Howl's moving castle: movie vs book
Two weeks ago I saw Studio Ghibli's new movie - Howls Moving Castle.
Simply: brilliant, definitely on my list of favourite movies ever.
But, as anyone who's seen it will say, some parts are a little confusing and not well explained: therefore I decided to buy the book... well... I think this calls for a lj-cut:
For those who have seen the movie skipping to the second part of the review which focuses on the book would be easiest.
The movie starts out amazingly: You open into a large old fashion English world - this has definitely been made for English release (lacking almost all the Japanese touches you got in Spirited Away) but I think this made it quite refreshing. Howl's castle, which Miyazaki created using digital imagery, roams the countryside (while Miyazaki used a lot of computers in Mononoke Hime I felt it didn't work in a few scenes: here it was amazing...just amazing...)
You meet Sophie, who works in her families hat shop and feels her life is resigned to nothingness and find that Howl, a feared wizard, roams the country "eating the hearts of beautiful girls." You also learn the “Witch of the Waste” has also been plaguing the city - and is “after Howls heart”
Anyway, one day Howls saves Sophie from some men who are harassing her. Shortly after Sophie is working in her shop when the Witch of the Waste comes and curses her into being an old lady (you assume she is jealous of Howls attendion to Sophie.)
Sophie, who is kind hearted (and a little daft in my opinion), decides to leave due to the curse and ends up at Howls moving castle.
And so the story begins, and has so many twists and turns that it would take a book to summaries it. There are scenes left unfinished (a few random scenes) but it is such an amazing, hilarious story that you can watch it a few dozen times (it really lacks the simplicity of many Miyazaki films.) I actually watched it twice within a few days with different friends and it still has gaps the second time around.
Can I just say that the scene when Howl is cooking breakfast is extremely sexy, which is kind of disturbing at the same time as it is a Miyazaki film
But, more interestingly, about the book: This won’t make much sense unless you saw the movie.
I admit, I’m biased due to the fact I saw the movie first but...the book… is terrible… and after the first 50 pages or so there is almost no similarities AT ALL between it in the movie.
For those who didn’t know, this wasn’t going to be a film my Miyazaki. He actually took over the project after it was began. I think that’s why there are some random scene (the dream sequence in the middle when she goes in to find Howl already turned into the bird monster come to mind as a scene that had original been about something else.) I also get the feeling that the story re-write was Miyazaki’s doing.
The book did provide some answers though. It is explained that stars, when they fall from the sky, die when they hit the ground and that they would do almost anything to survive. When a person sees this they feel so much pity for the star they will do anything “offer there own heart” to save it. The book explain that both the Witch and Howl have there own shooting stars which give them most of there power and that the witch actually wanted to steal Califer, not so much that she wanted Howl. Sophie also has some magical abilities: she can ‘talk life’ into objects: which is why see spends most the movie talking to everything.
While many of the scenes, like the green-slime scene and a very very modified version of the stairway “chase” scene are in the book the whole story is different. Micheal is actually grown up, Howl’s appearance is quite different in the story and the chicken-dog isn’t in there either. The Witch is actually quite beautiful too.
The story behind the prince, wizard Suliman, the king, everything is completely different - I don’t think I can actually compare the plots at all - there isn’t even a war going on (which is what the movie focuses on.) It’s all about trying to save Wizard Suliman and the Prince who have both been kidnapped… (and end up being the skull, scarecrow and dog all mixed into one) Howls even ends up being from England…
All in all: I’m not sure why they made this book into a movie. But the movie is BRILLIANT. The fact that he rewrote it as he did makes me respect the man even more.
I recommend seeing it - everyone of every age will love it. It will definitely get an Oscar nomination and will probably get the Oscar as well (any ideas who it will be competing with?)
Simply: brilliant, definitely on my list of favourite movies ever.
But, as anyone who's seen it will say, some parts are a little confusing and not well explained: therefore I decided to buy the book... well... I think this calls for a lj-cut:
For those who have seen the movie skipping to the second part of the review which focuses on the book would be easiest.
The movie starts out amazingly: You open into a large old fashion English world - this has definitely been made for English release (lacking almost all the Japanese touches you got in Spirited Away) but I think this made it quite refreshing. Howl's castle, which Miyazaki created using digital imagery, roams the countryside (while Miyazaki used a lot of computers in Mononoke Hime I felt it didn't work in a few scenes: here it was amazing...just amazing...)
You meet Sophie, who works in her families hat shop and feels her life is resigned to nothingness and find that Howl, a feared wizard, roams the country "eating the hearts of beautiful girls." You also learn the “Witch of the Waste” has also been plaguing the city - and is “after Howls heart”
Anyway, one day Howls saves Sophie from some men who are harassing her. Shortly after Sophie is working in her shop when the Witch of the Waste comes and curses her into being an old lady (you assume she is jealous of Howls attendion to Sophie.)
Sophie, who is kind hearted (and a little daft in my opinion), decides to leave due to the curse and ends up at Howls moving castle.
And so the story begins, and has so many twists and turns that it would take a book to summaries it. There are scenes left unfinished (a few random scenes) but it is such an amazing, hilarious story that you can watch it a few dozen times (it really lacks the simplicity of many Miyazaki films.) I actually watched it twice within a few days with different friends and it still has gaps the second time around.
Can I just say that the scene when Howl is cooking breakfast is extremely sexy, which is kind of disturbing at the same time as it is a Miyazaki film
But, more interestingly, about the book: This won’t make much sense unless you saw the movie.
I admit, I’m biased due to the fact I saw the movie first but...the book… is terrible… and after the first 50 pages or so there is almost no similarities AT ALL between it in the movie.
For those who didn’t know, this wasn’t going to be a film my Miyazaki. He actually took over the project after it was began. I think that’s why there are some random scene (the dream sequence in the middle when she goes in to find Howl already turned into the bird monster come to mind as a scene that had original been about something else.) I also get the feeling that the story re-write was Miyazaki’s doing.
The book did provide some answers though. It is explained that stars, when they fall from the sky, die when they hit the ground and that they would do almost anything to survive. When a person sees this they feel so much pity for the star they will do anything “offer there own heart” to save it. The book explain that both the Witch and Howl have there own shooting stars which give them most of there power and that the witch actually wanted to steal Califer, not so much that she wanted Howl. Sophie also has some magical abilities: she can ‘talk life’ into objects: which is why see spends most the movie talking to everything.
While many of the scenes, like the green-slime scene and a very very modified version of the stairway “chase” scene are in the book the whole story is different. Micheal is actually grown up, Howl’s appearance is quite different in the story and the chicken-dog isn’t in there either. The Witch is actually quite beautiful too.
The story behind the prince, wizard Suliman, the king, everything is completely different - I don’t think I can actually compare the plots at all - there isn’t even a war going on (which is what the movie focuses on.) It’s all about trying to save Wizard Suliman and the Prince who have both been kidnapped… (and end up being the skull, scarecrow and dog all mixed into one) Howls even ends up being from England…
All in all: I’m not sure why they made this book into a movie. But the movie is BRILLIANT. The fact that he rewrote it as he did makes me respect the man even more.
I recommend seeing it - everyone of every age will love it. It will definitely get an Oscar nomination and will probably get the Oscar as well (any ideas who it will be competing with?)