I think we can all agree that there’s nothing quite like watching a Studio Ghibli movie for the first time – especially one that was written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Miyazaki’s works have a magic about them that is almost indescribable, and each film is a vibrant, melancholic dream packed with complex characters, gut-wrenching storylines, and themes that often reflect political issues and topics such as environmentalism (Princess Mononoke), fascism (Porco Rosso), and Western consumerism (Spirited Away).
Howl’s Moving Castle, the tenth movie in Miyazaki's filmography and the fourteenth on Studio Ghibli’s roster, first hit Japanese theaters in 2004. The film tells the story of an eighteen-year-old girl named Sophie (Emily Mortimer, Jean Simmons) who, shortly after meeting a wizard named Howl (Christian Bale), is turned into an old woman by the ever-jealous Witch of the Waste (Lauren Bacall). Sophie’s only hope is to board Howl’s castle in the sky, as he is the only one who can reverse the curse.
