Castle in the Sky

Following the commercial success of Miyazaki's previous film, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984), he was eager to begin work on an old-fashioned adventure film that would be a "pleasure" to watch.[5] Miyazaki's first proposal for an animated feature film was based on a research trip to Yanagawa, tentatively titled "Blue Mountains".[6] The film was never produced, but it inspired Miyazaki's longtime collaborator Isao Takahata to create The Story of Yanagawa's Canals (1987), a documentary on the environmental effects of industry on the local waterways.[7] As Miyazaki was financing the project in large part through his personal office,[8] Animage editor Toshio Suzuki recommended that he direct another film to recover the expense, to which Miyazaki immediately agreed. He quickly developed a concept for the film based on an idea he had in elementary school. In 2014, Suzuki reflected on the events, saying "If Takahata had made his movie on schedule, Laputa wouldn't have been born."[9]

On June 15, 1985, Miyazaki and Takahata founded Studio Ghibli, with support from Suzuki and his publishing company Tokuma Shoten. Miyazaki chose the name himself,[10] referencing both the Arabic term for a warm wind from the Sahara, as well as the Caproni Ca.309, an aircraft used by the Italian military during the Second World War.[11] Animation writer Dani Cavallaro notes that this choice is indicative of Miyazaki's love of both airplanes and Italy.[12] The intent behind the creation of the studio was to "blow a whirlwind" into a stagnating Japanese animation industry by creating original, high-quality feature films.[13] In a speech at the 1995 Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Suzuki said "The idea was to dedicate full energy into each piece of work with sufficient budget and time, never compromising on the quality or content."[14]

Caerphilly Castle (top) and Big Pit Mine (bottom) in southern Wales. Miyazaki drew inspiration from the region for the film.[15]

Miyazaki first visited Wales on a research trip in 1985, when Laputa was in early stages of production. He decided to take inspiration from the architecture of the region, and as a result, some of the structures seen in the film resemble Welsh mining towns.[15] Miyazaki also witnessed the coal miners' strike in protest of mine closures in Britain. Their ultimate failure to preserve the industry left a lasting impact on Miyazaki, who viewed the event as an attack by those in power on the miners' way of life and the hard-working spirit of the people.[10] His experiences reflect in several supporting characters in the film, who despite laboring through poverty in the mines, enthusiastically protect the protagonists from multiple aggressors. Susan J. Napier argues that this depiction reveals Miyazaki's yearning for a simpler way of life, and a desire to create a story based on optimism.[13] Animation scholar Helen McCarthy writes "It seems that Castle in the Sky also contains echoes of the struggle of the Welsh people for nationhood and freedom."[16] Miyazaki would visit Wales once more in 1986, ahead of the release of the film. In 2005, he told The Guardian "I admired those men, I admired the way they battled to save their way of life, just as the coal miners in Japan did. Many people of my generation see the miners as a symbol; a dying breed of fighting men. Now they are gone."[17]

Cavallaro discusses the meticulous method of animating several distinct layers that the film employed – requiring significantly more labor before the use of digital tools – which she calls "a valuable testimony to Studio Ghibli's inveterate commitment".[18] Certain special effects from the film use a combination of cel and film techniques.[19] Takahata, who produced the film, insisted that the highest quality be maintained in spite of the production expense. Napier argues that the production of Laputa "established a new industry standard".[13] Miyazaki stated in the original project proposal that "[Laputa] is a project to bring animation back to its roots."[20]

Many of Miyazaki's old collegues as well as much of the production crew of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind were employed once again to work on Laputa at Studio Ghibli's inception.[21] The film had a reported production budget of ¥500 million, equivalent to US$8 million in 2023.[22] Several animation studios such as Doga Kobo and Oh! Production provided support for the in-between animation.[3]

