THE CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO (1979), dir. Hayao Miyazaki

“The Castle of Cagliostro” proves you don’t need flesh-and-blood actors or real locales to stage an exceptional action adventure. Cartoons can do the job just nicely, so long as the writing is smart and the animators are talented.

The movie stars Lupin the Third, a thief descended from Arsene Lupin, the main character of French author Maurice Leblanc. Although he’s a master criminal, he possesses gentlemanly qualities and gadgets a la James Bond, and he’s also remarkably agile, as evidenced by the opening sequence in which he and his sidekick steal a fortune from a casino safe.

But as Lupin quickly recognizes, the bills are counterfeit, which leads them to take a trip to Cagliostro, where the secret of all the forged money is reputed to be. There, they encounter a young woman named Clarisse, who is trying to escape an arranged marriage to a nefarious count. During the rescue, Lupin recognizes the crest on the ring she is wearing, and it’s possible they share a deeper connection.

What follows are breakneck chases, daring escapes, puzzles, even a touch of comedy as an Interpol agent tracks the thief to the count’s castle. It’s interesting to watch “The Castle of Cagliostro” nearly 20 years after it was first released, given that it’s in the action adventure genre, which has been dominated since the 80’s by the twin pillars of James Bond and Indiana Jones.

Of course, Miyazaki’s film came out a few years before “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” and Lupin is refreshingly free of Dr. Henry Jones’s influence. He’s less of a brawler, more of a lady’s man, and even though the action in “Raiders” is occasionally like a cartoon, Indiana Jones is always flesh and blood. Not so with Lupin, who can scale walls like Spider-man, and at one point drives a car along the side of a mountain.

Ian Fleming’s Bond, however, has been around since the 50’s, and some of his movies’ influence can be found in “Castle;” chiefly, the villain’s hideout equipped with hi-tech traps. Meanwhile, like any serialized adventure, there is a pre-established cast of supporting characters, including a rival female spy, a sidekick who’s good with a sword, and that aforementioned Interpol agent, who is no dummy but unfortunately finds himself always one step behind his prey.

The art is top-notch for pre-CGI days, but it’s Miyazaki who elevates the entire enterprise to masterpiece levels. Known internationally for epics like “Princess Mononoke” and “Nausicaa,” he co-wrote the screenplay with Harauya Yamazaki, and it’s a very clever one, especially in the various subterfuges Lupin uses.

True, “Castle” may be less serious than Miyazaki’s later efforts, but unlike a lot of modern animated films which seem to be marketed towards young children, this one is free of dumb jokes and all the characters act like they have a brain in their heads. It’s as if Miyazaki set out to entertain grown-ups as well as the young, and as such, Lupin’s motivations are unexpectedly complex and the ending is surprisingly touching.

Overall rating: **** (out of ****)

NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND (1984), dir. Hayao Miyazaki

A Princess Stuck in the Valley of the Suck

Quite possibly the best animated film made during the 1980’s, “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind” crosses science fiction with war scenes of palpable emotional impact. The end result is more ambitious than expected, as the movie reflects on the hypocrisy of war, and mankind’s capacity of terrible acts during times of conflict. Even without too much graphic human suffering, “Nausicaa…” leaves a mark the way “Apocalypse Now” and “The Deer Hunter” left theirs. Yes, the movie also contains flying airships, strange creatures, and psychic powers, but writer/director Hayao Miyazaki merely uses them as context for the issue that’s really preoccupying him.

The movie takes place one thousand years after a fiery cataclysm decimates humanity. All remnants of the human race have dispersed, and a “Toxic Jungle” serves a natural barrier between nations. This enchanted forest contains giant insects, trees that would dwarf the redwoods, and plants that release strange white spores. Inhaling the spores over long periods of time can prove fatal, as the people of the Valley of the Wind, who used to live closer to the “Toxic Jungle,” know all too well.

In hopes of finding a cure for the lethal powders produced by the flora, Princess Nausicaa, pride and joy of her people, makes regular journeys to the “Toxic Jungle.” A top gun behind the controls of her jet ski/hang glider hybrid, the princess is even more likable for how much she clearly cares about her subjects. When she stumbles across the abandoned shell of an Ohm, an elephantine mollusk whose shell features translucent skylights for “eyes,” Nausicaa’s first thoughts have to do with the potential benefits for the valley. Unfortunately, casual activities such as this, and saving her friend from a ticked-off insect that chases him halfway across an adjacent desert, eventually give way to a more serious story. Very soon, war arrives at the doorstep of her home.

