Laputa: Castle in the Sky (1986) was
the first film produced by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata’s nascent
Tokyo-based animation house Studio Ghibli, and followed hot on the heels
of Miyazaki’s universally-acclaimed Nauticaä of the Valley of the
Winds. No less rapturously received than its predecessor, Castle
in the Sky holds up brilliantly a quarter of a century after its
initial release and remains one of the classics of 20th
century anime.
Centuries ago, mankind’s fascination with
flight led to the building of giant floating fortresses which dotted the
sky. Eventually the flying cities were destroyed by an unspecified
calamity, until only one remained; the famed citadel of Laputa. Hidden
deep in the clouds and protected by violent thunderstorms, Laputa has
descended into the realm of myth and make-believe.
Castle in the Sky opens by
introducing us to Sheeta, a young girl held captive aboard a giant
airship commanded by general Muska. When the ship is attacked by
pirates Sheeta reclaims a magical pendant from one of the guards and
makes a miraculous escape back to earth. She quickly befriends Pazu, a
young peasant boy whose father claimed to have seen Laputa, and together
the pair make their escape across the country, attempting to evade not
only treasure-hungry pirates but the forces of an entire army who
believe Sheeta’s pendant holds the key to finding Laputa and harnessing
its awesome powers of destruction.
This is just the tip of the iceberg.
Conceived, scripted, designed and directed by Miyazaki, Castle in the
Sky is a film of rare and daunting imagination. Many of Miyazaki’s
dominant theses and motifs are in play; love of fantasy and myth, the
use of ordinary children as heroes, an obsession with the industrial
age, the senselessness of unbridled militarism, the twin glories of
nature and peace and the moral ambiguities inherent in the human
character. Rarely has a work with so many weighty themes been executed
with such aplomb; Castle in the Sky is a remarkable achievement
in every sense, and a triumph of creativity that is absolutely not to be
missed.
Video
As it to be expected the film looks truly
stunning in HD. The artefacts that featured so prevalently on certain
previous DVD editions are nowhere to be found and the anamorphically
enhanced 1.78:1 widescreen transfer is pristine. The colourification is
eminently striking too, like a painting come to life; Castle in the
Sky is a masterpiece of the animated genre, and now it finally has a
local release worthy of its manifold visual charms.
Audio
The English voice cast which includes James
Van Der Beek (Dawson’s Creek), Anna Paquin (True Blood),
Cloris Leachman and Mark Hamill (Star Wars) drew plenty of praise
for their performances, but the Japanese voicework is simply second to
none, with impeccable performances from renowned voice artists Keiko
Yokozawa and Mayumi Tanaka as the two young leads. Madman’s new Blu-ray
edition features both Joe Hisaishi’s original 39-minute synthesiser
score and the additional classical excerpts he composed at Disney’s
request prior to the films North American release. While the two styles
occasionally sit uneasily side by side the soundscape overall is amongst
the best we’ve ever heard, possibly the best; the LPSM 2.0
Japanese master audio is impossibly immersive, featuring almost as much
directionality as the English 5.1 surround mix and even crisper sound
design. If you haven’t yet upgraded to Blu the release of Miyazaki’s
work on the format is the perfect excuse – this is quite simply as good
as a film can look and sound.
Extras
Behind the Studio – three short
contemporary interviews with Miyazaki about his influences and the
creative process of Castle in the Sky, and an
interview with producer Toshio Suzuki on his initial
impression and working collaboration with the famed director
Behind the Microphone - footage of
the English language recording sessions (4 mins)
Storyboards
Promotional Videos
Textless Opening and Closing Credits
Original Japanese trailers
Studio Ghibli trailers