Laputa contains a strong theme of environmentalism, questioning humanity's relationship with nature and the role of technology.[23] McCarthy interprets the giant tree of Laputa as a "metaphor for the reviving and life-giving power of nature."[24] However, in contrast with the more optimistic conclusions of Miyazaki's previous works, Napier notes that the film ends with an "unsettling view" of the castle flying away, suggesting that humanity may not deserve to exist in the natural world.[25] Literary scholar Anthony Lioi interprets Laputa as an ecological utopia that demonstrates the peace that can be established between nature and advanced technology, but also serves as a criticism of modernity when "[the] peace is shattered by human violence."[26] The characters of Muska and the army are used to criticize modern militarism in particular.[27] Lioi notes that this outlook differs from dominant Western ideas, eschewing the extremes of capitalism and industrialism, as well as radical environmentalism and conservationism.[26]

While Laputa's giant tree is seen as a metaphor for the restorative capability of the natural world, its underside is a symbol of the immorality of modernity.[26]

Critics note the philosophical ambiguity of the castle; while Laputa initially appears to be an ideal union of nature and technology, it is later revealed to have a much harsher and more oppressive underside.[24] Napier writes that Laputa is "deeply paradoxical",[28] and Cavallaro that "we are not presented with a univocally and undilutedly malevolent power but rather with an ambivalent admixture of good and evil."[18] Lioi argues that Laputa is used as a means to comment on the ethics of contemporary culture,[26] based on Ildney Cavalcanti's observation that such a utopia also "must contain an overtly dystopian element, such that the implicit critique in utopian discourse becomes explicit."[29] However, he interprets the ultimate destruction of the castle's weapons as a demonstration that "violence is not the heart of the city", and that the dystopic elements of modernity can be healed.[26]

The film also presents an ambiguous view on the usage of technology.[23] The robots from Laputa provide an example of this view, as they are introduced in the film as a violent force capable of extreme destruction.[30] However, when the protagonists next meet a robot, it is entirely peaceful, tending to the gardens and fauna on Laputa.[31] Lioi argues that the robots, as a representation of Laputan technology, are caretakers by default and only become destructive in response to human brutality.[26] McCarthy argues that "this is not a comment on technology but on man's inability to use it wisely."[32] Odell and Le Blanc conclude that "technology... is not necessarily a bad thing, but we must consider how it's used and to what extent."[23] The duality of nature and technology is further explored in Miyazaki's later film Princess Mononoke (1997).[33]

Like many other films by Miyazaki, Laputa features young children as the protagonists.[34] Miyazaki values the portrayal of children as good-hearted, confident in their own agency, and resilient and upbeat in response to adversity.[35] He criticized reviewers of his television series Future Boy Conan (1978) who described the titular character as "too much of a goody-two-shoes", admitting he was tempted to retort "So you want to see 'bad characters', you fool?"[36] Film critics Colin Odell and Michelle Le Blanc argue that creating a film with a younger protagonist generates perspectives that an adult would not perceive, saying "the children in Ghibli's films are a liberating force that allows anything to be possible."[37]

The lack of parental oversight of the protagonists is an element Miyazaki feels to be important in promoting children's independence. The protagonists of his films are, like Sheeta and Pazu, often orphaned, or in some way parted from their parents.[38] Miyazaki believes that "one of the essential elements of most classical children's literature is that the children in the stories actually fend for themselves."[39] The presence of parents, in his opinion, would stifle the children's autonomy.[40] The limitations that children have in their abilities are also explored in the film; Cavallaro observes that subtlety is added to this theme through the modulation between positive and negative traits.[41] For example, Pazu comes close to forsaking Sheeta and his quest for Laputa,[42] and Sheeta and Pazu struggle due to a lack of knowledge of the crystal and of Laputa.[43] Additionally, unlike Miyazaki's previous works, the protagonists do not succeed at convincing the antagonists of their wrongdoing, which offers a more pessimistic view on children's ability to educate others.[42]