The kingdom of Tolmekia does not formally declare war on the Valley of the Wind. However, some very important cargo crashes down nearby, and their army rushes in to secure it. The siege leaves Nausicaa’s father, the king, murdered, and her people inducted into the Tolmekians’ master plan. Unfortunately, Tolmekia’s main enemy, another relatively advanced kingdom called Pejite, cannot separate unwitting foes from genuine ones, so they plan to wipe out the entire valley using a very clever strategem.

Miyazaki, who has addressed the topic of war in other features (most recently, “Howl’s Moving Castle”), paints the conflict in “Nausicaa…” as a potentially endless cycle of atrocities. Ironically, those who inflict there terrible deeds, the director argues, sincerely believe that humanity will benefit from their actions. For example, the Tolmekians plan to use the cargo, which they stole from Pejite, to destroy the “Toxic Jungle” once and for all. The way Princess Kushana, the officer in charge of the Tolmekian army, sees it, the forest must be destroyed, or mankind will spend the rest of eternity living at the mercy of the insects.

On the flipside, Pejite is ready to unleash a glowing, red-eyed Hell upon the Valley of the Wind. Their main purpose, however, isn’t preventing their rival’s machinations, but getting the cargo back, so they can level the “Toxic Jungle” themselves. Like the Tolmekians, Pejite also wants to return mankind to its former, loftier position. However, they are deathly afraid of Tolmekia being the sole possessor of a power as destructive as that cargo. To Nausicaa, who spends time as a prisoner of both kingdoms, the mutual willingness to kill innocents to achieve a goal makes Tolmekia and Pejite equals in her eyes. But Asbel, a vengeful young pilot/prince from Pejite, takes umbrage. “All the Tolmekians want is to take over the world,” he says. “We are nothing like them.” His words only serve to underscore his naivete. After all, since when does any participant in a war not view themselves in a superior moral light compared to the enemy?

Luckily, Miyazaki constantly reminds the audience what “fighting a just war” really implies. As the conflict between the two nations draws in creatures from the “Toxic Jungle,” it’s the weak who suffer most, while those in power get to indulge their most sadistic impulses. Whether it’s images of women and children huddled together, hungry and scared, while the menfolk prepare war plans; the old adage “burning a village in order to save it” brought to startling reality for heroes returning home; a battlefield littered with the corpses of soldier dragonflies (an allegorical shot that’s just as potent as what Miyazaki intended them to represent); or, most appallingly, a display of near-unbearable cruelty visited upon an innocent life for the expressed purpose of stirring up its comrades, trust that in “Nausicaa…,” war contains enough pain for everyone, regardless of gender, age, or species.

Indeed, like most modern war movies, “Nausicaa…” is a veritable minefield of moral transgressions. Even the titular heroine commits one. It’s out of character, of course; through most of the movie, she shows nothing less than absolute respect towards all living things. This one action becomes a blemish, something she spends the rest of the movie trying desperately to redeem. Interestingly, Miyazaki won’t excuse her simply because it is wartime. Human beings are not animals, he seems to be arguing. Our ability to rationalize, to accept the complexities of a given situation, sets us apart from the beasts, who are slaves to their baser instincts.

These baser instincts, such as the need for revenge, cause Nausicaa’s people to take up arms against the Tolmekian invaders. It seems that their doomed airship carried spores from the “Toxic Jungle,” spelling the end for a beloved orchard. Can Nausicaa save her people’s souls, lest they become beasts, or worse, standard-issue characters from a war flick? Miyazaki’s other films during the same decade (“Castle in the Sky,” “Kiki's Delivery Service”) tended towards happy resolutions, so don’t expect the writer/director to deviate this time, either, even if that makes “Nausicaa…” less tragic, and radically different, from quite possibly every war epic that came before.

Overall rating: **** (out of ****)

KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE (1989), dir. Hayao Miyazaki

A Most Be-Witch-ing Good Time (Return to Main Page)

This older film by Japanese animator Miyazaki tells the story of Kiki, a cute 14-year old girl about to begin her training in witchcraft. In Kiki’s family, witching appears to be a family tradition; her mother mixes explosive potions downstairs from her room, and when the time comes to depart, even passes down her flying broomstick. Those enchanted brooms only have a limited amount of trunk space, however. Enough for a small radio and a talking black cat. As far as clothing, Kiki has to bring what fits on her back, which happens to be the standard uniform of young witches: an oversized, dark-purple dress.

