Truly The Heavenly Castle of Laputa is called the criminally forgotten work of Hayao Miyazaki. But this picture is the first in the list created by the studio "Ghibli". She also launched the trend of further animation films, raising the bar of quality high!
Also, as soon as I read Gulliver’s Travels a couple of years ago, I became interested: how can this third part of the book be played without the spray of secondaryity? But Maestro Hayao Miyazaki wouldn’t be the Master and himself if he couldn’t. . .
So it is, but then the wizard-animator just forged his name!
The answer to my question surprised me and pleased me!! Laputa Swift is mentioned in the “Heavenly Castle...” in the context of saying that the soaring island described by a British writer does exist, and this is not fiction! .', - in confirming his words Pazu shows Lucite a photograph of a castle in the sky. . .
But it all begins with action, as if not quite typical for the Master! Well, that is, in Hayao-sama we saw the war in the same Nausicai, in the future the audience saw the war in Mononok and Haula Castle... But here the action is exactly flirty, adventure! The girl Lucita, fleeing pirates, falls from the airship, but a stone does not give her to break, thanks to which a mysterious stranger, floating like a feather, descends into the hands of a young apprentice engineer - a boy named Pazou. For this artifact that hangs around her neck, in addition to pirates, the army and government agents are also hunting. This stone is a crystal Flying stone!! This is when the real story begins to emerge. .
Plus or minus, it gets clearer. One dominion, the other the riches of the island, the third is to restore the lineage. And Sita and Pazu, they want peace. If you would survive, and Pazu - he just wants, like a dreamer, to see this mysterious and wonderful world!
... And the world is really mysterious! The beauty of the island, the most magnificent buildings - both outside and inside - give an incredible range of emotions and some indescribable pleasure from contemplating this place!! And understanding what we human beings may have lost causes bitterness and anguish at our incorrigible nature. . .
But, in fact, I started with the fact that this anime around the world is not redeemed in the glory, but in Japan in 2007 it was one of the three best anime of all time! This is confirmed by the facilities in Ghibli Park in Tokyo! The buildings themselves are similar to the castle of the Laputians, and the entrance to the park is guarded by a huge robot, detailed as in the film!!
Yes, some elements of Miyazaki wander from project to project. But it's so great!!! The same robot first appeared in the 150th episode of Lupin III: Part 2'. This TV series was made by the Great Hayao! Well, proteins-foxes, galloping on the shoulders of the same steel giant - this is from Nausicai!!!
It's also a fun fact! Lucita and Kiki have one face for two. And Pazu looks like Ashitaki... Well, in the feature film we meet actors who starred in other films! Why should the artist be forbidden that he had the same "actors" in other paintings (and still will!)?
Finally, I commend the composer Jo Hisaishi and wish everyone a pleasant view!!!
10 out of 10
The beginning is intriguing, + romance moves on it on a flying airship slowly, enjoying the night clouds. As all this is shown directly pleasure for the eyes of the admirer of the early 20th century.
The action takes place in an era when machines were still common and brought joy, and science did not necessarily make people unhappy. The situation is European in general, but we cannot say exactly what nationality or race the heroes are. People still dominate the world; there seems to be a perception that they are still able to determine their place in life and change their destiny.
Laputa is an island flying in the sky, described in the third part of Gulliver's Travels. The name Sita and references to Indra and Ramayana are all references to Indian mythology.
Probably my first cartoon by Miyazaki, or maybe it just remembered me, my favorite has reviewed it countless times, and what was my surprise that some scenes I did not remember, apparently they did not linger in memory.
One such interesting thing is when an armored train (which I have only seen in Russian war movies) rides over a wooden bridge, I think it’s too heavy. About the military here, because of the green uniform is similar to the times of the Russian Empire, and helmets because of the peak at the top, and pickelhelms.
In 2/4 of the cartoon, we are presented with a weapon that I once terrified, not like the inhabitants of those years. Miyazaki has 2 works of a technical nature that I like this and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind came out earlier, but I didn't catch my time, but I mean, I like them both. Here, rather, the children's audience is designed, like Nausicaa for adults (this is reflected in some moments).
Of course, I interpreted the ending differently at different times, as a child I simply did not understand how to do this with someone else’s technical thought, and now I understand that this was the right decision, humanity is not ready, and the inhabitants themselves made their choice 7 centuries ago.
