6/22/2005

I thought I should write a bit on this while it was still “new” news! Any Miyazaki fans out there? Howl’s Moving Castle, Studio Ghibli’s latest, opened in North American theatres last week. The movie is based on the book by Diana Wynne Jones, and I’m told took quite a few liberties in transition. And, though I felt some areas still needed polish, all in all it was a great film. The story is about Sophie, a young hatmaker who is transformed into a 90-year-old woman by a jealous witch after Howl, the great magician, seemingly sets his sights on her. Since Sophie cannot even talk about the curse, she embarks on a journey to find a way to break it, and ends up taking refuge in the travelling castle owned by Howl.

Many famous actors have lent their voices to the English version (Jean Simmons, Billy Crystal and Lauren Bacall are just a few - and Christian Bale, the new Batman, has voiced Howl himself) for an excellent track, very much on par with Nausicaa and other recently well-dubbed Studio Ghibli films. In Japan, at release last year, the film did spectacularly - it won Animation Of The Year at 2005 Tokyo Anime Awards, as well as Best Music, Best Director Award for Miyazaki, and Best Voice Actor for Chieko Baisho in the role of Sophie. In the Mainichi Film Awards 2004, the film won the Best Japanese Movie Overall award.

It’s only available in select theatres (and getting a subtitled show is even more select), but this is a great one to see on the big screen. I myself was fortunate enough to be in Los Angeles for a friend’s graduation, and was able to see it right in Hollywood, where a large Miyazaki exhibit was also set up for our perusal. A biography video played showcasing Miyazaki’s directing career and many of the more overlooked Studio Ghibli works, as well as memorabilia from early movies. It was a great experience - if you’re near a theatre showing this film, I suggest you not miss out!

References:
Nausicaa.net
Studio Ghibli