Film · 2004
Howl’s Moving Castle
ハウルの動く城
A witch turns Sophie, a young hat-maker, into an elderly woman. Looking for a way to break the spell, she joins the wizard Howl's moving household, which includes an apprentice and a fire demon. Romance and domestic comedy develop as a war threatens the people living in the castle.
Miyazaki adapted Diana Wynne Jones's novel while bringing his anger about the Iraq War into the film. In a 2005 interview, he said that conflict had strongly affected its making. The romance and magic therefore sit beside a response to a real war, a useful context for the danger pressing in on Sophie's new household.
Calcifer, the fire demon, also serves as the household’s cooking fire. For the bacon-and-eggs scene, its animator filmed real cooking as reference, according to Ghibli’s production diary. It is a piece of practical work inside a magical home, with a recognisable meal being made over a fire that has a face and a voice.
Standalone film · Approx. 119 min · one film
Standalone 2004 animated film.
