I also like Calcifer and Sophie best from “Howl’s Moving Castle”. Thanks for posting great scenes from the movie.

I have read several comments on the web that this movies is not for children and I would beg to differ. When I saw it I knew my children would love it. The little girls loved the story line of the pretty girl falling in love and escaping the spell of the witch. My older son loved the flying machines and the battles. There are wizards and spells and beautiful animation and a small child who masquerades as a “gnomy” wizard. And a giant walking castle–what child wouldn’t eat that up?

Even more than the characters and visuals, I was struck by a theme of the movie that I have seen very little comment on–Sophie’s attitude when she has the “curse” placed upon her and her youth is taken away. She remains compassionate despite her own fear and confusion. She is endlessly kind to an odd lot of characters who become very loyal to her–as friends, well family really. Her compassion to clean up the slobby household. Calcifer is overjoyed when Sophie leaves firewood so he can feed himself. She recognizes her own tormentor, the Witch of the Waste (her own tormentor) as a victim and pities her, protecting and spoon-feeding her.

Except for a brief moment when Howl yells at her, Sophie does not dwell in self-pity. Ever practical, she picks herself up and plugs along. As a young girl she was especially practical, but even more so as an old woman.

As Christian, these themes of compassion, kindness and forgiveness speak to me, and you’ll notice that when Sophie is about to replace Howl’s heart, she bows down and pleads for help for Howl and Calcifer, which from my world view appears to be a prayer.

My final comment is the first thing I remember thinking as I was watching the movie: that I am watching a movie about an old woman (Jean Simmons voice–is she really still alive?). This old woman is plucky, practical and charming. Very unusual in Western (American) film to find such a main character. And Sophie’s beauty is not from her skin (or hair as Howl thinks of himself) but instead everyone falls in love with her because of her inner beauty–How she conducts herself in times of trial and her acts of compassion to those in need.

Thanks for giving us a chance to discuss this film here. (My husband hasn’t watched it yet and he has no idea what I am talking about!)

About Howl’s tantrum over his hair, I think that it has to do with showing he’s selfish and doesn’t really care what others think about the way he acts. Also that he’s vain.

I’m pretty sure that Madam Suliman wanted Howl to help in fighting the war.

I think that Sophie’s random age changes have a metod to their madness. When she feels love, sees beauty, or feels beautiful, she’s young. E.x.: When she looks over the balcony on Howl’s castle, she’s seeing beauty, therefore she’s young. It also explains how she stays young at the end of the movie. She’s in love and loved. And when she feels that she is ugly, unloved, and suited for the life of being old, she is old. Like the time in the feild with Howl, when she turns old again, it’s because she doesn’t think she’s beautiful.

I like Calcifer. I mean, he heats the bath water, moves the castle (flying or walking), he protects the castle from enimies, bombs, and magic, and he’s a trash disposer. How musch more awesome can you get? Though Sophie and Howl are pretty awesome too, and I love how the couple came together in the end.

I added my favorite short soundtrack mp3 recently, if anyone want a glimpse of it. I kinda like their real natural sound recorded from a quality instrument rather than a synthesized sound. The movie is a masterpiece; a somewhat confusing but cool masterpiece.

I like your cavern picture…very serene place. I have a picture from a calendar, Switzerland maybe, that is almost a spitting image of the cavern by the lake–surrounded by ice-capped mountain peaks on all sides.

Also, Miyazaki son is following in his father’s foot step and has made “Tales from Earthsea,’ which unfortunately will not be released in the US until 2009 due to copy right issue. However, Miyazaki himself is releasing one soon…similar to the “Little Mermaid” perhaps. Looking forward to it.

I think if Howl had showed up and refused to become a war wizard for Madame Suliman, then she’d strip him of his power just as she did to the Witch of the Waste. Since she was his mentor, she is obviously more powerful than he is, and that might be as to why he was afraid of her. At the very end, when Madame Suliman saw that her son was safe and Sophia broke the curse put on Prince Justin, then she called off the war. There might be more to the story but this seems like a logical explanation to me. I don’t think that Madame Suliman is an evil person; unlike the Witch of the Waste that casted spells on people but didn’t know how to take them off.