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Howl's Moving Castle (film)

December 09, 2023

Howl's Moving Castle (Japanese: ハウルの動く城, Hepburn: Hauru no Ugoku Shiro) is a 2004 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It is loosely based on the 1986 novel of the same name by British author Diana Wynne Jones. The film was produced by Toshio Suzuki, animated by Studio Ghibli and distributed by Toho. The Japanese voice cast featured Chieko Baisho and Takuya Kimura, while the English dub version starred Jean Simmons, Emily Mortimer, Lauren Bacall, Christian Bale, Josh Hutcherson and Billy Crystal. The film is set in a fictional kingdom where both magic and early twentieth-century technology are prevalent, against the backdrop of a war with another kingdom. It tells the story of Sophie, a young milliner who is turned into an elderly woman by a witch who enters her shop and curses her. She encounters a wizard named Howl and gets caught up in his resistance to fighting for the king.

Howl's Moving Castle
Theatrical release poster
Japanese name
Kanjiハウルの動く城
Transcriptions
Revised HepburnHauru no Ugoku Shiro
Directed byHayao Miyazaki
Screenplay byHayao Miyazaki
Based onHowl's Moving Castle
by Diana Wynne Jones
Produced byToshio Suzuki
Starring
CinematographyAtsushi Okui
Edited byTakeshi Seyama
Music byJoe Hisaishi
Production
company
Distributed byToho
Release dates
  • 5 September 2004 (2004-09-05) (Venice)
  • 20 November 2004 (2004-11-20) (Japan)
Running time
119 minutes
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese
Budget¥2.4 billion
US$24 million
Box office¥23.2 billion
US$236 million (worldwide)

Influenced by Miyazaki's opposition to the United States' invasion of Iraq in 2003, the film contains strong anti-war themes. Miyazaki stated that he "had a great deal of rage" about the Iraq war, which led him to make a film which he felt would be poorly received in the United States.[1] It also explores the theme of old age, depicting age positively as something which grants the protagonist freedom. The film contains feminist elements as well, and carries messages about the value of compassion. In 2013, Miyazaki said Howl's Moving Castle was his favorite creation, explaining, "I wanted to convey the message that life is worth living, and I don't think that's changed."[2] The film is significantly thematically different from the novel; while the novel focuses on challenging class and gender norms, the film focuses on love, personal loyalty and the destructive effects of war.[3]

Howl's Moving Castle premiered at the 61st Venice International Film Festival on 5 September 2004, and was theatrically released in Japan on 20 November 2004. It went on to gross $190 million in Japan and $236 million worldwide, making it one of the most commercially successful Japanese films in history. The film received critical acclaim, with particular praise toward its visuals and Miyazaki's presentation of the themes. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 78th Academy Awards, but lost to Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. It won several other awards, including four Tokyo Anime Awards and a Nebula Award for Best Script.

Plot edit

Sophie, a young milliner and eldest of three sisters, encounters a wizard named Howl on her way to visit her sister Lettie. Upon returning home, she meets the Witch of the Waste, who transforms her into a 90-year-old woman. Seeking to break the curse, Sophie leaves home and sets off through the countryside. She meets a living scarecrow, whom she calls "Turnip Head". He leads her to Howl's moving castle where she enters without invitation. She subsequently meets Howl's young apprentice Markl and a fire demon named Calcifer, the source of the castle's magic and movement. Calcifer makes a deal with Sophie, agreeing to break her curse if she breaks his link with Howl. When Howl appears, Sophie announces that she has "hired herself" as a cleaning lady.

Meanwhile, Sophie's nation is caught up in a war with a neighboring kingdom, which is searching for its missing prince. The King summons Howl to fight in the war. However, Howl decides to send Sophie to the King, under the pretense of being his mother, to tell him that Howl is too much of a coward to fight. Before leaving, he gives Sophie a charmed ring that leads her to Calcifer and guarantees her safety. Sophie meets Suliman, the king's head sorceress, and also the Witch of the Waste, whom Suliman punishes by draining all of her power and reverting her to her true age, that of a harmless old woman. Suliman warns Sophie that Howl will meet the same fate if he does not fight for the king. Howl then arrives to rescue Sophie. Suliman tries to trap him by turning him into a monster, but with Sophie's help he remembers himself and just barely avoids death. The duo escapes along with the former Witch of the Waste and Suliman's dog Heen. In the meantime, soldiers from each kingdom break into the homes of both Jenkins and Pendragon (Howl's aliases in those kingdoms). However, the men only find an empty courtyard and warehouse, as the castle's magic nature allows travel between four separate residences.

Sophie learns that Howl's life is somehow bound to Calcifer's and that Howl has been transforming into a bird-like creature to interfere with both sides in the war, but each transformation makes it more difficult for him to return to human form. Howl then has the castle magically linked to Sophie's home, parking the castle itself on the town's outskirts. A few days later, the town is bombed by enemy aircraft and Suliman's henchmen attack the house and Sophie's hat shop. Howl heads out to protect the group. Sophie then moves everyone out of the house and removes Calcifer from the fireplace, which collapses the castle. The Witch of the Waste realizes that Calcifer has Howl's heart and grabs the fire demon, setting herself on fire. Sophie panics and pours water onto the Witch, which douses Calcifer. The remainder of the castle then splits in two; Sophie falls down a chasm and is separated from the group.

Following the charmed ring, Sophie wanders into a scene from the past, where she sees a young Howl catch a falling star – Calcifer – and gives him his heart. Sophie calls for them to find her in the future as she is teleported away. She returns to the present, finds Howl, and they reunite with the others. The Witch returns Howl's heart, and Sophie places it back inside Howl, reviving him and freeing Calcifer, though he decides to stay. Sophie's curse is broken, though her hair remains white. After she kisses Turnip Head on the cheek, he returns to human form revealing himself to be Justin, the missing prince from the enemy kingdom. He reveals that only his true love's kiss can break his curse. After seeing Sophie's affection lies with Howl, he promptly heads for home to cease the war, but promises he will see them again. Suliman, watching through a crystal globe, also decides to end the war. Sometime later, bombers fly under dark skies over a recovered and green countryside headed to another war, while Sophie, Howl, and the others travel in the opposite direction in a new flying castle.

Voice cast edit

 
Chieko Baisho, who voiced Sophie in the Japanese version of the film
 
Emily Mortimer, who voiced the young Sophie in the version of the film dubbed into English
 
Jean Simmons, who voiced older Sophie in the English dub
Character Japanese voice actor[4] English dubbing actor[5]
Sophie Hatter (ソフィー・ハッター, Sofī Hattā) Chieko Baisho Emily Mortimer (young)
Jean Simmons (old)
Howl (ハウル, Hauru) Takuya Kimura Christian Bale
Witch of the Waste (荒地の魔女, Arechi no Majo) Akihiro Miwa Lauren Bacall
Calcifer (カルシファー, Karushifā) Tatsuya Gashuin[6] Billy Crystal
Markl (マルクル, Marukuru) Ryūnosuke Kamiki[6] Josh Hutcherson
Suliman (サリマン, Sariman) Haruko Kato Blythe Danner
Lettie (レティー, Retī) Yayoi Kazuki Jena Malone
Honey (ハニー, Hanī) Mayuno Yasokawa Mari Devon
Prince Justin / Turnip Head (カブ, Kabu) Yō Ōizumi Crispin Freeman
King of Ingary (国王, Kokuō) Akio Ōtsuka Mark Silverman
Heen (ヒン, Hin) Daijiro Harada Dee Bradley Baker (uncredited)[7]

Themes edit

Pacifism edit

Howl's Moving Castle contains strong anti-war themes, influenced by Miyazaki's distaste for the 2003 Iraq War.[8] When he received an Oscar for Spirited Away, he said that he "had a great deal of rage about [the war]. So [he] felt some hesitation about the award."[1] Miyazaki identifies as a pacifist.[9] On the eve of the Iraq War, Miyazaki decided to make a film that he felt would be poorly received in the United States. Despite the film's success in that country, literary scholar Dani Cavallaro stated that Miyazaki was able to "create a film which ought, in principle, to have caused a certain unease among American audiences."[1] In the movie, Madame Suliman appears to have only sadistic motivations for creating conflict,[1] and despite being omniscient, is unable to recognize the idiocy of the war until the very end of the story. This reflects Miyazaki's desire to show real-world conflicts as also being somewhat arbitrary and fueled by the desires of capricious people.[10] Cavallaro stated that the depiction of the war carried "an unmistakable bitter taste."[1] She also writes that the military presence and warfare was highlighted in the film.[11]

