Summary:
This tale follows the story of a young woman named Sophie, who after an unfortunate encounter with the 'Witch Of The Waste', finds herself transformed into an old woman as a result of a curse that she is unable to speak to anyone about. She soon leaves home in search of a solution, only to find herself becoming a house keeper for the well renowned and self-absorbed wizard Howl, who travels in an ever moving castle so as to avoid the outside world.
Opinions:
The feature which draws me most to this anime as a choice in my top five, has to be the characters themselves. Each one is unique, interesting and bewitchingly brilliant. For instance, Sophie, the main female protagonist of the film, provides a diverse insight for the audience as her character, although in appearance is an aged woman, varies very little from her character before her curse was instigated. She in fact seems quite contented in her appearance and uses various idioms which we would associate with that of an older aged woman. This proves quite amusing at times alongside the quirky and eccentric character of 'Calcifer', the demon who is enslaved by Howl and takes the form of a fire that is central to the castle and thus its source of motion.
However, it is not only the characters of this film which makes it enchanting for the audience. The diverse storyline alongside the crisp and beautifully crafted animation that Studio Ghibli never fail to provide and in some cases exceed, leaves Howl's Moving Castle up there with the best in Ghibli productions. With intense scenes of a world at war, although scarse, alongside the captivating magic produced within this film, nothing seems left unfinished in this wonderfully adapted tale written by Diana Wynne Jones.
Rating: 4.0 / 5.0 Excellent
Howl's Moving Castle [November 2004]
Story Based On Book By :Diana Wynne Jones
Directed By: Hayao Miyazaki
Studio Ghibli, Walt Disney Pictures