Watched in voice acting by Sonotek/Ruscico
From the sky softly falls directly into the hands of the boy girl ... she will fall into his hands not for the last time.
Every man's dream is for a woman to fall into his hands. Yes, in principle... you live, do not worry, and then at some point the conditional narrowed in your hands falls. But that’s true in life somewhere.
Nothing is clear from the start. What kind of girl came from... it is clear only that without magic did not do, although all sorts of machines are around, including flying and mechanisms extracting something from the bowels of the earth.
It is also clear that the girl is hunted/chased. Again, the female character in these cartoons at the head of mysticism and mystery, almost a detective. We investigate this movie, dear Watsons, while watching.
There are in our world, anime, as we know, walking castles, and there are flying cities, that is, castles too. And we all believe that. We even build them ourselves. Where? In space. There fly all sorts of things, overgrown with new compartments ... someday to the size of the city or at least the castle will grow. But on the ground really walking castles and not built, although some houses on wheels quite like home, especially in the unfolded form. And what real cities sometimes go by sea... and military aircraft carriers with several thousand people, and cruise ships, where there are many vacationers, there are a bunch of shops, rooms for recreation, water parks, casinos, restaurants and everything else for life and fun. All this began to excite the writers on fantasy on all sorts of topics.
The heavenly city was first described in the Bible. Since then, a lot has been described, probably. People dream like this, wonderful, torn from the ground. Even some civilian aircraft are built as air castles with suites, real showers, rest rooms and much more. The well-known plane number one of the American president, and the Russian, are partially similar to air hotels, almost castles.
It is a pity that it is impossible to simply levitate the earth or stone - a laborious process. But there's something in our cartoon that can make objects levitate. Of course, this is something that all kinds of people, evil and so on need. . .
_
Otherwise, an intriguing cartoon that shows people’s fear of something inexplicable... on the one hand, the fear that makes them afraid and prepare for the terrible, and fight against it... on the other, the fear of a different kind... because fear is just an emotion or feeling that arises during danger, as the electronic encyclopedia says... just an emotion. And this emotion can excite, can force to explore the dangerous and unknown, like the cosmos or the heavenly city of God, which man has always wanted to explore, at the same time fearing it and admiring it, because this "space city" is perfectly earthly, and therefore dangerous for people without technology and weapons capable of defeating the unknown and more perfect.
But what is it, perfect? What heavenly city? What kind of God is that? Maybe it's a lonely old man we've seen among the living, sitting in a lot of junk. He's lonely, he's bored, he's sitting among the rubble he's long bored with. He is waiting for people to live his life. Some will try to rob an old man, while others may bring him love as a gift. And the old town is waiting. .
Another masterpiece of the studio GIBLI tells us a mythical story about a flying island, which allegedly refers to a lot of ancient texts (in the cartoon called Mahabharata, etc.), as well as to Jonathan Swift’s book Gulliver’s Journey, where in the third part we actually meet the mention of Laputa. The famous character Gulliver visited this island, and then went to Japan. This is what prompted Hayao Miyazaki to create this kind cartoon about the love of nature, its spirituality, friendship and honesty.
The cartoon is literally stuffed with allusions, so much so that the postmodern concept of intertextuality applies to it. There are texts of ancient civilizations, Morse code, and references to the modern author of Japanese culture. This is a very serious cartoon that can please literary critics and film critics, if they begin to analyze it for numerous references and symbols.
It will be to the taste and unsophisticated viewer. This is a story of childhood love and devotion, which many adults could envy and learn. The main characters are Princess Sita from the island of Laputa and a mining boy named Pazou. And the mining theme is not without reason.
There was a wave of mining strikes in Wales in 1985, which Miyazaki saw with his own eyes. At that time many workers rebelled against the system of wages at that time, against the arbitrariness of the authorities. Pazu is a child, but he knows how to fix cars, is easy to control with flying vehicles, very inventive and brave for his years. That is, the cartoon mentions child labor, but it is mentioned not as something bad, but as an example of amazing resilience of mind and body. Miyazaki shows us a child who grew up early and became a person under the influence of work.
Another line, for Miyazaki, is the contrast between civilization and nature. Pirates seek Laputa (although we see their arch, they change for the better under the influence of Pazou and Sita, they are touched by their relationships and indifference to the fate of the nature of the flying island), soldiers land for profit and begin to rob the island.
