Classic Throwback Review: Castle in the Sky (Hayao Miyazaki, 1986)

Castle in the Sky is the first film created and released by Japanese animation and film studio, Studio Ghibli. Written and directed by the great Hayao Miyazaki in 1986, it is the first of several Ghibli animations to win the Animage Anime Grand Prix. Full of magnificent visuals, thrilling action set pieces, and unforgettable characters, Castle in the Sky was a wonderful way to start my April Ghibli marathon.

In the film’s opening sequence, and like most of the Miyazaki films I have seen so far, viewers are plunged straight into the action with the world-building emerging throughout the film. Sky pirates attack an airship carrying a young ophaned girl named Sheeta. Grabbing a pendant she took from her guard, Colonel Muska, Sheeta escapes onto the side of the airship and falls. The mysterious pendant, presumably what the pirates were after, and the Secret Service was trying to defend, comes to life and starts glowing, causing her to float to earth. There, a young boy named Pazu, who works in the mines of his small village, spots and catches her in free-fall, and then cares for her in his home.

Pazu tells her stories about his deceased father; a pilot who had once taken a photograph of what he believes is Laputa, the last remaining floating city. In an era destroyed by catastrophe, human civilizations had once built flying cities. Pazu has always dreamed of one day honouring his father and finding Laputa. When the Pirates and Muska’s relentless agents turn up looking for Sheeta, convinced that the pendant holds the key to finding Laputa and its legendary hordes of treasure, the pair go on the run, finding valuable allies in the local townsfolk, and elderly miner, giant Laputian robots (what a feat they are) and ultimately the Pirates themselves.

Pazu and Sheeta discover that her pendant is forged of a levitation crystal believed to power the core of the city. Together they form an inseparable bond, and their gripping adventure, with Pazu vowing to protect Sheeta no matter the costs, is magical in every sense. Though excited about the prospect of his dream becoming a reality, as facts about the Sheeta’s heritage comes to light, saving the city from looting and complete destruction becomes important than its riches.

What is immediately obvious in Castle in the Sky is that the hand-drawn animation, for 1986, is fantastic. The attention to detail is simply astounding – and even more impressive considering that the film stretches for over two hours. That is a lot of art. The world is so well constructed, from the streets and railways of the town, to the stormy skies with clouds that are animated like water, to the magnificent construction of Laputa.

What I really admire about Miyazaki’s films is that the way things function is so effectively conveyed. He is a man who appreciates the relationship between the Earth and the sky – and watching these children fly through the perils of the atmosphere on these incredible contraptions, makes for a thrilling adventure and awe and excitement never leaves the viewer.

I love the way that machinery is animated, for example. We watch the cogs start to turn, we see the coal shoveled, and then we see the smoke billowing from the furnace. Though this is a magical realm, things are still mechanized like in the real world, and Miyazaki makes a point of explaining how and why they work as they do, and I think that is fantastic.

Castle in the Sky is perfect for the entire family, and while the complexities of the story and lengthy running time might be a bit too much for some kids, the breathtaking animation, the beautiful friendship that develops between these two children, and the scale of the adventure, will still please just about everybody. Pazu and Sheeta are just like two regular children – they are innocent and naïve, they get over-excited, they feel scared and desperate – and these are relatable qualities. But, they also process their knowledge with great maturity, are level headed when required, they understand what they are up against, and possess the strong will to do what is right – and that makes them role models, albeit fictional and fantastic, but admirable all the same.

Their friendship, sweet and amusing, is powerful enough to win over audiences of any age, and we enjoy taking this magical journey with them. They are surrounded by some pretty great characters, also – Dola, the sprightly and intimidating leader of the pirates is an old woman, and provides plenty of laughs, while the long-armed Laputian Robots are given extraordinarily humanistic qualities.

It is almost a film too overwhelming with beauty to objectively discuss. Though Miyazaki’s stories are complex, their premise is relatively simple – and few filmmakers I have experienced so effectively provoke ones imagination. All I know was that I was continuously in awe of what I was watching. Castle in the Sky is timeless, and watching it 26 years after it was created, it still holds up extremely well. If you haven’t seen it, I strongly recommend making it a priority.

Next: Grave of the Fireflies