Napier proposes that Miyazaki's insistence on showing the freedom of children in Laputa can be credited to the influence of Panda and the Magic Serpent (1958).[40] Miyazaki first watched the film at age 17, and it moved him to pursue a career in animation.[44] At a lecture given in 1982 at Waseda University, he said "When I saw Panda and the Magic Serpent, it was as if the scales fell from my eyes; I realized that I should depict the honesty and goodness of children in my work." He considers this a focal point in his endeavors.[1] The theme of innocence is explored more focally in Miyazaki's succeeding film My Neighbor Totoro (1988).[45]

The first English dub of Laputa was produced by an unknown party[note 1] commissioned by Tokuma Shoten in 1988 for viewing on international flights on Japan Airlines; this dub was licensed between 1989 and 1991 by the then-new Streamline Pictures for distribution in North American markets.[66] An edited version of this dub briefly aired on UK television.[note 3] Carl Macek, the head of Streamline, was disappointed with this dub, deeming it "adequate, but clumsy".[71] In addition to distribution rights, Streamline would go on to dub two other Studio Ghibli films in-house: My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service (1989).[72]

The English dub produced by Disney was recorded in 1998 and planned for release on video in 1999, but the release was canceled after Princess Mononoke did not perform well in North American theaters.[67] The film premiered at the New York International Children's Film Festival on February 2, 2000.[3] It was released on home video in North America on April 15, 2003, alongside a rerelease of Kiki's Delivery Service and Spirited Away (2001).[73] Due to the possible confusion of the title with the Spanish phrase la puta – literally 'the whore' – the film was released as simply Castle in the Sky in North America.[60] The film was released by Buena Vista on Blu-ray in North America on May 22, 2012.[74] Shout! Factory and GKIDS re-issued the film on Blu-ray and DVD on October 31, 2017.[75] Both the original Japanese version and the 2003 Disney dub were made available for streaming when the rights to Studio Ghibli's filmography were acquired by Netflix in 2020.[76]

Laputa has been generally acclaimed by film critics in the years since its release.[81] In 2001, Animage ranked Laputa 44th in their list of top 100 anime.[82] Animation critic and writer Raz Greenberg calls Laputa "one of the greatest adventure films ever made",[83] and critic Manabu Murase names it "quite possibly the most entertaining anime that Miyazaki ever made".[84]

While The New York Times's Caryn James and Deseret News's Chris Hicks felt that the film's two-hour runtime would turn audiences away,[85] The Washington Post's Richard Harrington and IGN's Jeremy Conrad argued that the film had the appeal to entertain audiences of all ages.[86] Conrad felt the characters were "so likable that you never get bored, you always want to see what adventure is next for them".[4]

Hicks did not think highly of the 1988 English dub, calling the children's voices "shrill",[87] but James felt the dubbing into English had been done "gracefully".[88] The 2003 dub similarly received mixed reviews, with The A.V. Club's Tasha Robinson calling Disney's recordings "almost comically bland",[89] and Conrad expressing his appreciation for Anna Paquin as Sheeta and Mark Hamill's performance as Muska.[4]

Most reviewers highlighted the imaginative capacity that Miyazaki displays in the film.[90] Slant's Chuck Bowen noted the subtle details included in the film, which he felt lends it "texture and originality".[91] Several reviewers praised the use of color, which made the film "a joy to watch" according to James.[92] Both Harrington and Bowen noted the film's strong ecological theme, with Harrington appreciating the "moral duality" of Laputa's technology.[93]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rate of 96% from 28 critics, with an average rating of 7.6 out of 10. The site's critic consensus reads, "With a storytelling palette as rich and brilliant as its animation, Castle in the Sky thrillingly encapsulates Studio Ghibli's unique strengths."[94] At Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 78 out of 100 based on 7 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[95]

Laputa was the second-place winner in the Reader's Choice award category hosted by Animage in 1986.[96] In a 2006 poll by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs conducted at the 2006 Japan Media Arts Festival, the film was rated the third-best animation of all time, after Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995).[97] In a 2008 audience poll conducted by Oricon in Japan, Laputa was voted the best animation of all time.[98]