And by itself, Laputa is a sacred place, there is an incredible power, and this force is good. People left the planet because of the hostility of the clans of the rulers of the island. Good with your fists. The island should remain a dream and untouched fairy tale, a flowering garden, and therefore it loses all its fighting power when the princess leaves it.
Creating the architecture of a flying island consisting of three rows of walls, decreasing in diameter, a citadel topped with a giant tree, and a glass dome in the garden, Miyazaki was influenced by the painting “Tower of Babel” by the artist Peter Bruegel the Elder and the film “Metropolis” by Fritz Lang in 1927, as well as the image of the world tree, which is mentioned in almost all mythologies of all countries (Iggdrasil in the Scanidinavs, etc.). Attention is drawn to the symbolism of the name of the ship on which the military fly to Laputa - Goliath.
If you remember the Old Testament, this name was called a huge Philistine warrior, a descendant of giants-Rephaim. The future king Davit will defeat Goliath, marking the transition to a new civilization (a new round of beliefs).
So the list of allusions here is huge.
But you can watch the cartoon without straining. There is a lot of lyrics, detailed nature, and what is important and will be useful for children, the right values are affirmed: friendship, support, compassion, love of nature and all living things, fortitude of spirit, courage, self-sacrifice. And there's some great music!
This is the first anime cartoon studio "Gibli". The scale of director Hayao Miyazaki is immediately felt here. This is a 1986 project. And this reveals the evolution of the genre of adventure in world cinema. In the 1980s, they were looking for gold and treasure. In the 1990s, adventures began to search for artifacts. In the 2000s, adventure is a hunt for secret knowledge. In the 2010s, the goal of adventure is to save humanity from world evil. This is the evolution of the adventure genre in the world of cinema I noticed. There are pirates, there are treasures, there is a magical crystal. This is a great project from Miyazaki. Even though I watched this cartoon in 2021, I really liked it. The flying island of Laputa is like the hope of people from the 1980s for something higher, some divine miracle. There's a lot of mystery in the cartoon. There are yin and yang forces. The masculine and feminine elements pacify each other.
The script was written by Miyazaki based on Swift’s books. There is treasure, there is mystery, there is friendship, there is secret police. It's all beautifully shown. Sita (voiced by Shorokhov) and Paz (voiced by Borzunova) immediately became friends. Miyazaki confronts the feminine and the masculine. A mysterious crystal is like a secret key from the past. The plot is very interesting. The cartoon is 5 plus. And although it premiered in 1986, it also looks relevant today.
"Listen to the stones" is how much power the industrial 20th century has in these words. The flying island, where there are treasures and secret knowledge is very fascinating and makes you watch the anime cartoon until the end.
Government agents, pirates give pepper to this cartoon. I liked the cartoon. It's a gorgeous project, even though it was a year of production in 1986.
"Castle of Laputa" became my favorite cartoon from the first minutes of watching it. Somehow surprisingly, it combines an interesting theme of the utopian state and an emotional component that plunges into pleasant sadness and melancholy. The plot is based on the search for a lost city by several groups of people pursuing completely different goals, and the main characters, as is customary in Miyazaki, are young children - a young resident of the mining town of Pazu and an unusual heiress to the noble family of Sita. The film combines elements of both the adventure genre and the more philosophical, and this combination turned out to be very successful, which in principle is expected from Hayao Miyazaki. This was the first film produced by Ghibli Studios (the previous ones, although shot under the direction of Miyazaki, were produced in other studios), and we can really notice high-quality animation for that time – smooth visuals, worked out characters and detailed landscapes create a special atmosphere for the viewer. And as always, Hayao Miyazaki could not make just an entertaining movie: again, in addition to the action, there is a philosophical component. Yes, at the beginning of the film we are more interested in the adventures of the main characters, but towards the end of the cartoon makes us think about a lot. For example, I personally began to believe that nature deserves to be and live more than all of humanity, which only spoils the world and endangers itself, other people and the same nature. The airy island of Laputa itself seems like a real utopia, and all the more sad that people have managed to spoil even the most ideal place, leaving behind only ruins and humanoid robots, one of which accompanies Paz and Sita in Laputa’s study (and, incidentally, very much resembles less in appearance and more according to the plan of another robot associated with the post-apocalypse, WALL-E). We look at the robot’s connection with its surrounding nature and understand that it is an ideal, harmonious coexistence of technology and nature, which, however, is overshadowed by the complete absence of man in it. And if at first, watching the actions of Sita and Pazou in this place, you think that such cohabitation is possible with a person, then with the arrival of other less positive characters, we realize that this is not the case. So the main message of the cartoon can be called the idea of the destructiveness of human influence on everything, especially on nature. And of course, it is worth remembering this not only when watching something like this, but also in your ordinary life.
