While the film adaptation of “Howl’s Moving Castle” keeps true to a few of the book 's themes, a great deal has been altered. The book focuses on the main characters Howl and Sophie and their conflict with the Witch of the Waste and Sophie 's emotional maturity. While these plot threads are in the film they play a much smaller role, giving way to a conflict with a neighboring kingdom and giving the film an anti-war theme not present in the book. While not a particularly faithful adaptation of the book, “Howl 's Moving Castle” is a capable and charming film that easily stands on its own.
The Sophie of the book is a much more abrasive and emotionally distant character than the film 's Sophie, who is a much kinder and more emotionally in tune …show more content…
As opposed to the Witch of the Waste attempting to kidnap Howl and several other characters to stitch them together to create the perfect man, she is depowerd midway through the film by the new Antagonist, Suliman. Suliman, the king 's royal sorcerer, throughout the film attempts to coerce Howl into fighting in the war, though she is unable to remove his powers as she does to other witches and wizards who refuse to submit. Her character further serves to push the film 's anti-war message and while her background is not fully fleshed out, her incredible characterization reaches parity with the Witch of the West and in a far less gruesome manner.
While the movie is a fine adaptation, both stories are incredibly different with the book presenting a more traditional conflict with the Witch of the Waste and the film replacing that with an anti-war agenda. The works are too different to judge together and though some may be put off by the director 's insistence at pushing an anti-war agenda in the film, they both stand well on their own. In an age of mediocre book adaptations “Howl 's Moving Castle” is a refreshingly competent film that is just as worthy of your time as the book, even though it is not as pure a translation as some may have
The Sophie of the book is a much more abrasive and emotionally distant character than the film 's Sophie, who is a much kinder and more emotionally in tune …show more content…
As opposed to the Witch of the Waste attempting to kidnap Howl and several other characters to stitch them together to create the perfect man, she is depowerd midway through the film by the new Antagonist, Suliman. Suliman, the king 's royal sorcerer, throughout the film attempts to coerce Howl into fighting in the war, though she is unable to remove his powers as she does to other witches and wizards who refuse to submit. Her character further serves to push the film 's anti-war message and while her background is not fully fleshed out, her incredible characterization reaches parity with the Witch of the West and in a far less gruesome manner.
While the movie is a fine adaptation, both stories are incredibly different with the book presenting a more traditional conflict with the Witch of the Waste and the film replacing that with an anti-war agenda. The works are too different to judge together and though some may be put off by the director 's insistence at pushing an anti-war agenda in the film, they both stand well on their own. In an age of mediocre book adaptations “Howl 's Moving Castle” is a refreshingly competent film that is just as worthy of your time as the book, even though it is not as pure a translation as some may have