The night Kiki leaves, she encounters a driving rainstorm. She takes shelter in the open car of a train, which drives off while she sleeps. The next morning, she awakens to find herself in a sprawling town beside the ocean. After making sure no other witches live there (Apparently, each town/city has a maximum witch-in-training quota of one), Kiki decides to settle in the bustling port. Unfortunately, the busy pace constantly interferes with her studies. Who has time to master the intricacies of witchcraft, when living costs are so high? In exchange for a room, Kiki takes a job at a bakery (the proprietors are a kindly couple, one expecting mother and her mostly non-verbal partner). She also starts the titular business, which quickly begins to thrive, thanks to her ability to take parcels anywhere by air.

Despite this rare ability, Kiki’s main draw is her everyday girl appeal. She’s plucky and sweet, and the way she won’t hesitate to perform good deeds for strangers earns her fast friends. At the same time, I hoped no one would take advantage of her naivete. After all, this is her first visit to the big city. Luckily, in this film—as is the case for Miyazaki films I’ve seen so far—just about every character is good at heart. The nerdy boy who shouts excitedly at Kiki when she first touches down, rubbing her the wrong way, turns out to be nice. He makes wicked innovations to a bicycle. And the nature-loving artist who initially seems aloof becomes a valuable friend. She teaches Kiki an important lesson about how to work through stress.

Even the pals of the glasses-wearing boy, Tombo, don’t seem so bad in the end. When they first meet Kiki, they seem unimpressed by her plain style of dress. She’s the new girl meeting the cool kids. Trust that by the end credits, however, they accept the young witch for who she is (in-line with the film’s central theme: the importance of being true to oneself).

Exactly how does Kiki manage to gain acceptance in the town, without having to give up those traits that make her special? Let’s just say there is a plot occurrence, involving a zeppelin that breaks loose on a windy day. This particular set piece would look spectacular in a live-action movie, but it seems almost quaint in this one, where the main character spends much of her time soaring above the ground like Superman. But at this point in the film, Kiki has become increasingly distracted with her new life, and as a result, her powers have begun to fade. Will Kiki rediscover her focus, and regain use of her abilities, in time to fly to a friend’s aid?

It’s a safe bet. After all, this is a cartoon for general audiences. And while a lot of Japanese anime is serious and disturbing on the level of a Coppola film, “Kiki’s Delivery Service” happens to be charming good fun. Hayao Miyazaki, who directed it, has made several great animation masterpieces, including “Castle in the Sky” (1986) and “Princess Mononoke” (1997). He has been called the Walt Disney of Japan, and certainly deserves comparison. His films feature fluid, detailed animation, and imaginative designs of characters and backdrops.

Meanwhile, even if a talking cat like Jiji doesn’t hurt Miyazaki’s chances of scoring with the young children’s market, “Kiki’s Delivery Service” also appeals to older audiences. Even those who might not plunk down $9.50 for Disney’s “Chicken Little” come November. Why the wider demographic appeal? My guess would be the more sophisticated storytelling. By this, I am not referring to the quality of animation, which might have been superior at Disney (There’s amazing visuals in “The Rescuers Down Under,” which came out roughly the same time). What I mean is, there’s more substance in a film like “Kiki…” (And less of those annoying musical numbers, too).

Sure, the main character is a witch, and her witchly powers do play a pivotal role. However, the plot of “Kiki’s Delivery Service” is not some operatic rehash of good versus evil, right versus wrong, absolute power corrupting absolutely, etc. Stripped down to its bare bones, the film is really about a young person’s first fateful steps into the wide world. It’s about entering the world, and learning how to navigate it—not just in terms of paying rent and buying food, but the holding onto of ideals, especially those pertaining to the self, what we think we should be. All this, as a maelstrom of change occurs all around.

Anyone who has ever left home for college, or moved to an unfamiliar new city, can relate to Kiki. Witchly powers aside, she lives a scenario where her struggles and responses feel like those of a real person. Which brings me to another trait I have always admired about Miyazaki: In the vast majority of his films which I have seen, his characters always have unusual depth for cartoon folk. Yes, I know those are two-dimensional drawings cavorting up there on the big screen. But as I watch them, I feel there’s a backstory I can detect, something which comes across in every word or action.

Perhaps the best compliment I can give the master animator is that his characters all seem to live real lives. Even in the case of a witch, it’s really neither blessing nor curse to be born that way. It’s just another kind of living.

Overall rating: **** (out of ****)