Looks like you're human, and I'm scared, if it turns out you're an angel.
Hayao Miyazaki. That's it. This could be the end of the review, because when this name sounds, the name that opened the world of Japanese animation to all mankind, it becomes clear to everyone that the picture is made at such a level, with such love and with such attention to detail that no numbers, scales, number systems will convey all the emotions and impressions that Hayao Miyazaki’s paintings give.
'The Heavenly Castle of Laputa', released in 1986, is Hayao Miyazaki's fifth solo film as director (the third, except for two short films). The first picture of the studio 'Ghibli', a studio founded by Hayao himself and his friend Isao Takahata in 1985, a studio that will soon receive huge fan acclaim. 'Laputa' awarded 'Anime Grand Prix' 1986 in the nomination 'Best Anime of the Year'.
For some reason, when people talk about Miyazaki’s work, they always admire the quality of the animation itself, the landscapes that Miyazaki made the world fall in love with. But not very often talk about the music, which in ' Laputa' just beautiful, which together with the animation, in some scenes (especially in scenes depicting the sky, and the sky in this anime is very much) causes just a storm of emotions. Composer Jyo Hisaishi, the man who wrote the music for almost all of Miyazaki’s cartoons, I think should not be forgotten.
The picture takes us to the alternative world of steampunk, the world of steam engines, the world of airships and various aircraft. The main characters are small orphans Sita and Pazou.
One night, Pazu, a miner’s apprentice, sees a girl (Sita) fall from the sky, enveloped in a blue glow. Later it turns out that Sita owns a certain crystal of the Flying Stone, which has a mysterious power and allows you to soar in the air. The crystal is hunted by pirates and the government to get to the legendary island of Laputa, which stores untold treasures, according to some, and weapons of mass destruction, according to others. Under the circumstances, Sita and Pazou are drawn into the search for Laputa.
It is worth noting that from all the timekeeping, Laputa herself is given little screen time, only some 30-40 minutes. But what was the other hour and a half spent on? Why stretch the plot like that? Ask, and I will answer that the island of Laputa in this anime is not the main thing, I think you will understand it when you look for yourself.
Miyazaki very competently covered the eternal struggle of technology and nature, this struggle is dedicated to this anime. Why do people always forget their roots? Why, whatever he does, does he get a gun? Can technology and nature coexist and what role do humans play?
You need to look and listen very carefully, because Miyazaki’s paintings always have a very deep meaning, for someone it lies on the surface, and someone can’t see it. In 'Lapute' you will see references to Swift and Verne, and even the Bible.
What else can I say? Words are useless and unnecessary when trying to describe Hayao Miyazaki’s work, just watch and enjoy it.
Let me start with an unexpected side, which my respected colleagues stubbornly ignore.
The Maitre, although he tries in every possible way to show how bad war is and how much it cripples the Earth and human destinies, nevertheless - and I do not exclude that unexpectedly for myself - made an exceptional emphasis on the importance of technology.
Let’s delve into the local 'bad', antagonist Musk aka Romusca Palo Ur Laputa. He is all so of himself 'Emperor', dreams of the greatness and fighting power of Laputa. But once he gets there - he automatically forgets about the gold - and laughs with the soldiers. Nah, well, really, what do glitters mean when you have the most brilliant superweapon on the planet under your feet?
And on the other hand - and have you thought about what the burden lies on the shoulders of the crown princes & #39;? What is the responsibility of being the heir to an empire? Sita, being brought up in a simple way (which, by the way, in the early Middle Ages was a common practice in small principalities - to hide the heir in a remote village and educate ' in a black body' to avoid his premature death) somehow did not realize his royal essence and responsibility for the fate of Laputa and the world. Is that a burden? No preparation, no experience, no desire is really observed in this character. The only motivation is to get to the bottom of things and understand the mysteries of its past. But the antagonist has the answers - the island itself gave her nothing but spiritual experience.