The universe of Howl's Moving Castle is depicted as not having clear-cut villains and heroes; instead, the characters are complex, and even those that are initially portrayed in a negative light, such as Howl, are shown as capable of change.[12] Matt Kimmich has stated, however, that the simplistic message of the film is that "war is bad."[13] A scene where Sophie is standing in a beautiful field of flowers is interrupted by a war machine, "a finger accusing empire as the destroyer of peace."[14] This portrayal is in strong contrast to other Miyazaki films like Princess Mononoke, which criticizes military conflict in a more nuanced manner.[13] Andrew Osmond stated that "Howl's pure-hearted anti-war stance is presented as nihilism with no alternative as he fights forces from each side and becomes the worst terror of all," in the form of the monstrous bird. By transforming into the bird, Howl risks losing his own humanity; Calcifer comments at one point that he will soon not be able to return to human form. In contrast, Ashitaka in Princess Mononoke fights the demonic sickness with which he is afflicted, and tries to negotiate a peace between the two sides. Osmond states that both films also point out the limits of masculinity, as exemplified by Howl and Ashitaka.[13]

Flight and critique of modernity edit

Like several other Miyazaki films, Howl's Moving Castle reflects the director's love of flying.[12] Aircraft of inventive design appear in the film, and Howl frequently transforms into a bird.[15] Miyazaki examines flight as a theme most directly in the later film The Wind Rises. Miyazaki stated that he was attracted to military aircraft as a child, but that he grew to detest them because of the destructive purpose for which they are created. Thus Howl's Moving Castle contains images both of aircraft shown as harmless and beautiful, and large military craft depicted as ugly and destructive.[15] Cavallaro writes that Miyazaki wants to "portray flight as an object of admiration and awe," but that he is not "[blind] to its abuse by unscrupulous strategists and rulers."[15]

The nuanced view of flight is part of Miyazaki's broader critique of modern society and technology. Margaret Talbot writes that in person, Miyazaki exhibits "a profound dissatisfaction with modern life," particularly with the effects of technology and a disconnection from nature.[12] Many of his films depict technological hubris as among the roots of evil.[16] The battleships which are seen moving over the landscape are depicted as "gleaming with modernity and parading righteousness," but are then shown to be highly destructive.[17] In contrast, the semi-organic castle demonstrates "Miyazaki’s Taoist presentation of industrialism needing to be aligned with nature" according to Carl and Garrath Wilson.[17] Anthony Lioi writes that Miyazaki often depicts beautiful scenes in contrast to those containing symbols of modernity, such as the scene where Sophie's reverie is interrupted by a war machine. This contrast is part of an ecological criticism of modernity, but Miyazaki also offers an alternative, in the form of beautiful natural scenery.[14]

Old age and compassion edit

Miyazaki stated that an attractive aspect of the story of Howl's Moving Castle was the relatively positive light it shed on growing old.[12] When Sophie becomes old as a result of the witch's spell, she also feels more able to speak her mind. According to Miyazaki, old women are only infrequently allowed to dominate the screen as in Howl's Moving Castle, which made it a risky concept.[12] Elizabeth Parsons stated that the film disrupts the stereotype of "aged unattractiveness," when the artificially aged Sophie manages to rescue two attractive men (who come to love her) and to unintentionally end the war in her country.[18] Sophie's actions are those usually associated with grandmothers, such as being kind and nurturing to those around her, and engaging in housework; however, these actions are depicted as being powerful and heroic.[18] Sophie is one of several strong female protagonists in Miyazaki's films.[14] According to Parsons, this gives the film a feminist aspect as well.[18] Additionally, even though Sophie manages to make her presence in the castle legitimate by claiming to be a cleaning lady, the film goes on to show that the housework is equitably distributed, strengthening its feminist aspect.[18]

In 2013, Miyazaki stated that Howl's Moving Castle was his favorite creation, and explained his choice by saying "I wanted to convey the message that life is worth living, and I don't think that's changed."[2] In the film, Sophie is shown to overcome extreme challenges by learning to put the well-being of those she cares about above her own self-interest, a quality which Miyazaki refers to as devotion.[2] Several of the protagonists in Miyazaki's films, such as Ashitaka and San in Princess Mononoke and Sheeta and Pazu in Castle in the Sky learn to survive by learning the same lesson.[2] Cavallaro states that Miyazaki spreads this moral through the entire film, to convey human beings' ability to be compassionate, such as when the scarecrow holds an umbrella over Sophie's head when it rains.[2] Over the course of the film, Howl, its most vain and selfish character, also learns to put others before himself.[18] When Madame Suliman returns the Witch of the Waste to her true form as a decrepit old woman, Sophie takes her in and cares for her, despite the witch being responsible for Sophie's curse, thus strongly demonstrating the idea of compassion.[18] The witch then nearly destroys Howl through her selfish behavior, but also helps save the castle at the end. Parsons writes that "In Miyazaki's balancing act, old women can be powerful and weak, positive and negative, nurturing and selfish, maligned and loved; in short, they can not be simply categorized or stereotyped, and they can not be dismissed as fantasy malefactors embodied by evil witches."[18] They are also given a lot of space in the film as active characters, something not commonly found in western movies.[18]

Production edit

 
Director and screenwriter Hayao Miyazaki in 2009
 
Toshio Suzuki, the film's producer, at its premiere

In September 2001, Studio Ghibli announced the production of two films. The first would become The Cat Returns and the second was an adaptation of Diana Wynne Jones' novel, Howl's Moving Castle.[19] Toshio Suzuki, who produced Howl's Moving Castle, stated that Miyazaki was inspired to make the film when he read Jones' novel, and was struck by the image of a castle moving around the countryside.[20] The novel does not explain how the castle moved, and Miyazaki was interested in figuring out how the castle might move, which led to the image of a castle on chicken legs.[12] The complex moving castle changes and rearranges itself several times throughout the movie in response to the various situations.[21] The basic structure of the castle consists of more than 80 elements including turrets, a wagging tongue, cogwheels, and chicken legs, that were rendered as digital objects.[21]

Mamoru Hosoda of Toei Animation was originally selected to direct the film, but quit the project after Studio Ghibli's executives rejected many of his concept ideas. The film was shelved until Miyazaki took over.[22] The project resumed production in February 2003.[19] It was scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2004, and released in the summer of that year.[22]

Miyazaki went to Colmar and Riquewihr in Alsace, France, to study the architecture and the surroundings for the setting of the film.[21] Additional inspiration came from the concepts of futuristic technology in Albert Robida's work.[23] Commentators have stated that Miyazaki's imagery was influenced by his fondness for the "illusion art" of 19th-century Europe.[24] Suzuki stated that unlike many Western films, in which the imagery went "from the general [to] the specific,"[12] Miyazaki employed a uniquely Japanese approach, frequently beginning with a very specific image and moving from there.[12] However, Howl's Moving Castle, and Miyazaki films in general, have a focus on realistic imagery in a way that other anime films do not.[12]

The film was produced digitally, but the original backgrounds were drawn by hand and painted prior to being digitized, and the characters were also drawn by hand prior to scanning them into the computer.[25] The 1400 storyboard cuts for the film were completed on 16 January 2004.[26] On 25 June the in-between animation was completed and checking was completed on 26 June.[27] Studio Ghibli used digital technology to run many copies of the still portions of a scene, a process which avoids inconsistencies between various still frames, but can create an impression of artificiality. Therefore, the studio chose to manually retouch the digitally altered images, recreating the "feel" of a hand-drawn image.[28]

Like with the other Studio Ghibli movies, the film was co-produced with other companies, which were Tokuma Shoten, the Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Mitsubishi and Toho.[29]

