Laputa, Castle in the Sky by Hayao Miyazaki - Essay Example

? Laputa, Castle in the Sky Laputa, Castle in the Sky “Laputa- Castle in the Sky”, also referred to as "Tenkuu no Shiro Rapyuta", is an Anime film that was directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced in 1986. It talks of the escapade of Sheeta and Pazu as they try to find information about Laputa that is a Castle in the Sky (Miyazaki, 2003). In the story, Pazu rescues an unconscious girl (Sheeta) who falls down from the sky and has a glowing pendant tied on her neck. Pazu helps Sheeta escape from the pirates and the military that were after her life. Together they unravel the secret of Laputa that the pirates and military suspects to be connected to Sheeta. “Laputa- Castle in the Sky” was enthused by “Gulliver's Travels” by Jonathan Swift. The film is the first one that came from Japanese animation thrust Studio Ghibli. It was also the third major film produced by its master Hayao Miyazaki. Young Pazu lives in a charming mountain town. He is a worker in a coal mine that is located in the mountain. One day as he carried on with his daily activities, an unconscious girl fell from the sky and landed on his arms, to his amazement. Sheeta was being chased by several people who wanted her for interrogation thinking that she was connected to the secret of Laputa, castle in the sky. These people comprised of a group of military, pirates and some government officials. They followed her because of the blue crystal that was tied on her neck. This crystal made her almost weightless and allowed her to fly in to the sky without much effort (Books, Macias & Aoyama, 2003). Pazu carried her into his house. They did not take long before they became acquainted. However, their stay at Pazu’s house was short-lived because after a short time, the bad people who were in search of her showed up at Pazu's doorstep wanting to arrest Sheeta and take the crystal that was tied around her neck. Pazu could not allow them take Sheeta and the crystal. Therefore, he helps her escape with him. The people who wanted to capture Sheeta did not give up. They chased them across the mountains, through the mines and into the air. The escape helps the audience understand the flying castle of Laputa and the fact that Sheeta knows more information about it than she reveals. Laputa follows Pazu and Sheeta who fly in a floating castle in the sky. On the other hand, the family of pirates and the military personnel follow them using an aircraft that flies through a steam-powered engine (Beck, 2005). Hayao Miyazaki tells the story through the beauty of the animation. He uses a design that is phenomenal and constructs mechanical contraptions that fly. The landscapes where the chase occurs have been developed with a magical touch that gives the film beautiful environments where the action occurs. The scenes are painted using deep earthly colors that fill up the large spaces that follow the action. The action happens without stopping from the very beginning through the whole film to its final stages. Despite the fact that the film features a lot of action that constantly occupies the screen, Laputa, castle in the sky, features quieter moments that have strong characterization and diverse humor. This is achieved through the use of fully fleshed-out back stories and motives that are created from the adventurous ways of the characters. For instance, the family of pirates is handled in a way that depicts them as simple caricatures. Their domineering mother is given best dramatic scenes that bring out her character as a pantomime villain that, in turn, develops into a full-fledged protagonist (Cavallaro, 2006). As the story develops, the audience is led to a switch that occurs between opposites. It happens in a rather fulfilling manner. At one time, the audience is led to scenes where Pazu and Sheeta find themselves as partners in an unlikely situation characterized by a shady bunch. Pazu takes the duty of ensuring that the enemies do not get them by surprise by constantly paying attention to what happens in the crow’s nest. In turn, Sheeta comes and joins him and they cuddle and play together under a warm jacket. They do this as they share their hopes, wishes and fears that face their future. On the other hand, the pirates and the military personnel listen on their end using the intercom (Cavallaro, 2010). The audience is led through some exciting scenes. For instance, this happens when the shady government agents and military arrest Sheeta. She is shown the remnants of a wrecked robot that came down from the sky. This is the clue that the government used to suspect that Laputa is existent. In a slow development, the mystery increases and helps reveal the scope and themes of the story. When the audience is finally taken to Laputa, the director brings it as a place that looks very beautiful, but sad. This scene clearly brings out the theme about the dangers of over-reliance on technology. In