While computer animation is kicking hand drawings to the curb in the U.S., it’s nice to see that the classical animation form still thrives in Japan. What strikes me about Howl’s Moving Castle is just how colorful it is. Studio Ghibli shows no signs of slowing down When it comes to creating gorgeous panoramic scenes, diverse character designs and finishing things off with a flourish when the colors are applied. It can’t be underestimated how the wide range of colors used in this film really help things stand out even more and accentuate the fantastical aspects of this film. Yes, the mood for the most part is grim throughout the movie.
Though the title suggests otherwise, Howl’s is really about Sophie, a young woman working in a hat shop who encounters a mysteriously handsome stranger in the streets one day. This encounter sets off a long chain of events and encounters, as Sophie encounters a witch (whose curse on Sophie ignites the rest of the film), a talking flame, an apprentice, a scarecrow with a turnip head and of course, the enormous moving castle. The storyline is vintage Studio Ghibli, weaving normal settings with magical elements to create a hybrid world where you know some of this stuff is implausible in reality, but you could not care less because of this amazing imaginative world that the filmmakers have created.
In addition to the beautiful colors, 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. Sophie is your vintage vulnerable protagonist, Howl is the brooding guy with a heart of gold, Calcifer is the spastic sidekick, Markl is the curious assistant, the Witch is evil but not as cruel as you would think. These characters are both easily identifiable in the roles they fill, while charmingly original in the flair they bring to those roles.
I won’t go so far as to proclaim that this is the Best! Ghibli! Ever! – but this is a visually spectacular treat that shows Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli are still chugging along.
Info & Credits
Title | Howl’s Moving Castle |
Japanese Title | ハウルの動く城 |
Japanese Title | Hauru no ugoku shiro |
Release Date | 2004 |
Rated | G |
Duration | 1 hr 59 min |
The characters
Production Credits
Director | Hayao Miyazaki |
Director (US) | Pete Docter, Rick Dempsey |
Original Work | Diana Wynne Jones |
Screenplay (JP) | Hayao Miyazaki |
Screenplay and Adaptation (US) | Cindy Davis Hewitt, Donald H. Hewitt, Jim Hubbert |
Executive Producers | Hayao Miyazaki, John Lasseter (US) |
Producers | Tomohiko Ishii, Toshio Suzuki |
Producers (US) | Rick Dempsey, Ned Lott |
Original Music | Joe Hisaishi |
Theme Song | Youmi Kimura (“Sekai no Yakusoku”) |
Casting (US) | Ned Lott |
Cinematography | Atsushi Okui |
Editing | Takeshi Seyama |
Production Manager | Nozomu Takahashi, Hiroyuki Watanabe |
Art Director | Yoji Takeshige, Noboru Yoshida |
Audio Director | Kazuhiro Hayashi |
Sound Effects | Toru Noguchi |
Supervising Animator | Akihiko Yamashita, Takeshi Inamura, Kitaro Kosaka |
Voice Casting
Character | English | Japanese |
Sophie Hatter | Jean Simmons (Grandma)
Emily Mortimer (Young) |
Chieko Baisho |
Howl | Christian Bale | Takuya Kimura |
Calcifer | Billy Crystal | Tatsuya Gashuin |
Markl | Josh Hutcherson | Ryunosuke Kamiki |
Witch of the Waste | Lauren Bacall | Akihiro Miwa |
Madame Suliman | Blythe Daner | Haruko Kato |
Scarecrow Prince (Turnip) | Crispin Freeman | Yo Oizumi |
The King | Mark Silverman | Akio Otsuka |
Lettie | Jena Malone | ??? |
Heen | Daijiro Harada | Daijiro Harada |
Honey (Sophie’s Mother) | Mari Devon | ??? |
Madge | Liliana Mumy | ??? |
Howl’s Moving Castle Trailer
Screenshots from the movie