Comparisons between film and novel edit

The film has several differences from the novel, partly due to the different requirements of the two media. Diana Wynne Jones' novel has a very large cast of characters, and several plot threads that were too complex to be transferred into the film.[30] As a result, characters such as Sophie's second sister Martha are left out, as is the plot thread involving Markl (who is called Michael in the novel, and depicted as an adolescent, rather than as a young boy) courting her.[31] Jones discussed the film with Studio Ghibli representatives, but did not have any input or involvement in the production of the film. Miyazaki traveled to England in the summer of 2004 to give Jones a private viewing of the finished film. She has been quoted as saying "It's fantastic. No, I have no input—I write books, not films. Yes, it will be different from the book—in fact it's likely to be very different, but that's as it should be. It will still be a fantastic film."[32]

The novel depicts Howl's castle as a tall, dark and sinister wizard's tower, very different from the complex image in the film. The film's castle may be seen as a parody of the machines seen in the movie, driven both by steam-engines and by magic. In the film, it is a "rotund collage of chimneys, roofs, steam pipes, and other odd appendages, borne along on mechanized bird legs"[31] that is similar to Baba Yaga's hut in the popular fairy tale. It is vaguely organic, and almost depicted as a life-form.[31] Similarly, Calcifer is a demonic figure in the book, as compared to the "endearing" persona and image that he has in the film.[31] Both film and novel try to render fantastic elements as mundane and ordinary things. Although they are set in a fantasy universe, the characters are often shown performing routine tasks, like cooking breakfast or washing up, in contrast to the heroic actions typical of a fantasy universe.[33] In the novel, Jones disrupts the fantasy-world setting by including scenes in which the characters travel to the real-world Wales. The movie, however, avoids this digression, and maintains a constant setting.[34]

Miyazaki's biggest addition to the plot of the book was the use of the war as a large part of the plot. In the book, the war is only tangentially referred to; the king orders Howl to find the king's missing brother Justin, because Justin's military skills are needed for a forthcoming war.[35] Howl's frequent disappearances are because of his womanizing habits, which makes Sophie see him as a superficial and cowardly person.[35] In the film, however, Howl disappears in order to transform into a giant bird and disrupt the battle plans of both armies.[35]

The roles of several characters also differ between novel and film due to this plot change. The Witch of the Waste is the chief antagonist of the book, whereas in the film she is reduced by Madame Suliman's magic to an ultimately harmless old woman who evokes sympathy in the audience and in Sophie.[35] In contrast, the film conflates the novel's two characters of Mrs. Penstemmon and the wizard Suliman into Madame Suliman. Although Suliman comes closest to being a traditional villain in the film, she is shown as having ambiguous motivations, and reviewers have stated that the real villain is war itself.[35] Howl loses the "rakish" womanizing aspect that was a significant part of his character in the novel.[35] In contrast, Sophie becomes a more conventional figure in the film; she is less grumpy and outspoken, and demonstrates her love for Howl earlier and more explicitly.[35] The storyline in the novel of Sophie being a powerful sorceress in her own right is muted in the film, although she is still shown to have control over her curse.[3]

The thematic focus of the story also differs between the novel and the film. Reviewer Antonia Levi wrote that the experience of watching the film was similar to reading high quality fan fiction; although the characters and the setting were the same, the story was different.[3] Although in both cases the story begins with Sophie being a prisoner of her circumstances and of social norms, the challenges she faces are slightly different. Levi said that "Jones uses Sophie, Howl, and Calcifer in a fairytale format to tell a story about challenging class and gender expectations, Miyazaki uses the same characters to tell a story about personal loyalty, love, and war."[3]

Music edit

Main article: Music of Howl's Moving Castle
 
Joe Hisaishi, who composed and conducted the score, in 2011

The score was composed and conducted by Joe Hisaishi, and performed by the New Japan Philharmonic.[36] The soundtrack CD was first released on 19 November 2004 by Tokuma Japan Communications. Hisaishi also composed and conducted a Howl's Moving Castle: Symphony Suite, an album published on 21 January 2004 which includes ten re-arranged pieces from the original soundtrack. He and Youmi Kimura also composed Howl's Moving Castle CD Maxi-Single, a CD single published on 27 October 2004 which includes the film's theme song, sung by Chieko Baisho (the Japanese voice actor for Sophie), its karaoke version, and a piano version of the film's main theme, "The Merry-Go-Round of Life".[37]

Release and reception edit

Box office edit

The film opened at the 61st Venice Film Festival in 2004,[38] and was released in Japan on 20 November 2004.[39] The film grossed $14.5 million in its first week of release in Japan alone.[12] The film was distributed in Japan by Toho, and made $190 million in that country.[39] It was distributed internationally by various companies, and made approximately an additional $45 million outside Japan, for a worldwide total of $235 million.[39] The film was later dubbed into English under the supervision of Pete Docter of Pixar, and released in the United States by Walt Disney Pictures on 10 June 2005.[40][39] It was one of the most commercially successful Japanese films ever made.[38] Soon after its release, it became the third most financially successful film in Japan, behind Titanic and Spirited Away.[16]

Home media edit

On home video, Howl's Moving Castle sold 2.7 million DVD units in Japan as of May 2007,[41] and grossed over $18 million from Blu-ray and DVD sales in the United States as of April 2022.[42] It was released in the United States on DVD on 7 March 2006 and on Blu-ray by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on 21 May 2013.[43] GKIDS re-released the film on Blu-ray and DVD on 17 October 2017.[44]

In the United Kingdom, the film's Studio Ghibli anniversary release was 2015's eighth best-selling foreign language film on home video, and fifth best-selling Japanese film (below four other Studio Ghibli anime films).[45] It was later 2018's fourth best-selling foreign language film in the UK (below the Japanese films My Neighbor Totoro, Your Name and Blade of the Immortal).[46]

Critical response edit

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports an 87% approval rating based on 182 reviews, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Exquisitely illustrated by master animator Miyazaki, Howl's Moving Castle will delight children with its fantastical story and touch the hearts and minds of older viewers as well."[43] The film also holds an 82/100 average on Metacritic, based on 40 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[6]

USA Today critic Claudia Puig gave the film a positive review, praising it for its ability to blend "a childlike sense of wonder with sophisticated emotions and motives".[47] Helen McCarthy in 500 Essential Anime Movies said that the natural world was "beautifully represented", with "some absolutely breathtaking mountains and lakeside landscapes". She also praised the design of the castle and added that Miyazaki added his own themes to the film: "man's relationship to nature, the futility of war, and the joy of flight".[48] Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal called the film "a moveable feast of delights".[49] Richard Corliss of Time wrote, "Palaces and shimmering lakes, warplanes and fire sprites all come to life at the breath of Miyazaki's graphic genius."[50] Writing for The Boston Globe, Ty Burr said, "At its best, 'Howl's Moving Castle' offers a rich fantasy of adolescent escape, of romance in the old and epic sense. At its worst, it's the most amazing 12-course meal you can't bring yourself to finish."[51] A.O. Scott of The New York Times wrote, "Admirers of [Hayao Miyazaki's] work, which is wildly imaginative, emotionally intense and surpassingly gentle, will find much to appreciate in this film because it demonstrates, once again, his visual ingenuity and his sensitivity as a storyteller. For newcomers to his world, "Howl's Moving Castle" is a fitting introduction to one of modern cinema's great enchanters."[52]

Conversely, Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film two and a half out of four stars, and called it a "disappointment" compared to Miyazaki's other recent movies.[53] Jonathan Trout of the BBC said, "Youngsters and Miyazaki fans will coo at the world's depth and rich surreality, but opaque plotting, and a tendency to mope with Sophie whilst Howl is off affecting events let the momentum of the first act vanish into thin air."[54] Writing for Salon, Stephanie Zacharek said, "the plot of Howl's Moving Castle meanders so listlessly that its details become less and less charming. Miyazaki's storytelling style resembles that of a breathless young tot who's fearlessly exercising his newfound powers of expression."[55] Stephen Hunter from The Washington Post criticized the plot of the film, saying "There is no story, or rather, there's no force to the story, which meanders almost casually this way and that for no apparent reason."[56] However, he said that the movie also empowered young women, and was "beautiful beyond telling."[56] David Rooney, writing in Variety, stated that "the narrative motor roars ahead in the opening hour and is more erratic thereafter," and suggested that better translation would help.[29] Literary scholar Matt Kimmich stated that the film came across as "uneasy compromise between two plots and two imaginations," referring to Jones' original story and Miyazaki's style of animation and storytelling.[57] However, he stated that those scenes which were not dependent either on Jones' original plot or Miyazaki's added plot threads found "a visual humor that recalls the verbal wit and lightness of Jones's novel,"[58] and that the "animation manages to free itself from the demands of the two plots—and flies."[58]

Top ten lists edit

There's a word for the kind of comic, dramatic, romantic, transporting visions Miyazaki achieves in Howl's: bliss.

