Howl’s Moving Castle Howl’s Moving Castle is Hayao Miyazaki’s ninth film, and another thrilling example of his ability to tell a story with exquisite animation and complex characters. It is set in a fictional land against the backdrop of war, but it is not a movie specifically about war. Sophie, a young girl, is our brave hero – not Howl, whose castle brings the characters together and is the beating heart of the story. Howl’s Moving Castle is a movie about family, love, and growing old. When the movie opens, we see Howl’s castle walking across the landscape. After a brief encounter with Howl, Sophie’s life turns upside down. A curse placed on her by the Witch of the Waste turns her into an old woman and renders her unable to tell anyone about it. Instead of panicking or giving up like many would do in this situation, Sophie, like so many of Miyazaki’s heroes, is remarkably calm. Determined to make the best of it, she sets out on her own, recognizing a benefit to growing old: “Nothing frightens you.” Like most of Miyazaki’s films, Howl’s Moving Castle is filled with magical fantasy. Witches and wizards live among the people. Howl’s steampunk castle seems alive as it breathes in and out and walks across the Waste, powered by a hilarious fire demon named Calcifer. A turn of a dial changes the outside world from one kingdom to another, from the Waste to Howl’s childhood garden. Sophie turns the inhabitants of the castle into a family. She’s at times a mother and a caretaker, and she falls in love with Howl. But Howl is deeply flawed. In addition to being a coward, he’s vain and childish. In one particularly touching scene, Howl runs downstairs in a rage, livid that Sophie has rearranged his products, resulting in his hair changing color. Like a spoiled child, he exclaims “I give up. I see no point in living if I can’t be beautiful.” He throws a fit, calling the spirits of darkness and his skin turning slimy and green. Sophie, who doesn’t give up, has had enough. She yells at him, “You think you’ve got it bad? I’ve never once been beautiful my whole life!” Ultimately, Howl realizes he’s a coward and hates himself for it. Miyazaki said his rage about the Iraq war inspired him in making this film, and its depiction of the senselessness war is evident throughout. When Howl and Sophie are enjoying the beauty and tranquility of Howl’s childhood garden, their peaceful moment is interrupted by a battleship. When Sophie asks whether it’s the enemy’s or “one of ours,” Howl asks “What difference does it make? Those stupid murderers.” Ultimately, Sophie saves everyone. She gets Howl’s heart back from the Witch of the Waste and returns it to him. Calcifer is alive and free, returned to his true self, and a kiss from Sophie breaks the curse on Turniphead. When Howl wakes up, he says his chest feels heavy, and Sophie tells him, “A heart’s a heavy burden.” The title of the movie is Howl’s Moving Castle. What that castle finally comes to represent in the end is a home, love, a family, and a heart. Sophie, dealing with the cards she has been dealt, helps everyone learn and appreciate this. While the film is a commentary on the senselessness of war (Who is fighting who? Who are the good guys? Why are they fighting in the first place?), the focus is on love and appreciating what you have. I admire Sophie and her will to keep going. Her wisdom brings everyone together and ultimately ends the war. It’s not just Howl’s castle anymore.