Review of Castle in the Sky

Ghibli films often have this sense of magic in they way they're able to craft a unique and expansive world and distinctly feel as if the viewer is only able to see a very small aspect of it rather than feel as if they've functionally experienced it all, and I feel like Castle in the Sky does this very strongly. There are so many characters here that appear for 5 minutes at most and yet end up feeling so significant in their own ways, as if they're clearly interacting with things far outside what the viewer is directly informed of, all feeling like the lifebloodfor this absolutely gorgeous town that feels almost as wonderous as the giant floating island that the movie's named after. Uncle Pomme is literally just some old guy who lives underground and appears for a single scene and is never mentioned again, and even someone such as him feels vital to the experience this is trying to craft, a film about people just doing their own thing and happening to intersect time and time again in ways both intentional and accidental. Some might call it contrived for so many things to occur due to happenstance, but a lot of the most important moments nonetheless are distinguished in the way they're swayed by the choices people make. Sure, these two people happened to cross paths without meaning to, but that's not the important part as much as what comes after that, which is where things really shine.

More than anything, Castle in the Sky attempts to cram as many different perfect pieces of imagery into its runtime as possible, each seemingly more awe inspiring than the last. The especially prominent focus on air and the sky is something I'm a huge fan of in particular, with so many different takes on what huge flying behemoths can look like all throughout. For as obviously gorgeous as the clashing of foliage across the futuristic architecture of Laputa is, my favourite would have to be the clumsy, industrial look of the pirate airship, with the perfect middle ground between looking majestic and as if it's about to completely fall apart, which ties to a pretty consistent visual theme throughout having even the most incredible displays being on the verge of collapsing. It's also cool to see that Miyazaki's perpetual burning hatred towards people willingly destroying the natural world is once again on full display, and while it might be a bit less overt than the heavy handed dialogue in Nausicaa, I'd say that it's more effectively conveyed here. The way that this untouched paradise is immediately ransacked and exploited for power the moment people decide to land is the best part of the film with the way it's able to evoke this intense feeling of dread as things are torn apart, yet it still ends up making for a surprisingly understated conclusion in certain respects, with the most energetic and chaotic scenes taking place right near the start of the whole adventure. Overall I think that this is a really strong movie with an insane amount of charm and a seemingly endless sense of wonder. Might not be my favourite of what I've seen from a narrative standpoint due to the fact that there are quite a few moments that feel a bit too disjointed, but it's still great and is paired with some of Ghibli's greatest imagery I've experienced yet.