—Peter Travers, Rolling Stone[40]

The film appeared on many critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2005.[59]

Accolades edit

For a more comprehensive list, see List of accolades received by Howl's Moving Castle.
Year Award Category Result Recipient Ref.
2004 61st Venice Film Festival Osella Awards for Technical Achievement Won Howl's Moving Castle [60]
Mainichi Film Awards Best Japanese Movie Overall
(Readers' Choice Award) 		Won Howl's Moving Castle [61]
Japan Media Arts Festival Excellence Prize, Animation Won Howl's Moving Castle [62]
2005 Tokyo Anime Award Animation of the Year Won Howl's Moving Castle [4]
Best Director Won Hayao Miyazaki
Best Voice Actor/Actress Won Chieko Baisho
Best Music Won Joe Hisaishi
Maui Film Festival Audience Award Won Howl's Moving Castle
Seattle International Film Festival Golden Space Needle Award Runner-up Howl's Moving Castle
2006 78th Academy Awards Best Animated Feature Nominated Hayao Miyazaki [63]
Saturn Awards Best Animated Film Nominated Howl's Moving Castle [64]
2007 Nebula Award Best Script Won Hayao Miyazaki (script) [65]
Cindy Davis Hewitt and Donald H. Hewitt (English translation)

Legacy edit

In 2019, the Cité internationale de la tapisserie [fr] in Aubusson collaborated with Studio Ghibli to make five tapestries based on works by Hayao Miyazaki from 2019 to 2024; two depict scenes from Howl's Moving Castle.[66]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e Cavallaro 2015, pp. 61–62.
  2. ^ a b c d e Cavallaro 2015, pp. 171–172.
  3. ^ a b c d Levi 2008.
  4. ^ a b Nausicaa.net b.
  5. ^ Smalley 2019.
  6. ^ a b c Metacritic.
  7. ^ David 2022.
  8. ^ Cavallaro 2015, pp. 61–62; Gordon 2005; Smith 2011.
  9. ^ Gordon 2005; Smith 2011; Kimmich 2007, pp. 134–135.
  10. ^ Cavallaro 2015, p. 8.
  11. ^ Cavallaro 2014, pp. 26–30.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Talbot 2006.
  13. ^ a b c Kimmich 2007, pp. 134–135.
  14. ^ a b c Lioi 2010.
  15. ^ a b c Cavallaro 2015, pp. 146–147.
  16. ^ a b Scott 2005a.
  17. ^ a b Wilson & Wilson 2015.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h Parsons 2007.
  19. ^ a b Cavallaro 2006, pp. 157.
  20. ^ The Age 2014.
  21. ^ a b c Cavallaro 2006, pp. 167.
  22. ^ a b Shilling 2002.
  23. ^ Cavallaro 2006, pp. 168.
  24. ^ Cavallaro 2015, p. 145.
  25. ^ Cavallaro 2006, pp. 165.
  26. ^ Schnell 2013, p. 7.
  27. ^ Schnell 2013, p. 23.
  28. ^ Cavallaro 2015, p. 137.
  29. ^ a b Rooney 2004.
  30. ^ Kimmich 2007, p. 127.
  31. ^ a b c d Kimmich 2007, p. 128.
  32. ^ Nausicaa.net a.
  33. ^ Kimmich 2007, p. 129.
  34. ^ Kimmich 2007, pp. 129–130.
  35. ^ a b c d e f g Kimmich 2007, pp. 132–133.
  36. ^ Den of Geek 2017.
  37. ^ Ghibli 2013.
  38. ^ a b Geoghegan 2011.
  39. ^ a b c d Box Office Mojo.
  40. ^ a b Travers 2005.
  41. ^ Nikkei 2007.
  42. ^ The Numbers.
  43. ^ a b Rotten Tomatoes.
  44. ^ Giardina 2017.
  45. ^ BFI 2016.
  46. ^ BFI 2019.
  47. ^ Puig 2005.
  48. ^ McCarthy 2009, pp. 284–286.
  49. ^ Morgenstern 2005.
  50. ^ Corliss 2005.
  51. ^ Burr 2005.
  52. ^ Scott 2005b.
  53. ^ Ebert 2005.
  54. ^ Trout 2005.
  55. ^ Zacharek 2005.
  56. ^ a b Hunter 2005.
  57. ^ Kimmich 2007, p. 126.
  58. ^ a b Kimmich 2007, p. 137.
  59. ^ Metacritic 2007.
  60. ^ Biennale 2004.
  61. ^ Anime News Network 2016.
  62. ^ Japan Media Arts 2004.
  63. ^ Oscars 2006.
  64. ^ Anime News Network 2006.
  65. ^ Locus 2007.
  66. ^ Douard 2023.

