Hushico’s review of Miyazaki’s Howl’s Moving Castle is deeply troubling
because of their desire to “BK” their film viewing experience. When this viewer
didn’t get the movie they had planned on they were disappointed. What this
outlook does not provide for is a reinterpretation of the text, or a director
who is working outside of his usual specialty. Of course, every viewer has
ideas conjured up about a specific film and may be disappointed when the
director’s creative discretion takes too many liberties, but to not give a
movie a chance for trying something new with source material or different from
previous movies, means missing out on some possibly great films.
The reviewer apparently takes issue
from the very beginning. Miyazaki is committing a crime just by using Diana
Wynne Jones’ novel as a source. The reviewer complains of Jones’ writing style
but doesn’t elaborate on what exactly they find irritating. Based on this
stance the reviewer should be happy that Miyazaki chose to change some
fundamental elements of the story, but this disappoints them as well.
The biggest problem with this
reviewer is their stance on Sophie and her romance with Howl. Hushicho writes:
“Howl’s heroine has little real conviction except what other people persuade
her to have. She doesn’t suit Miyazaki’s usual style of youthful yet strong
heroines. She was just some stupid girl on the screen, nothing more.” Nothing
could be farther from the truth. In a world occupied by narcissistic wizards,
greedy witches, and wicked royals, Sophie offers the only source of goodness
for goodness’ sake. Howl plays a convincingly young and egotistical wizard in
over his head, who needs the help of a young woman to save him from himself.
That is what romance is all about: A guy who thinks he has it all figured out,
who is reminded of what’s really important by a girl who’s got a nice pure
heart.
The viewer is made to sympathize
with Sophie and really understands her. What young person hasn’t felt that they
are ugly or unworthy of love? Who hasn’t stumbled into something over their
heads and rejoiced and cried then rejoiced again as they fought to figure it
out? As American as I am, and as American as the ending was, and although I
knew that this may not have been done for innocent reasons, I sure did like to
see everything work out okay.
Hushicho also has problems with
Howl himself. The reviewer feels that Sophie was too ordinary, and nothing
really happened between the two. Except, Howl saving Sophie from the guards,
from the blob men, from the castle, inviting her into his garden, allowing him
to stay in his home, and Sophie saves Howl’s heart, literally. What could be
more romantic then holding someone’s heart in your hands and giving them life?
Come on, that brings a tear to Stone Wall Jackson’s eye.
It seems evident that the reviewer
took issue with Miyazaki’s film because it wasn’t typical Miyazaki. I suppose I
could take issue with this film for not being typically gothic. Just because
something isn’t what you’re used to, or what you expect does not make it a
failure, perhaps this is due to me not seeing any other Miyazaki films but I
was pleasantly surprised by Howl’s Moving
Castle as a film in a vacuum, as an example of Japanese gothic, and as a
translation of an English novel. By broadening my horizons I have a better
understanding of Western and Eastern gothic. Perhaps a similar viewpoint would
help the reviewer to put Miyazaki’s body of work into perspective. Sometimes when you "have it your way" you end up with a bacon sundae, and that's no good for you at all. Trust the experts.
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