I have been on a journey to watch all of Studio Ghibli’s films. I am still working my way through some of Hayao Miyazaki’s best films, but I assumed I had already seen the really well-known films, such as My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Kiki’s Delivery ServiceAnd Howl’s Moving Castle. I finally watched Castle in the sky And have thought about it a lot.but for Howl’s Moving Castle, I just thought I had never read the original book series. So I decided to read it and then watch the movie again. To my surprise, I realized that I had never seen the movie either.
When I began reading Diana Wynne Jones’s popular book, the story was unrecognizable, but both the film and the book provided entertaining (if different) experiences.
Warning: Spoilers for Howl’s Moving Castle follow. Please read with caution.
The film made me appreciate some characters more
Calcifer, the Fire Demon, the Witch of the Desert and Turnip Head are just a few characters that appear in the Howl’s Moving Castle Book and film. In the film, however, these three characters stand out more.
Calcifer is much funnier than he seems in the book. The Witch of the Desert is a more interesting character in the film as she seems more multi-dimensional. The Turnip Head/Scarecrow presence seems bigger and more noticeable in this film. Studio Ghibli classics.
The book, however, places more emphasis on how Sophie’s role as an older sister has affected her life. This is partly why she simply accepts her fate as the new hat shop owner. At least one of Sophie’s sisters, Lettie, appears in the film, but their roles are minimized. Martha doesn’t even really appear in the film.
Still, their role in the book isn’t so crucial that the story would change without them. However, I liked the importance of Sophie’s sisters in her life, so I wish they were more featured in the film. I missed them, but was happy with the direction of some of the other characters.
The book and the film “Howl’s Moving Castle” are both bizarre in different ways
Howl’s Moving Castle The book and the film are intended for families or a younger audience. However, neither of them seems immature or childish. In fact, the plot almost feels too complicated for younger children. However, they do share a sense of madness. This doesn’t necessarily mean they are young or childlike, but it is often coupled with a sense of wonder that only a child who is not jaded can have.
Both versions of this story are quirky. The book has a youthful, lighthearted and entertaining feel to it. The film feels like a typical Miyazaki film. All of his films have a bit of quirkiness to them, even some of the ones that deal with really deep themes. It’s the kind of Mood that connects generations. It creates a very special feeling and a world full of wonder and character.
This film has a lot of Studio Ghibli in it, which I think is inherently a bit darker than the original book. The film isn’t dark per se, but there are definitely darker themes and tones than in Jones’ original creation. Despite all the darkness, Miyazaki’s worlds always have their own kind of moodiness.
Grandma Sophie is different in both versions, but great
Grandma Sophie is quite naughty in the book. One big difference between the book and the movie is Sophie and Howl’s initial relationship. She was quite argumentative and that brought out Grandma Sophie’s naughtier side. In the movie you see that sometimes, but their relationship almost automatically comes across as loving.
The movie Sophie is more of a caring character. The book Sophie has those qualities, but she’s also the kind of sassy grandma you’d enjoy playing bingo with. Both are entertaining portrayals of this character. Plus, Grandma Sophie seems like the version of Sophie that allowed her to be herself. Her boundaries and barriers were removed by rapid aging.
The movie “Howl’s Moving Castle” reminds me that imagination and adaptation do not have to coincide
The Howl’s Moving Castle The book contains descriptions of people, things and places, but you have more freedom to imagine what things look like. For example, Calcifer in the film is not what I imagined him to be in the book. I saw him as a much more omniscient creature. Calcifer in the film is super cute. As I said, Miyazaki obviously has a very distinctive style and this film fits in with that.
His style is one of the reasons why it is so a popular film from Studio Ghibli. While I enjoy seeing Miyazaki’s version of the story, I appreciate using my imagination to create it when reading. I know I often want adaptations that perfectly fit the source material, but sometimes more freedom in interpretation can add value to a project. Howl’s Moving Castle is a reminder that an adaptation can stay true to the original, but still be different enough to feel like its own. Both are still valid, even if they don’t quite match.
One of the core messages of the story comes across more strongly in the film
Appreciating life and not wasting it is an important message from Howl’s Moving Castle. Sophie accepts a life without adventure until her youth is stolen from her. Growing older makes her realize the beauty and adventure of life and living well. It is only in old age that she understands how precious life is. This is a great message for Sophie because once the curse is lifted, she will appreciate life just as much as someone older, but still be young.
This message is in the book, but it didn’t affect me as much when I read it as it did when I saw the film. I just think that perhaps the more serious tone of Miyazaki’s version helped me to get this idea across. It made me like the movie a little more than the book because the message really resonates with me at my current stage of life.
The film “Howl’s Moving Castle” is tamer than the book
I think the film Howl’s Moving Castle is a little more mature in its presentation, but the book is wilder in terms of storylines. One of the book’s storylines involves Sophie’s sisters using magic to switch places. It’s a pretty complicated and crazy story and I completely understand why it wasn’t made into a movie. Overall, the book contains a lot more than the movie, but that’s to be expected considering the movie is time-constrained to cover a book that’s over 200 pages long.
However, the film gets to the heart of the matter. The essence of the story really comes across in the film. I often prefer the book or film version of something. With Howl’s Moving Castle, I like both, but for different reasons.
“Howl’s Moving Castle” by Diana Wynne Jones is available on Amazon.
Stream Howl’s Moving Castle on Max.