That is why it is difficult for me to consider the antagonist so bad - he had a very clear idea of the technological purpose of the island and did not harbor rosy illusions about this.
And the film itself is good, good, bright and infinitely kind. What else can we expect from the work of the master? The children, or my child in particular, were hard on this film and I wouldn’t say it was very interesting. But we all know that the target audience here is not children of primary school age. These are, rather ' inner children' downtrodden adults. The ultimate goal is to give them a warm world.
Laputa Heavenly Castle is one of Miyazaki’s best films. Like the first one (Nausicaa of the Valley of Winds), it gives us a complex picture of the world around us. However, both are very different from each other. If the first one showed us an alternate universe. Namely, land. This is the beginning of the twentieth century. We are known for our seaplanes and airplanes.
The heroes of this story are Sita, Pazou, Muska and pirates. It was one of the first animes to have no good or evil characters. On the contrary, everyone pursues a goal and wants to achieve it for various reasons. I want to pay tribute to the author of this story. Jonathan Swift and director Hayo Miyazaki. They both came up with a wonderful story about a magical and flying island that symbolizes the dream of flying and the creation of a great civilization (that is, a world empire). However, it should be emphasized that everyone’s dreams are different and goals are also different. Some are just looking for a castle in the sky, others want to rob it. They dream of the extermination of humanity in the name of the purity of a single nation. For that, they would do anything. Even to kill relatives. I admit I didn’t understand the message in the film. Why so many characters? Have I thought?!
And who is the main villain? You don't understand that at first. The authors seem to confuse you. However, soon there is no trace of these illusions. We see heroes who appear to us as villains and villains who turn out to be heroes. That's the contrast. But the more contradictions, the more realistic they become.
And although this anime is often compared to Walking Castle and Gone With Ghosts. I don't think so. I was more likened to the Cat in Boots, the Flying Ghost Ship, and Jack in Wonderland.
I’m not a big fan of Japanese animation, but I respect Miyazaki’s work and I think it has contributed a lot to the culture of Japan and the world. I can say that I am not familiar with all the works of this animator, but those that I saw, for the most part, liked. I can’t say that I experienced any special delight – it’s just not my genre, but I haven’t seen uninteresting, ugly, boring pictures from Miyazaki.
“The Heavenly Castle of Laputa” is another journey into the amazing world that the author creates. The world that is represented in all Miyazaki’s works is probably the main trump card that allows the director to keep the viewer at the screen. All these steam engines, amazing beauty of nature, colorfully painted characters – all this creates a really interesting thing that is interesting to watch. In short, the eye rejoices.
However, the scripts and the development of the storylines in some of Miyazaki’s writings that I’ve seen before have caused some negative emotions. It happened to this tape, too. I thought it was long, and the ending is very predictable, which greatly affected my overall impression of this tape.
It's a good and entertaining cartoon, but Miyazaki, I think, definitely has a better one.
Laputa is a fictional flying island visited by ship doctor Lamuel Gulliver in the third book of Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels series. In Russia, it is little known in comparison with the first two, describing the adventures of the protagonist in Lilliput and Brobdingneg - the land of giants. Meanwhile, Gulliver’s Travels as a cycle has a complete concept, ridiculing social and human vices.
It was Laputa, an island of detached scientists and a tyrant king, that became the main source of Hayao Miyazaki’s inspiration for the creation of his classic anime, Laputa’s Heavenly Castle. And in fact, Miyazaki’s semantic message was not so far from the original, although he exchanged Swift’s sarcasm for a more restrained Eastern realism.
In the center of the story are the girl Sita, the crown princess of Laputa, which she does not suspect for the time being, and Pazou, an orphaned boy from a mining village who became her best friend. Being the heiress of the royal family of Laputa, Sita owns a magical stone that can point the way to Laputa and allow you to control it. Actually, because of this stone and unfolds all the fuss: it is chased by government troops led by a short-sighted and heartless general, a family of pirates commanded by a rude mother Dora, and the mysterious Musk, another descendant of the kings of the island, eager to take possession of his technical power.
