LAPUTA, CASTLE IN THE SKY
A film review by Jeff Meyer
Copyright 1989 Jeff Meyer
I make no claim to being anything other than a novice anime (Japanese animation) enthusiast, so I can't tell you how LAPUTA, CASTLE IN THE SKY stands up to other anime out there. I think it safe to say that it would probably be labeled a "children's story" by a casual assessor -- not that any self-respecting adult can't swallow some hard-earned sophistication and enjoy the Bejeezus out of it. The story, of a young boy and a mysterious girl who floats, unconscious, out of the sky, is a fable cushioned in the very best visual imagery and invention. Any show with this much imagination breaks the boundaries set by "adult" and "children" conventions, and deserves a look.
The story is another variation on the boy/girl/quest story, with a bit of environmental morality thrown in at the end; some might find the story a bit simple and untutored -- I think it only enforces the air of innocence around the protagonists, but there you go, you've been warned. What really makes LAPUTA worth watching is the imagery: fantastic sky-vehicles, anarchistic and futuristic at the same time; Victorian villains and silly comic relief pirates (with a nod of the head towards another anime production, NAUSICAA); and a sense of freedom that animation allows the gifted director to use. Hayao Miyazaki is considered at the very pinnacle of anime directors, and this film gives dozens of examples why -- Stephen Spielburg could learn some things about creative point-of-view from Miyazaki. (Rumor has it that he did.) I came away with so many delightful images from this film ... a girl floating down among the clouds, enveloped in a bubble of light; a impersonal-then-personal robot, like something from a Moebius sketch, rampaging through a fortress; the idea of travel, exploration and battle among the clouds. There's work here that's every bit as good as the best of Max Fleisher in the mid-to-late 30s; while this level of quality isn't constantly evident, the work is never shoddy. And the effect is magnified by seeing it on a large screen (an experience animation fans are rarely allowed to experience).
The film isn't sub-titled; I cannot tell you how good the translation is, though I have heard that the dialogue is toned a bit towards a younger audience, though the effect can't be too severe from what I saw. Good animation, in my experience, feeds the imagination, suspends belief, and takes you back to a cleaner, younger self. By that definition, LAPUTA is very, very good.
Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer
INTERNET: moriarty@tc.fluke.COM
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