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My Musings for March/April 4/15/2007 9:29:42 AM
This month I've been musing about a delightful animated film I caught on TV titled: HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE. I watched the English version of the movie with the voice talents of Christian Bale, Jean Simmons, and Billy Crystal, just to name a few.
What a fun movie. It's based upon the book by the same name written by author Diana Wynne Jones. The story is an enchanting mix of fantasy and fairy tales, science and magic, old and new. I was truly entranced by the story as well as the animation. Sure, there were a few parts that were very typically hokey, but over all, I was delighted by the inventive way the director and the animators presented this story and had to smile at the many references to other folklore and fairy tales.
In order to navigate through the site, you use a tiny ball divided into four colors/sections in the top right corner of the page. This is a device used in the movie and one I thought quite interesting. The movie was released in 2004, but for some reason, I never went to see it. I suspect it didn't come to my town, otherwise I'm sure I'd have gone.
The main gist of the story centers around a young woman named Sophie and how she not only discovers the hidden strength and confidence buried within her, but through her hardships, discovers love and happiness.
Her adventures begin when she's rescued from the unwanted attentions of two soldiers by the mysterious and somewhat feared Wizard Howl. Before she has time to recover from that encounter, the evil witch of the Wasteland arrives at her doorstep and accuses Sophia of stealing Howl's heart. Before Sophia can explain, the witch curses her, trapping the young Sophia in an old woman's body…and making it impossible for Sophia to reveal the truth of her curse to others.
Sophia decides to journey into the wasteland and find the witch and beg her to remove the curse. Thus begins her adventures and the realization that the only chance she has of breaking her curse lies with the mysterious, self-indulging Howl and his literally walking castle.
HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE is charming. I hope some of you get a chance to see it.
Until next time, may the magic always brighten your world! Sheri