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External links edit

 
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December 09, 2023
howl, moving, castle, film, howl, moving, castle, japanese, ハウルの動く城, hepburn, hauru, ugoku, shiro, 2004, japanese, animated, fantasy, film, written, directed, hayao, miyazaki, loosely, based, 1986, novel, same, name, british, author, diana, wynne, jones, film,. Howl s Moving Castle Japanese ハウルの動く城 Hepburn Hauru no Ugoku Shiro is a 2004 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki It is loosely based on the 1986 novel of the same name by British author Diana Wynne Jones The film was produced by Toshio Suzuki animated by Studio Ghibli and distributed by Toho The Japanese voice cast featured Chieko Baisho and Takuya Kimura while the English dub version starred Jean Simmons Emily Mortimer Lauren Bacall Christian Bale Josh Hutcherson and Billy Crystal The film is set in a fictional kingdom where both magic and early twentieth century technology are prevalent against the backdrop of a war with another kingdom It tells the story of Sophie a young milliner who is turned into an elderly woman by a witch who enters her shop and curses her She encounters a wizard named Howl and gets caught up in his resistance to fighting for the king Howl s Moving CastleTheatrical release posterJapanese nameKanjiハウルの動く城TranscriptionsRevised HepburnHauru no Ugoku ShiroDirected byHayao MiyazakiScreenplay byHayao MiyazakiBased onHowl s Moving Castleby Diana Wynne JonesProduced byToshio SuzukiStarringChieko Baisho Takuya Kimura Akihiro MiwaCinematographyAtsushi OkuiEdited byTakeshi SeyamaMusic byJoe HisaishiProductioncompanyStudio GhibliDistributed byTohoRelease dates5 September 2004 2004 09 05 Venice 20 November 2004 2004 11 20 Japan Running time119 minutesCountryJapanLanguageJapaneseBudget 2 4 billionUS 24 millionBox office 23 2 billionUS 236 million worldwide Influenced by Miyazaki s opposition to the United States invasion of Iraq in 2003 the film contains strong anti war themes Miyazaki stated that he had a great deal of rage about the Iraq war which led him to make a film which he felt would be poorly received in the United States 1 It also explores the theme of old age depicting age positively as something which grants the protagonist freedom The film contains feminist elements as well and carries messages about the value of compassion In 2013 Miyazaki said Howl s Moving Castle was his favorite creation explaining I wanted to convey the message that life is worth living and I don t think that s changed 2 The film is significantly thematically different from the novel while the novel focuses on challenging class and gender norms the film focuses on love personal loyalty and the destructive effects of war 3 Howl s Moving Castle premiered at the 61st Venice International Film Festival on 5 September 2004 and was theatrically released in Japan on 20 November 2004 It went on to gross 190 million in Japan and 236 million worldwide making it one of the most commercially successful Japanese films in history The film received critical acclaim with particular praise toward its visuals and Miyazaki s presentation of the themes It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 78th Academy Awards but lost to Wallace amp Gromit The Curse of the Were Rabbit It won several other awards including four Tokyo Anime Awards and a Nebula Award for Best Script Contents 1 Plot 2 Voice cast 3 Themes 3 1 Pacifism 3 2 Flight and critique of modernity 3 3 Old age and compassion 4 Production 5 Comparisons between film and novel 6 Music 7 Release and reception 7 1 Box office 7 2 Home media 7 3 Critical response 7 4 Top ten lists 7 5 Accolades 8 Legacy 9 References 10 Sources 11 External linksPlot editSophie a young milliner and eldest of three sisters encounters a wizard named Howl on her way to visit her sister Lettie Upon returning home she meets the Witch of the Waste who transforms her into a 90 year old woman Seeking to break the curse Sophie leaves home and sets off through the countryside She meets a living scarecrow whom she calls Turnip Head He leads her to Howl s moving castle where she enters without invitation She subsequently meets Howl s young apprentice Markl and a fire demon named Calcifer the source of the castle s magic and movement Calcifer makes a deal with Sophie agreeing to break her curse if she breaks his link with Howl When Howl appears Sophie announces that she has hired herself as a cleaning lady Meanwhile Sophie s nation is caught up in a war with a neighboring kingdom which is searching for its missing prince The King summons Howl to fight in the war However Howl decides to send Sophie to the King under the pretense of being his mother to tell him that Howl is too much of a coward to fight Before leaving he gives Sophie a charmed ring that leads her to Calcifer and guarantees her safety Sophie meets Suliman the king s head sorceress and also the Witch of the Waste whom Suliman punishes by draining all of her power and reverting her to her true age that of a harmless old woman Suliman warns Sophie that Howl will meet the same fate if he does not fight for the king Howl then arrives to rescue Sophie Suliman tries to trap him by turning him into a monster but with Sophie s help he remembers himself and just barely avoids death The duo escapes along with the former Witch of the Waste and Suliman s dog Heen In the meantime soldiers from each kingdom break into the homes of both Jenkins and Pendragon Howl s aliases in those kingdoms However the men only find an empty courtyard and warehouse as the castle s magic nature allows travel between four separate residences Sophie learns that Howl s life is somehow bound to Calcifer s and that Howl has been transforming into a bird like creature to interfere with both sides in the war but each transformation makes it more difficult for him to return to human form Howl then has the castle magically linked to Sophie s home parking the castle itself on the town s outskirts A few days later the town is bombed by enemy aircraft and Suliman s henchmen attack the house and Sophie s hat shop Howl heads out to protect the group Sophie then moves everyone out of the house and removes Calcifer from the fireplace which collapses the castle The Witch of the Waste realizes that Calcifer has Howl s heart and grabs the fire demon setting herself on fire Sophie panics and pours water onto the Witch which douses Calcifer The remainder of the castle then splits in two Sophie falls down a chasm and is separated from the group Following the charmed ring Sophie wanders into a scene from the past where she sees a young Howl catch a falling star Calcifer and gives him his heart Sophie calls for them to find her in the future as she is teleported away She returns to the present finds Howl and they reunite with the others The Witch returns Howl s heart and Sophie places it back inside Howl reviving him and freeing Calcifer though he decides to stay Sophie s curse is broken though her hair remains white After she kisses Turnip Head on the cheek he returns to human form revealing himself to be Justin the missing prince from the enemy kingdom He reveals that only his true love s kiss can break his curse After seeing Sophie s affection lies with Howl he promptly heads for home to cease the war but promises he will see them again Suliman watching through a crystal globe also decides to end the war Sometime later bombers fly under dark skies over a recovered and green countryside headed to another war while Sophie Howl and the others travel in the opposite direction in a new flying castle Voice cast edit nbsp Chieko Baisho who voiced Sophie in the Japanese version of the film nbsp Emily Mortimer who voiced the young Sophie in the version of the film dubbed into English nbsp Jean Simmons who voiced older Sophie in the English dub Character Japanese voice actor 4 English dubbing actor 5 Sophie Hatter ソフィー ハッター Sofi Hatta Chieko Baisho Emily Mortimer young Jean Simmons old Howl ハウル Hauru Takuya Kimura Christian BaleWitch of the Waste 荒地の魔女 Arechi no Majo Akihiro Miwa Lauren BacallCalcifer カルシファー Karushifa Tatsuya Gashuin 6 Billy CrystalMarkl マルクル Marukuru Ryunosuke Kamiki 6 Josh HutchersonSuliman サリマン Sariman Haruko Kato Blythe DannerLettie レティー Reti Yayoi Kazuki Jena MaloneHoney ハニー Hani Mayuno Yasokawa Mari DevonPrince Justin Turnip Head カブ Kabu Yō Ōizumi Crispin FreemanKing of Ingary 国王 Kokuō Akio Ōtsuka Mark SilvermanHeen ヒン Hin Daijiro Harada Dee Bradley Baker uncredited 7 Themes editPacifism edit Howl s Moving Castle contains strong anti war themes influenced by Miyazaki s distaste for the 2003 Iraq War 8 When he received an Oscar for Spirited Away he said that he had a great deal of rage about the war So he felt some hesitation about the award 1 Miyazaki identifies as a pacifist 9 On the eve of the Iraq War Miyazaki decided to make a film that he felt would be poorly received in the United States Despite the film s success in that country literary scholar Dani Cavallaro stated that Miyazaki was able to create a film which ought in principle to have caused a certain unease among American audiences 1 In the movie Madame Suliman appears to have only sadistic motivations for creating conflict 1 and despite being omniscient is unable to recognize the idiocy of the war until the very end of the story This reflects Miyazaki s desire to show real world conflicts as also being somewhat arbitrary and fueled by the desires of capricious people 10 Cavallaro stated that the depiction of the war carried an unmistakable bitter taste 1 She also writes that the military presence and warfare was highlighted in the film 11 The universe of Howl s