And then, as is customary in Miyazaki, with all these characters twists a dashing plot with intricacies of intrigue, betrayal and unexpected transformations of the characters. The director in his masterful style presents to the audience a deep and beautiful fairy tale in which human nobility, love, compassion and readiness for self-sacrifice lie on one side of the scale, and greedy and petty aspirations on the other. And, in general, all the actors have to decide for themselves what is closer to him, and Miyazaki decides what has a future and what does not. But we already know what his decision will be.
Yes, even the island itself, consisting as it were of two halves: a terrible weapon of destruction and a beautiful world of animals and birds, will have to be cleansed of the gravity of the evil, terrible and heartless, in order to rush up in its impeccable purity.
Already here, in one of Miyazaki’s early works, one of the main themes is the theme of flight and conquest of the sky, the love for which is perhaps the main leitmotif of the entire work of the director. The young girl as the main character, love carried through trials, the eternal wisdom and beauty of nature as opposed to the cold mechanical often unjustified cruelty of a person – all these ingredients again formed the basis of the master’s work, which one can only wonder how he manages to conclude it each time in different images.
And like any Miyazaki piece, the end of the film, even if happy, leaves behind a sense of inexplicable longing, an awareness of the fleeting fragility of all the best in the world. But that is exactly what is worth fighting for.
No matter how many weapons you have, no matter how advanced your technology is. The world cannot live without love.
For good spells to work, I had to learn and bad spells.
An unhappy person cannot bring joy. A grief-stricken person cannot bring on a smile. A grounded person cannot create a fairy tale. Only a real wizard. He who has gone through the bad and the good knows how to convey it to people, tell a story and put together a piece of his soul, his vision, his skill.
It's as clean and tall as the eyes of two children. A sympathetic girl who wants to live calmly, but catches up with her family past. And a boy-inventor who wants to invent, take part in an adventure, prove the innocence of his father and help the girl. Strong like miners who can smile at the hint of a fight and protect their little colleague and his acquaintance. Reckless, like a whole family of pirates helping failed child targets. Unexpected, like an extraterrestrial robot caring for flowers, protecting birds and helping animals. Excited as the wrath of a failed tyrant deprived of power.
Such natural and lively films, though they are drawn and fantastic. The world is not like a puppet, which would be artificially made for the main characters. This world is a reflection of the real, light and dark, and the viewer can read a good spell together with the characters of the film.
10 out of 10
Minimum fantasy, chases and shootouts – this is a steampunk cartoon, not much different from “Nausicai”, which I liked, but did not look so easy. In “Heavenly Castle” is a very simple plot, which is still loved in Hollywood and in the production of games in the style of “Lara Croft”. But Miyazaki has happened before, with his amazing creations. "Nausicaia" was a little more serious emotionally; here, to get to the strong feelings, you need to watch to the very last scene, to which everything seems clear, but something is wrong. And this is not a signature feature of the author, although then he just went on a different topic.
There is a girl who needs help; there is a boy who wants and can help. He lives, according to tradition, it is not clear where. And the girl, of course, is hunted. What's exactly traditional is the fact that not all villains really are. Although government whips are already suspicious in the first minutes, because they always hide something for their own benefit. And in the center of the story is the legend of a flying island that no one can find if you search for it specifically. The source of advanced technologies and a storehouse of ancient knowledge. In other words, the celestial Atlantis. The nicest thing about this island is that it resembles a cross between the Death Star and Thet from the movie Oblivion. And the naiveté with which the Chief Villain believes that with her help he can seize power. It is a pity that we are given too little information about the island of Laputa, and it would be interesting to know what happened there many centuries ago. Apparently, getting answers to questions in this anime is not provided and not necessary.
Everything, as always, is beautiful: the music, and the picture, and the idea, but I lacked the morality of a fairy tale or something. This story does not teach anything, it is just interesting and colorful.
After such films, a pleasant aftertaste remains for a long time. The authors recreated a beautiful picture full of bright, colorful and kind impressions.
Something tells me that there are common points with 'Navsiskaya of the Valley of the Winds', where the threads are intertwined - how a person should live in harmony with nature, and what should not be done, but unfortunately, this is how we are arranged. The thirst for profit, riches - pulls the pirates to the island, and although they were rather 'kind' pirates - that brings to themselves in the middle of the film. The military and the authorities join together to find the city and subjugate the whole Earth, for this city is a great danger, they believe. But there is no danger or question.
