Why Studio Ghibli's 'Howl's Moving Castle

Due to the fact that a Ghibli masterpiece is currently being shown in theaters, it is time for us to question ourselves why it continues to drive us mad.

Howl’s Moving Castle, which was directed by Hayao Miyazaki and is considered to be one of the most important films produced by Studio Ghibli, is now twenty years old. Although you are able to see it on Netflix (just like practically all of the studio’s films), we strongly suggest that you go to the theater to watch it on the big screen and take advantage of the anniversary re-release. As a result, we should take this chance to ask ourselves: why, after such a long period of time, do films produced by Studio Ghibli continue to be so successful?

‘Howl’s Moving Castle’: What is the story behind it? First and foremost, the context: the picture is based on a novel written by Diana Wynne Jones, and it tells the narrative of Sophie, a young lady who works in a family hat business. Sophie is converted into an old woman by the curse of the Witch of the Waste, who is angry because the girl has encountered the mysterious wizard Howl. The young lady or the elderly lady is tasked with locating Howl’s moving castle without being able to reveal her true identity. Once she arrives, she becomes a member of a weird retinue that also includes a fire demon and a wizard’s apprentice. On the other hand, a horrible battle is threatening the region, and as a result, she will learn the actual intentions of Howl.

Momentum. Hayao Miyazaki had just made two total masterpieces, such as “Princess Mononoke” and “Spirited Away,” and which preceded the also wonderful “Ponyo on the Cliff.” Howl’s Moving Castle debuts in a situation of utter maturity for Hayao Miyazaki, who had just directed these two films. To put it another way, we are confronted with a movie that represents the director’s absolute pinnacle of creative achievement, and it is a film in which all of his themes and visual constants come together.

Miyazaki in its purest form. It is not difficult to detect many of Miyazaki’s constants in this thrilling fantasy: we have a strong and independent female protagonist who confronts social conventions and the difficulties that are offered to her. This is typical of Miyazaki’s work. There is a concern for nature and the impact that humans have on the environment, which has been a recurrent theme ever since the director’s earlier films, such as “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.” There is, of course, a blatant anti-war attitude and a critique of war that is not in the least bit naive. This is due to the fact that war is portrayed to us as an occurrence that is frequently not just unavoidable, but directly necessary in order to face opposing forces. And, of course, the mesmerizing visual imagery, which, in this particular instance, is brought together in the magnificent Howl’s Castle.

Ghibli is a favorite of ours. Although there are a great number of thematic and visual constants that can be removed from Ghibli films up to the present day, even films as recent and as well-known as “The Boy and the Heron,” the quality that unites them all is, without a doubt, the capacity to fascinate from the very beginning and to continue to do so regardless of the amount of time that has passed. “Porco Rosso,” “Castle in the Sky,” and “Totoro” are still considered to be incombustible classics. They can be rewatched a thousand times, and they may be inspected and dissected once more without losing any of their attraction.

Ghibli is not like other films. Without a shadow of a doubt, the films are not an attempt to deal with contemporary issues because of the values that permeate them, the constant contradictions that grip its characters, which make them almost of flesh and blood, and the persistent returns to themes that are of concern to all of us, such as the necessity of accepting oneself and discovering one’s own identity, or the power of love and friendship. Films from Ghibli will live on forever.

A case that is walking. This film, on the other hand, did not receive a particularly positive reception. Roger Ebert, writing for the Chicago Sun Times, as well as other members of the media, such as Variety and the Washington Post, were not particularly impressed with the film. This could be due to the film’s hazy narrative and its tendency toward abstraction in its images, both of which make it a less approachable adventure than other films (could the almost childish ‘Ponyo’ possibly be considered a reaction to these criticisms?). As time has progressed, however, it has risen to the top of the list of the director’s best films (and there are quite a few of them), and it has become an absolute masterpiece that, much like a great number of other films produced by the studio, refuses to become obsolete.

Something that was said to me many years ago is that it is impossible to not be interested in Studio Ghibli films, regardless of whether or not you are a fan of anime. There is a good reason why every person who has ever viewed a Ghibli film has a strong desire to be a part of that universe. For the benefit of those who are not familiar with it, firm Ghibli is a Japanese animation firm that was established by Hayao Miyazaki, who is also a writer, creative director, and animator. Ghibli is the recipient of numerous honors, including the Academy honors.

There are movies that are able to entertain you, and then there are movies that have the ability to stir something within you, and they do so in a very pleasant way. The films of Studio Ghibli are just like that! The people who watch Ghibli films, whether they are children or adults, have a unique and significant position in their lives. However, what is more essential is that they have the ability to exert an effect on thousands of storytellers, authors, visual artists, and creators spread around the globe. It’s not just in Japan…

Why Studio Ghibli’s ‘Howl’s Moving Castle

Due to the fact that a Ghibli masterpiece is currently being shown in theaters, it is time for us to question ourselves why it continues to drive us mad.

By ki0nk

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