THE MOVING CASTLE OF HOWL

Japan, 2004, 120 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki.

Japanese animation artist and director, Hayao Miyazaki, won an Oscar for Best Animated Film for Spirited Away, an extraordinary tour-de-force of imaginative storytelling with continually mesmerising design and colour.

Well, perhaps it was not a tour-de-force because he also made Princess Mononoke in 1997 and now seems to have outdone himself with the imaginative creativity of Howl’s Moving Castle.

The plot comes from a British children’s author, Diana Wynne Jones. It seems somewhat culturally odd (as it did in the equally impressive Japanese animation film, Steam Boy) that a Japanese artist would take an English story and bring it to life. Not that it looks particularly English. Howl’s Castle (which one writer imaginatively described as part Terry Gilliam, part Hieronymus Bosch) floats over European landscapes and cities. We are in a fairyland, but one that is peopled not only by the nice but unprepossessing Sophie (who is transformed into an old woman) and Heen the dog, but by witches and Madame Suliman the sorceress and the demon, Calcifer, let alone the mysterious Howl himself.

On the one hand, you have the sensible town. On the other, you have the hovering castle with its bizarre staircases and fireplaces, sinister and happy rooms. Trying to put this altogether with the adventures of Sophie and Howl, requires constant attention. And then there is the war. The film makes a great deal of the destruction wrought by deadly aircraft and bombings. So, on the one hand again, you are in the 19th century and then, on the other, you are in the 20th. It’s a great temptation to describe the film as a creative phantasmagoria – so, why not?

1. An enjoyable entertainment? Quality animation? Fantasy and fable?

2. The quality of the animation, figures, landscapes, characters, action, the imaginative aspects of character, the castle itself? The musical score?

3. British story, universal faces, signs in English, the Japanese interpretation? The impact of the castle, its movement, its coming over the town, reality and magic?

4. Sophie and her family, her making the hats, her mother, visiting Lettie, her relationship within the family, low self-image, not seeing herself as beautiful? Going for the walk, the menace of the witch’s creatures, her being saved by the prince, over the housetops and flying?

5. At home, the presence of the witch, casting the spell, Sophie old, unable to tell anyone else? The next day, pretending she had a cold, leaving the house, travelling far?

6. The portrait of the town, like a French or Swiss town of 1900? The look, houses, clothes, trains, vehicles – yet the flights?

7. The background of war, the reasons and lack of reasons for war, the huge battleships, the planes, vehicles, the mass bombings and the fire, the destruction?

8. Sophie, her difficulties, encountering the scarecrow, saving him? His being her guide and help, the umbrella…? His finally being revealed to be the prince?

9. Howl and his castle, the spells, his taking various shapes, good, the missions, his being transformed? The comedy with his bath and hair? With Sophie, with Markl? With Calcifer?

10. Sophie as old, yet young? Talking old, yet settling into the castle, dealing with Calcifer, Markl opening the different doors, the different colours and the different journeys, beauty and ugliness? Her cleaning the house, cooking bacon and eggs? Getting fuel for Calcifer?

11. Markl, a child, his old mask, going to the door, the clients, going shopping?

12. Sulliman, her ruling the town, Sophie’s visit, pretending to be Howl’s mother? Sulliman and her malice, her starting wars? The dog as a spy?

13. Sophie becoming stronger, defying Sulliman, supporting Howl and his adventures? The wars?

14. The witch, turning into Grandmother, living in the castle, eating, the cigars, her wisecracks?

15. The castle itself, its appearance, ability to move, Calcifer enabling it to go and stop? Sophie pouring the water on Calcifer? The reconstruction of the castle?

16. Sophie and her search for Howl, the fall, going into Howl’s past, her return to the present?

17. The resolution, her mother going to the castle, the scarecrow turning into the prince, his going to stop the war? Howl and his returning to normal? Calcifer becoming a big fire?

18. The film as a fantasy, no limits on the imagination for places, characters and action?

19. The humour, especially Calcifer as a character, his jokes, his dilemmas? Markl and the witch?

20. The serious aspects of the fable, good and evil, spells, war, surface ugliness and beauty, people’s real selves?