Moving Castle is depicted as not having clear cut villains and heroes instead the characters are complex and even those that are initially portrayed in a negative light such as Howl are shown as capable of change 12 Matt Kimmich has stated however that the simplistic message of the film is that war is bad 13 A scene where Sophie is standing in a beautiful field of flowers is interrupted by a war machine a finger accusing empire as the destroyer of peace 14 This portrayal is in strong contrast to other Miyazaki films like Princess Mononoke which criticizes military conflict in a more nuanced manner 13 Andrew Osmond stated that Howl s pure hearted anti war stance is presented as nihilism with no alternative as he fights forces from each side and becomes the worst terror of all in the form of the monstrous bird By transforming into the bird Howl risks losing his own humanity Calcifer comments at one point that he will soon not be able to return to human form In contrast Ashitaka in Princess Mononoke fights the demonic sickness with which he is afflicted and tries to negotiate a peace between the two sides Osmond states that both films also point out the limits of masculinity as exemplified by Howl and Ashitaka 13 Flight and critique of modernity edit Like several other Miyazaki films Howl s Moving Castle reflects the director s love of flying 12 Aircraft of inventive design appear in the film and Howl frequently transforms into a bird 15 Miyazaki examines flight as a theme most directly in the later film The Wind Rises Miyazaki stated that he was attracted to military aircraft as a child but that he grew to detest them because of the destructive purpose for which they are created Thus Howl s Moving Castle contains images both of aircraft shown as harmless and beautiful and large military craft depicted as ugly and destructive 15 Cavallaro writes that Miyazaki wants to portray flight as an object of admiration and awe but that he is not blind to its abuse by unscrupulous strategists and rulers 15 The nuanced view of flight is part of Miyazaki s broader critique of modern society and technology Margaret Talbot writes that in person Miyazaki exhibits a profound dissatisfaction with modern life particularly with the effects of technology and a disconnection from nature 12 Many of his films depict technological hubris as among the roots of evil 16 The battleships which are seen moving over the landscape are depicted as gleaming with modernity and parading righteousness but are then shown to be highly destructive 17 In contrast the semi organic castle demonstrates Miyazaki s Taoist presentation of industrialism needing to be aligned with nature according to Carl and Garrath Wilson 17 Anthony Lioi writes that Miyazaki often depicts beautiful scenes in contrast to those containing symbols of modernity such as the scene where Sophie s reverie is interrupted by a war machine This contrast is part of an ecological criticism of modernity but Miyazaki also offers an alternative in the form of beautiful natural scenery 14 Old age and compassion edit Miyazaki stated that an attractive aspect of the story of Howl s Moving Castle was the relatively positive light it shed on growing old 12 When Sophie becomes old as a result of the witch s spell she also feels more able to speak her mind According to Miyazaki old women are only infrequently allowed to dominate the screen as in Howl s Moving Castle which made it a risky concept 12 Elizabeth Parsons stated that the film disrupts the stereotype of aged unattractiveness when the artificially aged Sophie manages to rescue two attractive men who come to love her and to unintentionally end the war in her country 18 Sophie s actions are those usually associated with grandmothers such as being kind and nurturing to those around her and engaging in housework however these actions are depicted as being powerful and heroic 18 Sophie is one of several strong female protagonists in Miyazaki s films 14 According to Parsons this gives the film a feminist aspect as well 18 Additionally even though Sophie manages to make her presence in the castle legitimate by claiming to be a cleaning lady the film goes on to show that the housework is equitably distributed strengthening its feminist aspect 18 In 2013 Miyazaki stated that Howl s Moving Castle was his favorite creation and explained his choice by saying I wanted to convey the message that life is worth living and I don t think that s changed 2 In the film Sophie is shown to overcome extreme challenges by learning to put the well being of those she cares about above her own self interest a quality which Miyazaki refers to as devotion 2 Several of the protagonists in Miyazaki s films such as Ashitaka and San in Princess Mononoke and Sheeta and Pazu in Castle in the Sky learn to survive by learning the same lesson 2 Cavallaro states that Miyazaki spreads this moral through the entire film to convey human beings ability to be compassionate such as when the scarecrow holds an umbrella over Sophie s head when it rains 2 Over the course of the film Howl its most vain and selfish character also learns to put others before himself 18 When Madame Suliman returns the Witch of the Waste to her true form as a decrepit old woman Sophie takes her in and cares for her despite the witch being responsible for Sophie s curse thus strongly demonstrating the idea of compassion 18 The witch then nearly destroys Howl through her selfish behavior but also helps save the castle at the end Parsons writes that In Miyazaki s balancing act old women can be powerful and weak positive and negative nurturing and selfish maligned and loved in short they can not be simply categorized or stereotyped and they can not be dismissed as fantasy malefactors embodied by evil witches 18 They are also given a lot of space in the film as active characters something not commonly found in western movies 18 Production edit nbsp Director and screenwriter Hayao Miyazaki in 2009 nbsp Toshio Suzuki the film s producer at its premiere In September 2001 Studio Ghibli announced the production of two films The first would become The Cat Returns and the second was an adaptation of Diana Wynne Jones novel Howl s Moving Castle 19 Toshio Suzuki who produced Howl s Moving Castle stated that Miyazaki was inspired to make the film when he read Jones novel and was struck by the image of a castle moving around the countryside 20 The novel does not explain how the castle moved and Miyazaki was interested in figuring out how the castle might move which led to the image of a castle on chicken legs 12 The complex moving castle changes and rearranges itself several times throughout the movie in response to the various situations 21 The basic structure of the castle consists of more than 80 elements including turrets a wagging tongue cogwheels and chicken legs that were rendered as digital objects 21 Mamoru Hosoda of Toei Animation was originally selected to direct the film but quit the project after Studio Ghibli s executives rejected many of his concept ideas The film was shelved until Miyazaki took over 22 The project resumed production in February 2003 19 It was scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2004 and released in the summer of that year 22 Miyazaki went to Colmar and Riquewihr in Alsace France to study the architecture and the surroundings for the setting of the film 21 Additional inspiration came from the concepts of futuristic technology in Albert Robida s work 23 Commentators have stated that Miyazaki s imagery was influenced by his fondness for the illusion art of 19th century Europe 24 Suzuki stated that unlike many Western films in which the imagery went from the general to the specific 12 Miyazaki employed a uniquely Japanese approach frequently beginning with a very specific image and moving from there 12 However Howl s Moving Castle and Miyazaki films in general have a focus on realistic imagery in a way that other anime films do not 12 The film was produced digitally but the original backgrounds were drawn by hand and painted prior to being digitized and the characters were also drawn by hand prior to scanning them into the computer 25 The 1400 storyboard cuts for the film were completed on 16 January 2004 26 On 25 June the in between animation was completed and checking was completed on 26 June 27 Studio Ghibli used digital technology to run many copies of the still portions of a scene a process which avoids inconsistencies between various still frames but can create an impression of artificiality Therefore the studio chose to manually retouch the digitally altered images recreating the feel of a hand drawn image 28 Like with the other Studio Ghibli movies the film was co produced with other companies which were Tokuma Shoten the Nippon Television Network Dentsu Buena Vista Home Entertainment Mitsubishi and Toho 29 Comparisons between film and novel editThe film has several differences from the novel partly due to the different requirements of the two media Diana Wynne Jones novel has a very large cast of characters and several plot threads that were too complex to be transferred into the film 30 As a result characters such as Sophie s second sister Martha are left out as is the plot thread involving Markl who is called Michael in the novel and depicted as an adolescent rather than as a young boy courting her 31 Jones discussed the film with Studio Ghibli representatives but did not have any input or involvement in the production of the film Miyazaki traveled to England in the summer of 2004 to give Jones a private viewing of the finished film She has been quoted as saying It s fantastic No I have no input I write books not films Yes it will be