Hayao Miyazaki is a director, animator, and producer who has a consistent aesthetic style which contains underlying themes supported by his animation techniques. Miyazaki’s undeviating format which remains constant on the screen and behind the scene earns him the title of auteur. According to Yvonne Tasker’s “Fifty Contemporary Film Directors”, “Discussions of Miyazaki’s filmmaking have tended to focus on certain traits of his filmmaking style, particularly on his young female heroines, his use of fantasy, his didacticism around the environment and activism in Japanese youth cultures and on his love of flight and flying machines.” Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) serves as an example of Miyazaki as an auteur in the Japanese film industry.
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In Howl’s Moving Castle, both the protagonist and antagonist are female. While Howl is still a central character, Sophie is more complex and changes and learns on her own accord before helping Howl grow into the character he becomes at the conclusion. Sophie is independent to an extent, as Howl is the only one holding the knowledge to the inner workings of the ins and outs of the castle, however he still ends up being rescued by Sophie, making her the story’s heroine. Inner beauty is also a theme of the film, which is a powerful feminist ideal. Sophie defines herself as a strong character from the beginning of the film and continues prove this through the ending. As a young girl, she stands up for herself to the evil witch queen. As an old woman she is just as determined, hardworking, and protective as before. Sophie also does not let her old age deter her from her goals; it did not define her because of the belief that a woman is not defined by outer …show more content…
In Howl’s Moving Castle, the witch of the waste is a product of the greed and selfishness of the monarchy which stands as the forefront of the ongoing war. Unlike most western films, which depict war as a clear battle between absolute good and evil, Miyazaki tends to create antagonists that are not inherently bad, just incredibly flawed individuals. Near the conclusion of the film, the witch is turned into a smaller, helpless version of her former self. She is even eventually taken in by Sophie, the forgiving protagonist. However war itself is illustrated as absolute evil. In this film, war is what destroys the aforementioned beautiful vast landscapes and magical moving castle. War is what is killing Howl; it turns him into the birdlike creature designed with the intent to battle in
According …show more content…
In Howl’s Moving Castle, both the protagonist and antagonist are female. While Howl is still a central character, Sophie is more complex and changes and learns on her own accord before helping Howl grow into the character he becomes at the conclusion. Sophie is independent to an extent, as Howl is the only one holding the knowledge to the inner workings of the ins and outs of the castle, however he still ends up being rescued by Sophie, making her the story’s heroine. Inner beauty is also a theme of the film, which is a powerful feminist ideal. Sophie defines herself as a strong character from the beginning of the film and continues prove this through the ending. As a young girl, she stands up for herself to the evil witch queen. As an old woman she is just as determined, hardworking, and protective as before. Sophie also does not let her old age deter her from her goals; it did not define her because of the belief that a woman is not defined by outer …show more content…
In Howl’s Moving Castle, the witch of the waste is a product of the greed and selfishness of the monarchy which stands as the forefront of the ongoing war. Unlike most western films, which depict war as a clear battle between absolute good and evil, Miyazaki tends to create antagonists that are not inherently bad, just incredibly flawed individuals. Near the conclusion of the film, the witch is turned into a smaller, helpless version of her former self. She is even eventually taken in by Sophie, the forgiving protagonist. However war itself is illustrated as absolute evil. In this film, war is what destroys the aforementioned beautiful vast landscapes and magical moving castle. War is what is killing Howl; it turns him into the birdlike creature designed with the intent to battle in