Review by C.J. Bunce
So many elements in Hayao Miyazaki’s adaptation of Diana Wynne Jones’s novel Howl’s Moving Castle are very British and Victorian, it’s hard to place all the influences of its setting. It blends so many things, like a steampunk realization of Miyazaki’s fascination with World War II military craft, the villain of 101 Dalmations, and the appearance of the story’s protagonist, Sophie the milliner/hatter, in a simple green dress and hat that could be from the 1920s.
It is the dawn of war in a village at the beginning of some industrial revolution when Sophie encounters two men who corner her, only to be saved by a suave young man who literally sweeps her off her feet. When a jealous witch puts a curse on her that makes her look old and frail, she leaves town, encountering a scarecrow. Sound a bit familiar? It’s dotted with fantasy elements but is something all its own. And you can see it back in theaters to celebrate its 20th anniversary as part of Studio Ghibli’s 2024 Fathom Events screenings. It’s also streaming on Max, and available now in a commemorative book, the Howl’s Moving Castle Picture Book, available here at VIZ Media and here at Amazon.
Sophie is a lovely character. She accepts her lot with no bitterness. When a fantastical flame of fire named Calcifer offers her help to break her spell, she almost doesn’t have enough energy to participate. Along the way Miyazaki peppers the tale with this bustling world of soldiers readying for war, of wealthy women primping and going about their day. The setting is stunning in its detail–this place feels as real as any live-action location.
Who is this circle of magic users ready to help Sophie?
Although the film is one of the few that is not solely from Miyazaki’s imagination and creation, he embraces the novel and makes this interpretation his own, something unique and special. Can Howl save Sophie? (Or will it be the other way around?)
Miyazaki delivers an interesting fairy tale embedded with scenes that should conjure Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and Sleeping Beauty for Western readers. It involves a strange bargain, like that in Rumpelstiltskin. Everyone but Howl, master of the castle, seems oblivious to the horrors of the war taking place in the skies nearby. The moving castle of the title is very much a science fiction realization. The music is nothing short of spectacular–it will carry you away on this incredible journey. There’s also something here that echoes Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Little Princess.
Miyazaki is the master of juxtaposing a pastoral setting with real-life horrors of war, spotlighting the impact of war on people viewers and readers grow close to quickly. It all goes back to a young Miyazaki in Japan watching his own family react to World War II. He knows how to convey emotions like no one else. Watch how the climax has a very Alfred Hitchcock flare.
The Howl’s Moving Castle Picture Book is the next of the Miyazaki large-sized hardcover storybooks that make the perfect supplement, souvenir, or introduction to the stories of Hayao Miyazaki. This volume perfectly reproduces Miyazaki’s fantastically realized characters as well as screenshots of many landscapes. As with other books in this series, it begins with an introduction of characters and concepts for young readers.
The Howl’s Moving Castle Picture Book is a great read-along for fans of the movie, old and new. It’s available now here direct from VIZ Media and here at Amazon. Enjoy it before or after the film, now streaming on Max. Better yet, see it in theaters as part of the Fathom Events screenings. Find times, theater locations, and order tickets now here at the Fathom Events website. The 20th anniversary celebration screenings run from September 26 to October 3, 2024.