another turn, the Jules Verne motivation becomes apparent (Miyazaki, 2008). The issues that are addressed in “Laputa, castle in the sky” include the fact that good characters are also preceded by bad characters and vice versa. The character named Dola brings out this issue in a clear way. Through the film, the producer shows the audience that appearances are not to be trusted because they are deceptive in most cases. At first, the audience is meant to believe that Dola is evil and ugly. However, the audience comes to understand her as a person with a soft heart. Dola’s character does not complement with Muska’s character throughout the film. Muska remains the same for the better part of the film. Love is also brought up in the film. This is especially brought up by Pazu and Sheeta who spend most of their time together except when they are separated by the pirates and the military. Despite its production in 1986, the animation in “Laputa- Castle in the Sky” has a quality that can bypass some of the films that have been produced in the recent years. Hayao Miyazaki created an exceptional piece of animation that opens up with titles that reflect the history of Earth, specifically when Laputa, flying machines and the industry was on show (Grant, 2006). Throughout the film, Pazu has been portrayed as a kind boy. This is evident from the start of the film when he meets Sheeta for the first time. Despite being young of age, Pazu works as an assistant in a mine in the mountainside of the village where he lives. He uses a brown cap and tinted blue flying goggles that help him look older in the storm. He is also a responsible young boy who cannot let the authorities arrest his friend when she most needs his help. He helps Sheeta escape the arrest and makes sure that she is not hurt in the process. He also takes responsibility of the escape making sure that the pirates and the military do not find them unawares by being on the lookout. The film is a reflection of the values of western culture that is depicted through the perspective of the Japanese people. The characters used by Hayao Miyazaki in “Laputa, castle in the sky” are brought from the west. The producer does this because he wanted the film sell both in Japan and in the western world. The movie also reflects the values of the west because of the success of the film industry in western countries. This is clearly seen in the opening titles and early stages of the movie when Pazu works as an assistant in the mine (Craig, 2000). Hayao Miyazaki has used appropriate music and high quality film techniques that made the film a masterpiece. The use of the fanfare played an essential role, as used by Pazu in the morning to wake up Sheeta serves the purpose as required. The music also serves effectively in the actions that happen in the film. The music was combined with the visuals to create an atmosphere that excited the crowd. It also serves of conveying the feelings and emotions that follow particular actions and scenes (Lenburg, 2006). The combination of close ups and long shots has helped the audience understand the characters. Some examples of this include where Sheeta at the beginning of the play is guarded by government officials. This tells the audience that Sheeta is vulnerable. An example of the long shot comes up when the army captured Laputa while Pazu and Sheeta used the window to see what was happening. The reader gets to know about the destruction that happens and the greed shown by the government officials (McCarthy, 1999). In conclusion, “Laputa, Castle in the Sky” is an anime film that captures several themes in it. Hayao Miyazaki captured the attention of the audience by making sure that the action in the films goes on non-stop. He also incorporates music, visual elements and other components that make the film interesting and captivating to watch. He ensures that the action keep the audience glued to the screen. References Beck, J. (2005). The Animated Movie Guide. Chicago: Chicago Review Press. Books, C., Macias, P., & Aoyama, T. (2003). Anime Poster Art: Japan's Movie House Masterpieces. United Kingdom: DH Publishing Inc. Cavallaro, D. ( 2010). Magic as metaphor in anime: a critical study. New York: McFarland. Cavallaro, D. ( 2006). The anime art of Hayao Miyazaki. Colorado: McFarland. Craig, T. J. (2000). Japan pop!: inside the world of Japanese popular culture. Connecticut: M.E. Sharpe. Grant, J. (2006). Sci-fi movies: facts, figures & fun. New York: AAPPL. Lenburg, J. (2006). Who's who in animated cartoons: an international guide to film & television's award-winning and legendary animators. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard Corporation. McCarthy, H. (1999). Hayao Miyazaki: master of Japanese animation : films, themes, artistry. Massachussets: Stone Bridge Press, Inc. Miyazaki, H. (2008). Castle in the Sky 2. Centennial, CO: Paw Prints. Miyazaki, H. (2003). Castle in the sky, Volume 3. New York: Viz Communications. Read More