Howl's Moving Castle

Miyazaki's adap­tation of the young adult fantasy novel by British author Diana Wynne Jones is set in a world full of magic and steampunk technology, but also chaos, ambiguity and contrast. Sophie, a humble hatter, is turned into an old woman by the curse of a mischievous witch. She finds refuge in the bizarre walking castle of the renowned wizard Howl, where she meets the fire demon Calcifer and the little boy Markle. While the dashing and handsome Howl regularly sets out on nocturnal expeditions from which he returns ragged and exhausted, Sophie admits to herself that there is more than just a curse cast on her that keeps her in the strange habitation. On the one hand, Miyazaki enchants the audience with baroquely opulent scenes, while slowly revealing the individual layers enveloping the insides of the characters here. The audience's highly successful film deals with appearances and externals that mask the true nature and interiority of people and things. But above all, it tells of the power of love to overcome any obstacles.