different from the book in fact it s likely to be very different but that s as it should be It will still be a fantastic film 32 The novel depicts Howl s castle as a tall dark and sinister wizard s tower very different from the complex image in the film The film s castle may be seen as a parody of the machines seen in the movie driven both by steam engines and by magic In the film it is a rotund collage of chimneys roofs steam pipes and other odd appendages borne along on mechanized bird legs 31 that is similar to Baba Yaga s hut in the popular fairy tale It is vaguely organic and almost depicted as a life form 31 Similarly Calcifer is a demonic figure in the book as compared to the endearing persona and image that he has in the film 31 Both film and novel try to render fantastic elements as mundane and ordinary things Although they are set in a fantasy universe the characters are often shown performing routine tasks like cooking breakfast or washing up in contrast to the heroic actions typical of a fantasy universe 33 In the novel Jones disrupts the fantasy world setting by including scenes in which the characters travel to the real world Wales The movie however avoids this digression and maintains a constant setting 34 Miyazaki s biggest addition to the plot of the book was the use of the war as a large part of the plot In the book the war is only tangentially referred to the king orders Howl to find the king s missing brother Justin because Justin s military skills are needed for a forthcoming war 35 Howl s frequent disappearances are because of his womanizing habits which makes Sophie see him as a superficial and cowardly person 35 In the film however Howl disappears in order to transform into a giant bird and disrupt the battle plans of both armies 35 The roles of several characters also differ between novel and film due to this plot change The Witch of the Waste is the chief antagonist of the book whereas in the film she is reduced by Madame Suliman s magic to an ultimately harmless old woman who evokes sympathy in the audience and in Sophie 35 In contrast the film conflates the novel s two characters of Mrs Penstemmon and the wizard Suliman into Madame Suliman Although Suliman comes closest to being a traditional villain in the film she is shown as having ambiguous motivations and reviewers have stated that the real villain is war itself 35 Howl loses the rakish womanizing aspect that was a significant part of his character in the novel 35 In contrast Sophie becomes a more conventional figure in the film she is less grumpy and outspoken and demonstrates her love for Howl earlier and more explicitly 35 The storyline in the novel of Sophie being a powerful sorceress in her own right is muted in the film although she is still shown to have control over her curse 3 The thematic focus of the story also differs between the novel and the film Reviewer Antonia Levi wrote that the experience of watching the film was similar to reading high quality fan fiction although the characters and the setting were the same the story was different 3 Although in both cases the story begins with Sophie being a prisoner of her circumstances and of social norms the challenges she faces are slightly different Levi said that Jones uses Sophie Howl and Calcifer in a fairytale format to tell a story about challenging class and gender expectations Miyazaki uses the same characters to tell a story about personal loyalty love and war 3 Music editMain article Music of Howl s Moving Castle nbsp Joe Hisaishi who composed and conducted the score in 2011The score was composed and conducted by Joe Hisaishi and performed by the New Japan Philharmonic 36 The soundtrack CD was first released on 19 November 2004 by Tokuma Japan Communications Hisaishi also composed and conducted a Howl s Moving Castle Symphony Suite an album published on 21 January 2004 which includes ten re arranged pieces from the original soundtrack He and Youmi Kimura also composed Howl s Moving Castle CD Maxi Single a CD single published on 27 October 2004 which includes the film s theme song sung by Chieko Baisho the Japanese voice actor for Sophie its karaoke version and a piano version of the film s main theme The Merry Go Round of Life 37 Release and reception editBox office edit The film opened at the 61st Venice Film Festival in 2004 38 and was released in Japan on 20 November 2004 39 The film grossed 14 5 million in its first week of release in Japan alone 12 The film was distributed in Japan by Toho and made 190 million in that country 39 It was distributed internationally by various companies and made approximately an additional 45 million outside Japan for a worldwide total of 235 million 39 The film was later dubbed into English under the supervision of Pete Docter of Pixar and released in the United States by Walt Disney Pictures on 10 June 2005 40 39 It was one of the most commercially successful Japanese films ever made 38 Soon after its release it became the third most financially successful film in Japan behind Titanic and Spirited Away 16 Home media edit On home video Howl s Moving Castle sold 2 7 million DVD units in Japan as of May 2007 update 41 and grossed over 18 million from Blu ray and DVD sales in the United States as of April 2022 update 42 It was released in the United States on DVD on 7 March 2006 and on Blu ray by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on 21 May 2013 43 GKIDS re released the film on Blu ray and DVD on 17 October 2017 44 In the United Kingdom the film s Studio Ghibli anniversary release was 2015 s eighth best selling foreign language film on home video and fifth best selling Japanese film below four other Studio Ghibli anime films 45 It was later 2018 s fourth best selling foreign language film in the UK below the Japanese films My Neighbor Totoro Your Name and Blade of the Immortal 46 Critical response edit The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports an 87 approval rating based on 182 reviews with an average rating of 7 5 10 The website s critical consensus reads Exquisitely illustrated by master animator Miyazaki Howl s Moving Castle will delight children with its fantastical story and touch the hearts and minds of older viewers as well 43 The film also holds an 82 100 average on Metacritic based on 40 reviews indicating universal acclaim 6 USA Today critic Claudia Puig gave the film a positive review praising it for its ability to blend a childlike sense of wonder with sophisticated emotions and motives 47 Helen McCarthy in 500 Essential Anime Movies said that the natural world was beautifully represented with some absolutely breathtaking mountains and lakeside landscapes She also praised the design of the castle and added that Miyazaki added his own themes to the film man s relationship to nature the futility of war and the joy of flight 48 Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal called the film a moveable feast of delights 49 Richard Corliss of Time wrote Palaces and shimmering lakes warplanes and fire sprites all come to life at the breath of Miyazaki s graphic genius 50 Writing for The Boston Globe Ty Burr said At its best Howl s Moving Castle offers a rich fantasy of adolescent escape of romance in the old and epic sense At its worst it s the most amazing 12 course meal you can t bring yourself to finish 51 A O Scott of The New York Times wrote Admirers of Hayao Miyazaki s work which is wildly imaginative emotionally intense and surpassingly gentle will find much to appreciate in this film because it demonstrates once again his visual ingenuity and his sensitivity as a storyteller For newcomers to his world Howl s Moving Castle is a fitting introduction to one of modern cinema s great enchanters 52 Conversely Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times gave the film two and a half out of four stars and called it a disappointment compared to Miyazaki s other recent movies 53 Jonathan Trout of the BBC said Youngsters and Miyazaki fans will coo at the world s depth and rich surreality but opaque plotting and a tendency to mope with Sophie whilst Howl is off affecting events let the momentum of the first act vanish into thin air 54 Writing for Salon Stephanie Zacharek said the plot of Howl s Moving Castle meanders so listlessly that its details become less and less charming Miyazaki s storytelling style resembles that of a breathless young tot who s fearlessly exercising his newfound powers of expression 55 Stephen Hunter from The Washington Post criticized the plot of the film saying There is no story or rather there s no force to the story which meanders almost casually this way and that for no apparent reason 56 However he said that the movie also empowered young women and was beautiful beyond telling 56 David Rooney writing in Variety stated that the narrative motor roars ahead in the opening hour and is more erratic thereafter and suggested that better translation would help 29 Literary scholar Matt Kimmich stated that the film came across as uneasy compromise between two plots and two imaginations referring to Jones original story and Miyazaki s style of animation and storytelling 57 However he stated that those scenes which were not dependent either on Jones original plot or Miyazaki s added plot threads found a visual humor that recalls the verbal wit and lightness of Jones s novel 58 and that the animation manages to free itself from the demands of the two plots and flies 58 Top ten lists edit There s a word for the kind of comic dramatic romantic transporting visions Miyazaki achieves in Howl s bliss Peter Travers Rolling Stone 40 The film appeared on many critics top ten lists of the best films of 2005 59 2nd Ella Taylor