Hauru no ugoku shiro (2004)

Director:

Hayao Miyazaki

Writers:

Hayao Miyazaki (screenplay)
Diana Wynne Jones (novel) ...

Release Date:

20 November 2004 (Japan)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Fantasy | Romance | Sci-Fi

Plot:

When an unconfident young woman is cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch, her only chance of breaking the spell lies with a self-indulgent yet insecure young wizard and his companions in his legged, walking home.

Plot Keywords:

Premature Aging | Palace | Breakfast | Magic | Young Woman

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 8 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Chieko Baisho	...	Sofî (voice: Japanese version)
Takuya Kimura	...	Hauru (voice: Japanese version)
Akihiro Miwa	...	Arechi no Majo (voice: Japanese version)
Tatsuya Gashuin	...	Karushifâ (voice: Japanese version)
Ryunosuke Kamiki	...	Marukuru (voice: Japanese version)
Mitsunori Isaki	...	Koshô (voice: Japanese version)
Yo Oizumi	...	Kakashi no Kabu (voice: Japanese version)
Akio Ôtsuka	...	Kokuô (voice: Japanese version)
Daijiro Harada	...	Hin (voice: Japanese version)
Haruko Kato	...	Sariman (voice: Japanese version)
Jean Simmons	...	Grandma Sophie (voice: English version)
Christian Bale	...	Howl (voice: English version)
Lauren Bacall	...	Witch of the Waste (voice: English version)
Blythe Danner	...	Madame Suliman (voice: English version)
Emily Mortimer	...	Young Sophie (voice: English version)

Also Known As:

Howl's Moving Castle (International: English title) (USA)
Château ambulant, Le (Belgium: French title) (France) [fr]
Increíble castillo vagabundo, El (Argentina) (Mexico) (dubbed version) [es]
Castello errante di Howl, Il (Italy) [it]
Castelo Andante, O (Portugal) [pt]
Castelo Animado, O (Brazil) [pt]
Castillo Ambulante, El (Spain) (working title) [es]
Howlui umjikineun seong (South Korea) [ko]
Kinoumeno kastro, To (Greece) [el]
Levande slottet, Det (Sweden) [sv]
Levende slottet, Det (Norway) [no]
Liikkuva linna (Finland) [fi]
Ruchomy zamek Hauru (Poland) [pl]
Wandelnde Schloss, Das (Germany) [de]
Yürüyen sato (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]

MPAA:

Rated PG for frightening images and brief mild language.

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS-ES (English-language version) | Dolby Digital EX | Dolby Digital EX (English-language version) | SDDS (English-language version) | DTS-ES

Certification:

Malaysia:U | Portugal:M/6 | Canada:G (British Columbia/Quebec) | Netherlands:MG6 (DVD rating) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Zurich) | Mexico:A | Australia:PG | Sweden:7 | Finland:K-7 | Peru:PT | Argentina:Atp | South Korea:All | Canada:PG (Alberta/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | France:U | Singapore:G | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:U | USA:PG | Ireland:G | Brazil:Livre | Germany:6 (bw)

Company:

DENTSU Music And Entertainment

Trivia:

Mamoru Hosoda was selected to direct the film but he abruptly left the project. Hayao Miyazaki then took up the director's role.

Quotes:

Old Sophie: Are you the one moving this castle?
Calcifer: Of course I am! No one else does any work around here.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Anime: Drawing the Revolution (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Sekai no Yakusoku

A poetic anti-war cartoon.

In a time of war and falsity here it is a dancing poetry from Japan against all the cruelty and pain. The moving castle leads us to a magic place where life has a strong value and elderly people have an important role to play. Also in an apparent hostility or in a scarecrow, Hayao Miyazaki gives us the chance of finding a friend and not letting the dream go down. The perfect technique and the emotional stream are in complete harmony. If the jury of the Venice Film Festival had been more far-seeing, it would have given a more prestigious prize to this masterpiece.