The picture, something in common with 'Avatar' Cameron, only the authors could slightly more show the harmony of this Flying Island, but although then the film would have been delayed - and so 2-04, but it would not be superfluous 10 minutes, because the film looks on one breath.
The same plot with trees, roots, the foundation of the world, and the same Indian mythology.
Since I have already mentioned both Navsiskaya and Cameron, I want to mention our science fiction writers - AIB Strugatsky. The perfect world they created in the Snail on the Slope, and again there is a mysterious living forest.
Well, in general, philosophy is clear to the naked eye - look and see for yourself!
I bet a big 9, yet I believe that with the description (image) of this world it would be possible to delay a little, (although the meaning is obvious) just enjoy pleasant pictures!
A beautiful, live movie.
First, a little retreat. The first film of Hayao Miyazaki in the studio Ghibli - "Nausicaia of the Valley of the Wind" - for all its merits had one drawback - it was quite heavy (I have already written about this). In his second film, Laputa Heavenly Castle, Miyazaki took this error into account. These two animes are generally interesting to compare: how they are similar and not similar to each other.
1) If Nausicaa of the Valley of the Winds is an example of a biological apocalypse, then Laputa’s Heavenly Castle is an example of a technical apocalypse. By the way, the clothes of the inhabitants of Laputa suspiciously resemble the clothes of the inhabitants of the Valley of Winds.
What immediately catches the eye is how detailed and thoughtful the technique is drawn. All sorts of levers, pistons, steam engines, propellers; winches with huge wheels, like a cargo crane. A portable radio station. The anime presents almost all types of moving technology. Car. A steam locomotive and armored train. Planes. Flyers. Airships, big and small. Robots. Especially well came the combat robot from Laputa.
2) There is a deep moment in this movie too. Looking at the introductory screensaver about the formation of an unnamed civilization (to which Laputa belonged), you are surprised: at the very beginning the music sounds quite cheerful, but after the appearance of the technical achievements of civilization in the frame, the music seems to stumble, and begins to sound with tragedy. I doubt it's a coincidence - Miyazaki is thinking through every microscopic detail. This is all the more strange for such a technical film. What did Hayao Miyazaki want to say? What is a much safer, non-technical way of human development?
(3) This movie, unlike Nausicai, definitely has humor. Paz's attempt to test the properties of an ancient stone is a typical example of what is called an "epic fail." Every decent worker is not afraid of a bunch of pirates, but here's his own wife ... (hmm) Little girl subjugates adult pirates - what is it, government genes worked?
Special thanks to the team of the studio RUSCICO for the voiceover - it turned out just gorgeous! It turned out especially well in the introductory screensaver: to read in a distant, “heavenly” voice the titles, under the mystery of the development of civilization. I remember the phrase: “The author of the idea, the writer of the script, and the director – Hayao Miyazaki!!!” – a phrase that can bring fans into a state of euphoria.
(4) The film is as strong and atmospheric as Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.
How intrigued from the very beginning! After the pirates’ initial battle with the plainclothes and Sita’s final downfall, I had only one thought: What was that? . . "
What's the Pazou house worth? I had to think about how to turn an old blast furnace on a cliff into a two-story cottage, and even with a dovecote! What a childish and inventive atmosphere! Brick on a rope, as a means of automatically closing the door. Simple and rough life: unpainted and clearly not new boards, brick walls. On the walls are drawings of various aircraft with comments. Wooden hanger. Iron (Soviet) bed. Burgeon stove. But at the same time, everything is clean and orderly. The atmosphere is also created by music, sunny, ringing, conveying the feeling of a sunny early morning, and anticipation of a good day. In the film, there are so many amazing little things that are organically woven into the overall picture.
And how curiously depicted is youthful romanticism - to wake up early in the morning to release pigeons, climbing onto the roof, and trumpet the song towards the rising sun ... And to trumpet with a certain virtuosity. The slot in the film turned out to be alive. This is rare, even for the studio Ghibli.
It is also good to see the earth and heaven. To give credit to composer Joe Hisaishi, without his music, the film would have been much worse. Weightless, barely noticeable, as if silvery-blue, it looks great against the sky and fits into various scenes. Indeed, there is something in it from the moonlight.
