*****
Howl’s Moving Castle by master storyteller Hayao Miyazaki was the second of his films I had ever seen. Kiki’s Delivery Service was my first Miyazaki, so naturally I expected magic to play a role in the film. Howl’s Moving Castle opens with a curious structure moving across green plains and snowcapped mountains in the background. The castle, which more than a castle looks like a monster of some sort, disappears into a thick fog. That singular shot hooked me in. I don’t know why exactly but I felt like I was a kid all over again.
From there we are introduced to Sophie. A young girl, but well beyond her years. She goes to town, and the town is wonder of the animation realm. All the activity and hustle and bustle which is extremely difficult to capture in an animated films is brilliantly executed in Howl’s Moving Castle. In an alley Sophie encounters Howl, a famed wizard surrounded with stories that cater to a girl’s worst nightmare. Howl takes off into the air with Sophie as some weird dark shadows pursue them. They walk with ease above the city and Howl lands Sophie safely to her destination. This moment is key for me. It happens early in the film, and flying is nothing short of my greatest dream in the world. Walking in the sky to me is part of numerous dreams I’ve had both as a kid and as an adult. The film only continues with the magic.
The first time Sophie enters the castle I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to live in such a magical place like that. Throughout the entire movie I was just mesmerized. Howl’s Moving Castle works like a magic spell that can’t be broken. I’ve seen more Miyazaki since then, and while his entire body of work is beautiful, Howl’s Moving Castle seems to have remained with me the longest. The magic and ingenuity of a castle that can move through beautiful animated sceneries alone makes this film a treat hardly matched by any animated or live action film.
Howl’s Moving Castle is a dream of a movie. After watching it I can’t help but dream to one day have outrageous amounts of money just so I can built a castle just like Howl’s (except of course minus the moving part). Howl’s Moving Castle falls on my list of Top 15 Movies Of All Time at number 13. It is the only animated film in my list, and perhaps also the only film with a fully happy ending. Nothing else on my list comes close to being as happy as this film. Those who know me may wonder why the hell a happy animated movie is on my list of top movies of all time. That first time I watched the film, for the first time ever, I cried at the end, a happy end. For some reason the magic of this film had overwhelmed me with joy. I couldn’t believe how magical it was, and I couldn’t contain my tears. For me this film was unlike any other animated film. Yes it had the happy ending which I despise in movies, but for the first time in my life I didn’t give a shit about the happy ending.
While the ending is opposite to everything I like, Howl’s Moving Castle is a special film for me thanks to its ability to remind me of what it was like to be a kid. There are other films that remind me of that feeling of freedom and creativity, but none more than Howl’s Moving Castle. When I was a kid I dreamed up worlds similar to the world’s Miyazaki is so good at creating. I dreamed of worlds where freedom is unlimited and anything no matter how magical can happen. My childhood to this day remains the best part of my life, something I will never have again. Perhaps Howl’s Moving Castle’s ability to transport me back to that time is why this film has stayed with me so long, and why it deserves a spot on my list of Top 15 Movies of All Time.
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