main plot of Howl .’s Moving Castle From Studio Ghibli tells the story of Sophie, a young woman cursed to old age by the Wild Witch, and in her search for an antidote, she finds herself serving as a Cleaning Woman.
This movie deals with many topics. From age to curse, from love to war. So, for longtime Miyazaki fans as well as viewers in general, there’s a lot to keep track of, leaving viewers likely to miss a lot of the film’s details. Exploring these details can enhance a great story and give audiences a deeper understanding of the characters in the film.
Updated on December 30, 2022 by Stacie Rook: Howl’s Moving Castle is still a Studio Ghibli favorite, and the series is available now on HBO Max, which houses most of the studio’s work. After much anticipation, Ghibli’s next film, You’re Well, has now confirmed a release date in Japan and will be released on July 14, 2023 (via ScreenRant).
The Wizard of Moor was Howl .’s rejected lover
The Witch of the Moors cursed Sophie for seeing Sophie and Howl. It later became known that the Witch of the Wild and Howl used to date, but when Hal realized who she really was and how ugly her personality was, he left her. The Witch of the Moor has never forgotten Howl and is still searching for his heart for her own, which is why she is so jealous of Sophie.
Near the end of the film, the Waste Witch’s desperation even causes her to set herself on fire while hugging Calcifer, when she realizes that Calcifer is Howl’s heart. Although the details of the witch’s story are few, these moments help explain the witch’s motives.
Christian Bale as Howl
Hal is a complicated character: part suffering and wanting to hide from the world, part selfish in her teens, and part deeply concerned with others. Many films see Hal gradually open up and learn to be vulnerable in front of others.
Hal’s vocals in both the Japanese and English originals are captivating, but it’s easy to overlook that Hal’s voice actor in the English version is A-list star Christian Bale. Howl .’s Moving Castle is one of Christian Bale’s best films and one of the few animated projects in his career.
Cursing is a good thing for Sophie’s character
When Sophie was first cursed by the Witch of the Moor, her frustration and confusion forced her to leave the house and take her to Howl’s castle. In many ways, however, the curse actually worked in Sophie’s favor. Not only did this lead her to her new castle and family, but her advanced age also gave Sophie the confidence to be herself.
Sophie discovers that in her old age she has nothing to lose, and thanks to that, she can be herself without worrying about what others think of her. This is a much-needed change for Sophie, who was previously very reserved and had difficulty asserting herself.
Wild Witch Sophie
The main character in the movie is a male but Howl .’s Moving Castle The main focus is on its female protagonists. Although Sophie is docile and shy at first, she develops into a confident woman throughout the story. The Witch, on the other hand, starts off very outspoken, but becomes more and more gentle as she goes through.
Hal has a crush on Sophie, who looks old but is actually very young. In contrast, Hal does not like the wasteland witch who looks young but hides her true age. Surprisingly, Sophie and the Wild Witch are in some ways mirror images of each other, and their journeys have a lot in common.
Sophie talking to the dog
When Howl persuades Sophie to go to the king to convince him that Howl is too cowardly to go to war, he assures Sophie that he will be right behind her. When a dog started following her, Sophie thought it was howling in disguise, and included one of the most memorable quotes in a scene. Howl .’s Moving Castlehe is walking to the castle to talk to the dog before having to carry it up the many steps of the palace.
However, it turns out that the dog is actually Mrs. Suliman’s pet, not Hal in disguise. The revelation is one of those rare comedic moments in the film, as Sophie realizes she’s gone out of her way for a dog she’s never met before. In subsequent viewings, Sophie’s conversation with a dog named Heen becomes even more hilarious when viewers learn that the dog is actually a dog and not a witch in disguise.
Sophie’s age changes (a lot)
After the Wild Witch cursed Sophie, she aged considerably. She stays that way for a long time, but sometimes looks younger. However, when Sophie looks younger, she doesn’t always look the same age, she looks like someone from a different age group. When Sophie sleeps, she looks the same as when she was young.
While fans will most likely notice this, they probably won’t notice why. Although it has never been clearly explained why Sophie looks younger when she sleeps, it can be seen that Sophie looks younger when she is confident and protective of herself and her loved ones. . It seems that this is slowly weakening the curse, and by the end of the film, when Sophie is generally happy and confident in herself, her curse is almost gone.
The castle reflects the character of the howl
Howl’s castle is hidden, showing a different face to the rest of the world. Castles look like different buildings and conceal themselves to suit different locations. The castle is moved constantly, but moving is cumbersome and laborious, as it is weighed down by many compartments and all the luggage.
Like Castle, Howl has different aliases in different places, tries to hide from others and is weighed down by his past. The castle reflects many aspects of Howl, and as Sophie cleans the entire castle, she is also clearing away layers of Howl’s true self.
Calcifer Loves Sophie is Howl Loves Sophie
One of Studio Ghibli’s most lovable characters, Firefighter Calcifer quickly develops a crush on Sophie. Calcifer does what Sophie asks, while Markl points out that Calcifer usually doesn’t. When Sophie tells Calcifer that she likes Calcifer’s sparks, Calcifer appears to blush, then laugh happily, causing the castle to move at a faster rate. Throughout the film, the audience sees Calcifer taking care of Sophie in a way not seen between Calcifer and any other character.
Since Calcifer is Howl’s heart, when Calcifer learns to care and love Sophie, it is Howl’s heart that learns to love and care for Sophie. It’s easy to miss this detail, as Hal and Calcifer appear as two separate characters for most of the film’s length, but the connection between the two means that their feelings are somehow linked. linked together.
Sophie can be a witch
One of the biggest changes made when adapting the book Howl .’s Moving Castle For a movie, there’s no explanation for Sophie’s abilities. While Sophie jokes with Markle a few times in the film that she’s a witch, that seems to be just a joke. However, there are many hints in the film that this may be true; Carrothead comes to life when Sophie talks to him, and Hal’s heart can return to Hal’s body when Sophie whispers to Calcifer.
While this is never explicitly confirmed in the film, it seems that Sophie has superpowers. Sophie’s magical powers are a more prominent storyline in the novel based on the film, but the subtext remains on screen.
Calcifer appears early in the movie as a heart
When Sophie cleans Howl’s castle, posing as a cleaning lady to get permission to stay, she takes Calcifer out of the fireplace to sweep the ashes. Sophie put Calcifer in the pot as she did, ignoring Calcifer’s pleas to put it back. Calcifer’s flames waned, and when Howl lifted Califer, Calcifer appeared in Howl’s palm as a beating heart surrounded by blue flames.
Later in the film, it is revealed that Calcifer does indeed contain Hal’s heart, but it’s easy to overlook the early clues to his true identity when watching the movie for the first time.