A gem!

Rating: 9/10 (2 August 2011)

"Howl's Moving Castle" is, in many ways, a modern take on "Cinderella". The story revolves around Sophie Hatter, who is continuing in her father's footsteps and keeps a modest hat shop, while her stepmother Fanny lives happily on the income. Sophie's younger sister Lettie, who is widely admired for her beauty and sweet manners, has settled comfortably in a life outside the hat shop and is greatly worried about Sophie's fate. But soon, a witch appears on the scene to transform Sophie, forcing the girl to take matters into her own hands.
Like in Cinderella, Sophie visits the castle in disguise and meets its owner; unlike in the fairy tale, however, she does not enter the castle as a beautiful princess. The inhabitants of the castle are confronted with a woman in her nineties, because that is what Sophie's character has been in spite of her young looks. She dances, not with the prince, but with the broom to furiously clean the dingy rooms of the moving castle.
Appearances may often deceive, and this film elaborates on that theme with great care. Disguises abound in the story. The fireplace holds more than one secret; the terrifying scarecrow Sophie meets on her way to the castle is waiting for a kiss to reveal its true self. The Witch of the Waste uses spells to appear as the grande dame we (and Sophie) meet her as. Most importantly, the master of the castle himself, wizard Howl, is capable of stealing the hearts of all the young ladies with his dazzling smile, but on the inside, he is quite the opposite of beautiful. Sophie sees through his good looks and recognises him as cowardly and selfish. At the same time, he sees through her curse and recognises the young woman in her. In fact, their encounter is of the "Beauty and Beast" type, challenging them to see each other and themselves for what they truly are to find happiness.
Sophie's curse, we soon learn, cannot be broken even by the Witch who cast it. As the story progresses, however, Sophie gains insight into herself. At the same time, her visible aspect alternates between ages; this technique of depiction may confuse greatly, as no direct explanation is given. But there is one straightforward scene: Sophie regains her young looks at one point, only to falter and revert to her 90-year-old-self, explaining to a shocked Howl that age is comfortable.
When Sophie does find the courage to grow up, she is rewarded with true happiness. This, albeit powerful in itself, is not the only message the film wants to deliver. The country which the moving castle is roaming is at war; wizard Howl, summoned by his king to aid the forces, initially tries to run by assuming various identities. He later reveals his abhorrence of war and soldiers in strong words, although he does eventually join the battles. This aspect could have been fleshed out more; unfortunately, we do not learn why this war was started in the first place, nor do we ever see the enemy. The resolution is that Mme. Suliman and Prince Justin (whose identity may be lost on the audience) simply decide to "end this silly war". With so many serious, deep conversations (and battles!) going on earlier, there could have been a stronger impact dealt on the audience, maybe by implementing another scene at the king's palace and thereby also reducing the length of the "kissing fest" before the final scene.
The clincher, however, is very well done; Sophie is shown with her new family and the castle has gained a new feature. As it soars above the clouds, we cannot help but feel elated with Sophie. All in all, this animation film comes in the disguise of a light fairy tale but has much to offer below its pretty surface to think about. It may be telling that I was compelled to watch it again on the very next day, because it had so much to say within such a short time. If you care enough, do look into the excellent novel the film is based on. The film itself can be very thought-provoking and rewarding, so please do not be deterred by confusion. Enjoy!