LA Weekly tie 4th Kenneth Turan Los Angeles Times 5th Tasha Robinson The A V Club 6th Lawrence Toppman The Charlotte Observer 6th Jonathan Rosenbaum The Chicago Reader tie 8th Michael Sragow The Baltimore Sun 8th Michael Wilmington The Chicago Tribune NA Peter Rainer The Christian Science Monitor listed alphabetically Accolades edit For a more comprehensive list see List of accolades received by Howl s Moving Castle Year Award Category Result Recipient Ref 2004 61st Venice Film Festival Osella Awards for Technical Achievement Won Howl s Moving Castle 60 Mainichi Film Awards Best Japanese Movie Overall Readers Choice Award Won Howl s Moving Castle 61 Japan Media Arts Festival Excellence Prize Animation Won Howl s Moving Castle 62 2005 Tokyo Anime Award Animation of the Year Won Howl s Moving Castle 4 Best Director Won Hayao MiyazakiBest Voice Actor Actress Won Chieko BaishoBest Music Won Joe HisaishiMaui Film Festival Audience Award Won Howl s Moving CastleSeattle International Film Festival Golden Space Needle Award Runner up Howl s Moving Castle2006 78th Academy Awards Best Animated Feature Nominated Hayao Miyazaki 63 Saturn Awards Best Animated Film Nominated Howl s Moving Castle 64 2007 Nebula Award Best Script Won Hayao Miyazaki script 65 Cindy Davis Hewitt and Donald H Hewitt English translation Legacy editIn 2019 the Cite internationale de la tapisserie fr in Aubusson collaborated with Studio Ghibli to make five tapestries based on works by Hayao Miyazaki from 2019 to 2024 two depict scenes from Howl s Moving Castle 66 References edit a b c d e Cavallaro 2015 pp 61 62 a b c d e Cavallaro 2015 pp 171 172 a b c d Levi 2008 a b Nausicaa net b Smalley 2019 a b c Metacritic David 2022 Cavallaro 2015 pp 61 62 Gordon 2005 Smith 2011 Gordon 2005 Smith 2011 Kimmich 2007 pp 134 135 Cavallaro 2015 p 8 Cavallaro 2014 pp 26 30 a b c d e f g h i j Talbot 2006 a b c Kimmich 2007 pp 134 135 a b c Lioi 2010 a b c Cavallaro 2015 pp 146 147 a b Scott 2005a a b Wilson amp Wilson 2015 a b c d e f g h Parsons 2007 a b Cavallaro 2006 pp 157 The Age 2014 a b c Cavallaro 2006 pp 167 a b Shilling 2002 Cavallaro 2006 pp 168 Cavallaro 2015 p 145 Cavallaro 2006 pp 165 Schnell 2013 p 7 Schnell 2013 p 23 Cavallaro 2015 p 137 a b Rooney 2004 Kimmich 2007 p 127 a b c d Kimmich 2007 p 128 Nausicaa net a Kimmich 2007 p 129 Kimmich 2007 pp 129 130 a b c d e f g Kimmich 2007 pp 132 133 Den of Geek 2017 Ghibli 2013 a b Geoghegan 2011 a b c d Box Office Mojo a b Travers 2005 Nikkei 2007 The Numbers a b Rotten Tomatoes Giardina 2017 BFI 2016 BFI 2019 Puig 2005 McCarthy 2009 pp 284 286 Morgenstern 2005 Corliss 2005 Burr 2005 Scott 2005b Ebert 2005 Trout 2005 Zacharek 2005 a b Hunter 2005 Kimmich 2007 p 126 a b Kimmich 2007 p 137 Metacritic 2007 Biennale 2004 Anime News Network 2016 Japan Media Arts 2004 Oscars 2006 Anime News Network 2006 Locus 2007 Douard 2023 Sources edit Japanese Walt Disney Film Entertainment theage com au theage com au 18 September 2005 Archived from the original on 14 October 2014 Retrieved 14 December 2017 Howl Nominated for Saturn Award animenewsnetwork 21 February 2006 Retrieved 24 July 2016 2004 Mainichi Film Awards animenewsnetwork 24 January 2005 Retrieved 24 July 2016 Statistical Yearbook 2016 PDF United Kingdom British Film Institute BFI 2016 p 144 Retrieved 25 April 2022 Statistical Yearbook 2019 PDF United Kingdom British Film Institute BFI 2019 pp 103 4 Retrieved 26 April 2022 Howl s Moving Castle boxofficemojo com Retrieved 25 October 2019 Official Awards of the 61st Venice Film Festival labiennale org 11 September 2004 Archived from the original on 9 October 2004 Burr Ty 10 June 2005 Though unintelligible at times Miyazaki s Castle is magical The Boston Globe Retrieved 18 July 2016 Cavallaro Dani 2006 The Anime Art of Hayao Miyazaki McFarland ISBN 978 0 7864 5129 6 Cavallaro Dani 2014 The Late Works of Hayao Miyazaki A Critical Study 2004 2013 Jefferson NC McFarland ISBN 978 1 4766 1909 5 Cavallaro Dani 2015 Hayao Miyazaki s World Picture McFarland ISBN 978 1 4766 2080 0 Corliss Richard 5 June 2005 Movies For Children of All Ages TIME Retrieved 18 July 2016 David Margaret 27 September 2022 The 12 Best Studio Ghibli Movies According To Letterboxd Did They Get It Right Film Retrieved 3 December 2022 Music in the movies Joe Hisaishi Den of Geek Archived from the original on 15 December 2017 Retrieved 14 December 2017 Douard Lisa 21 May 2023 A Aubusson Miyazaki fait tapisserie In Aubusson Miyazaki makes tapestries Liberation in French Archived from the original on 21 May 2023 Retrieved 18 October 2023 Ebert Roger 9 June 2005 Howl s Moving Castle Movie Review 2005 RogerEbert com Retrieved 2 June 2013 Geoghegan Kev 5 December 2011 Howl s Moving Castle adapted for the stage in Southwark BBC Retrieved 24 July 2016 Howl s Moving Castle Online Ghibli Retrieved 16 July 2013 Giardina Carolyn 17 July 2017 Gkids Studio Ghibli Ink Home Entertainment Deal The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved 17 July 2017 Gordon Devin 2005 A Positive Pessimist The Hayao Miyazaki Web Retrieved 8 May 2008 Hunter Stephen 10 June 2005 The Emperor Has No Story The Washington Post Archived from the original on 20 November 2016 Retrieved 20 November 2016 2004 Japan Media Arts Festival Awards in Japanese Japan Media Arts Plaza Agency for Cultural Affairs Archived from the original on 4 April 2010 Retrieved 1 March 2009 Levi Antonia 2008 Howl s Moving Castle Mechademia 3 261 263 doi 10 1353 mec 0 0059 S2CID 201752967 Kimmich Matt 2007 Animating the Fantastic Hayao Miyazaki s Adaptation of Diana Wynne Jones s Howl s Moving Castle In Straytner Leslie Keller James R eds Fantasy Fiction into Film Jefferson North Carolina McFarland amp Company Lioi Anthony 2010 The City Ascends Laputa Castle in the Sky as Critical Ecotopia Interdisciplinary Comics Studies 5 2 The Locus Index to SF Awards 2007 Nebula Awards Locus Archived from the original on 5 June 2011 Retrieved 6 December 2011 McCarthy Helen 2009 500 Essential Anime Movies The Ultimate Guide HarperCollins ISBN 978 0 06 147450 7 Metacritic 2007 Film Critic Top Ten Lists Metacritic Archived from the original on 14 December 2007 Retrieved 4 January 2008 Howl s Moving Castle Metacritic Retrieved 18 July 2016 Morgenstern Joel 10 June 2005 Married With Howitzers Mr and Mrs Smith Battle Slaying Nuance and Humor The Wall Street Journal Retrieved 18 July 2016 Howl s Moving Castle Frequently Asked Questions FAQ nausicaa net Retrieved 19 July 2016 Hauru no Ugoku Shiro Credits nausicaa net Retrieved 24 July 2016 均 中村 23 May 2007 110万冊無料配布 ゲドを読む の狙いを読む 宮崎吾朗監督作品 ゲド戦記 DVDのユニークなプロモーション Nikkei Business in Japanese Nikkei Business Publications Archived from the original on 16 August 2018 Retrieved 16 August 2018 Hauru no ugoku shiro 2005 Financial Information The Numbers Archived from the original on 16 August 2018 Retrieved 26 April 2022 The 78th Academy Awards 2006 Nominees and Winners Oscars org Retrieved 5 September 2013 Parsons Elizabeth 19 October 2007 Animating Grandma the indices of age and agency in contemporary children s films PDF Journal of Aging Humanities and the Arts 1 3 4 221 229 doi 10 1080 19325610701638243 hdl 10536 DRO DU 30007845 Archived from the original PDF on 10 December 2020 Retrieved 24 September 2019 Puig Claudia 9 June 2005 Howl s Moving Castle enchants USA Today Retrieved 2 June 2013 Howl s Moving Castle Movie Reviews Rotten Tomatoes Fandango Retrieved 21 September 2019 Rooney David 8 September 2004 Review Howl s Moving Castle Variety com Archived from the original on 5 March 2018 Retrieved 18 July 2016 Studio Ghibli Diary Translated by Schnell Philip Nausicaa net Retrieved 5 September 2013 Scott A O July 2005a Where the Wild Things Are The Miyazaki Menagerie PDF The Asia Pacific Journal 3 7 Scott A O 10 June 2005b A Cursed Teenager Turns 90 Let the Adventures Begin The New York Times Retrieved 18 July 2016 Shilling Mark 17 December 2002 New Hayao Miyazaki film heads Toho line up ScreenDaily Archived from the original on 17 August 2003 Retrieved 5 September 2013 Smalley Gregory J 30 May 2019 A Look Back at Miyazaki s Steampunk Classic Howl s Moving Castle The Spool Retrieved 24 October 2019 Smith Lindsay 1 April 2011 War Wizards and Words Transformative Adaptation and Transformed Meanings in Howl s Moving Castle The Projector Film and Media Journal 11 1 Talbot Margaret March 2006 The Auteur of Anime The Asia Pacific Journal 4 3 Travers Peter 9 June 2005 Howl s Moving Castle Rolling Stone Retrieved 18 February 2012 Trout Jonathan 13 September 2005 Howl s Moving Castle BBC Retrieved 18 July 2016 Wilson Carl Wilson Garrath T 2015 Taoism Shintoism and the ethics of technology an ecocritical review of Howl s Moving Castle Resilience A Journal of the Environmental Humanities 2 3 189 194 doi 10 5250 resilience 2 3 0189 S2CID 191753828 Zacharek Stephanie 10 June 2005 Howl s Moving Castle Salon Retrieved 18 July 2016 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Howl s Moving Castle film nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to Howl s Moving Castle Official website at Disney Howl s Moving Castle at IMDb nbsp Howl s Moving Castle at AllMovie nbsp Howl s Moving Castle anime at Anime News Network s encyclopedia Howl s Moving Castle at The Big Cartoon DataBase nbsp Howl s Moving Castle at Metacritic nbsp Howl s Moving Castle at Rotten Tomatoes nbsp ハウルの動く城 Hauru no ugoku shiro in Japanese Japanese Movie Database Retrieved 21 July 2007 Portals nbsp Film nbsp Anime and manga nbsp Japan nbsp Speculative fiction nbsp Fantasy Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Howl 27s Moving Castle film amp oldid 1187973773, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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