the Air and The House of Many Ways) by Diana Wynn Jones — the funny, imaginative trilogy that started it all!
- The Tale of Princess Kaguya — a heart-wrenching story of love, loss and family, stunningly animated using Japanese watercolour painting techniques
- The Princess and the Frog — great soundtrack, great animation, also the story of a no-nonsense girl who gets cursed and has to make a feckless cad see the error of his ways
- Avatar: Legend of Korra — the steam-punk sequel to ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’, this show has strong female characters and cool spirit-y magic aplenty
- Stardust by Neil Gaiman (book or film) — fantasy elements, quirky cast, slow-burn romance. Also, recommending a Neil Gaiman thing seems apropos because he replied to me on Twitter today and I’m still not over it.
- Monsters Inc—literally just mentioning it because the guy who voices the fire-demon in Howl’s Moving Castle English dub is the same guy who voices Mike Wazowski. Also, the guy who voices Howl (Christian Bale) also voices Batman, leading to this video which I can now never unsee.
Some music that makes me think of Howl’s Moving Castle
- New World Symphony by Dvorak
- Candles by Daughter
- Raindrop Prelude by Chopin
- Suite Bergamasque by Debussy
- Rather Be by Clean Bandit
- Sagitta Luminis by Kajiura Yuki
- Please Don’t Say You Love Me by Gabrielle Aplin
- The Way I Am and Sort Of by Ingrid Michaelson
- Arrival of the Birds and Transformation by The Cinematic Orchestra