(5) This film is about the same as Nausicaia: about tragic circumstances, about human vices, about the heroism of ordinary people. This is told by the opening screensaver of the film, about the same says the composition of Joe Hisaishi – “Confessions in the Moonlight” – and without further words.
10 out of 10
Another creation created by master Miyazaki. The plot in comparison with previous works became deeper, the characters of all the main characters are clearly spelled out. Female characters (yes, all) as always on top. But still the main character here is Pazu: he demonstrates the best male qualities, such as courage, courage and “head impenetrable”. But most importantly, he is the same person who lives inside everyone and dreams of heaven.
Sita in the cartoon plays a more philosophical role. Through the character of Sita, Miyazaki conveys his philosophical vision and wisdom to future generations.
What is this cartoon about? It seems to me that there are no bad people in the world, about love and, of course, about heaven.
There is nothing so simple and complex at the same time as describing the experience of seeing Miyazaki’s paintings. Cartoons each time deserve the most beautiful speech turns, warm words to the creators, but how hard it is to describe what is so special in these anime. Beauty in the little things, in some magic, which is impregnated with this cartoon, but no one believes in magic, and in vain. Check it out for yourself.
It seems to me that children intuitively understand this better than adults: the world they were born into is ruthless, hopeless and cheese. Hayao Miyazaki (c)
For the world of animation, the name Hayao Miyazaki is of great importance, quite strong, beautiful and kind stories came out from under the hand of the master. On his animation will grow more than one generation of Japanese, and just children around the world.
In the distant 1986 Miyazaki showed his "Heavenly Castle of Laputa", a steampunk adventure imbued with the spirit of steampunk, which connected the boy Paz - from the mining town and the mysterious girl Sita, literally fell into the hands of a boy.
Plot.
Pazu dreams of the sky and the opportunity to leave his native town, he builds his own personal plane, cares for pigeons and works in the sweat of his face. Delayed after his shift, he sees a sleeping girl falling from the sky, which he carefully carries home.
The girl's name is Sita and she has a secret, being chased by pirates and government agents along with the army. Sita is not just a girl, she is the keeper of a mysterious "flying stone" and a longer version of her name. Pazou and Sita discuss Laputa, a flying island photographed by the boy's late father. The children decide to find the wonder island. According to legend, Laputa contains many secrets of military power and wealth.
The main villains in the face of the government and agents are on the trail of the girl, while fighting with air pirates who also want to get to the “flying stone”.
For Sito and Pazu Laputa, the ultimate goal is to find her, to prove that the flying island is not just a legend - it is real. The rest of the actors pursue selfish goals. Some desire power and domination over the rest of the world, others countless treasures, and others both. Greed and greed versus innocent sincerity.
It is worth noting that air pirates will act as an ally for Shito and Paz. Guided by his formidable leader Dora.
The flying island itself represents the greatness of an ancient civilization, which had a huge technical progress and military power, the beautiful vaults of the ancient city were covered with greenery, showing the majesty of nature over everything that man creates, no matter how long it takes, what weapons people create, how many people arm - nature will take its own.
Laputa is a cycle, a cycle of people’s lives, ideas and stories. A cycle where nature has an advantage over those who have betrayed creation for destruction. But still Laputa is a dream that is worth pursuing.
Hayao Miyazaki, by his own admission, is not a storyteller - he is a person who draws pictures, and for him the modern world is sterile, empty and false.
I now understand why Laputa was destroyed. There's a song in my valley that says, "Down your roots in the ground." Live with the wind. In winter meet with seeds, and in spring sing with birds. No matter what terrible weapons there are, no matter how many unfortunate robots we have created, we will not be able to live without land!
Sita (c)
To be friends with the wind, you must hold on to the ground with roots.
Who is the person who created this film with a capital letter? How did he do that? How? “To put it mildly, there are no words!” as Arkady Raikin said (but here, of course, in a different context).
The picture is great. The artist is a master. Undoubtedly. I look at it and I want to shout, “I believe!” I believe! The film is about you and me and not about us. It is about faith, faith in dreams, in yourself, in friendship, in love. What feelings, what emotions, what actions! Sita and Pazou in the film are the image of sincere and brave children who are ready to do anything for each other, for the happiness of the other, this is evidenced by many, many episodes of the picture.
I want to talk about music separately... Joe Hisaisi created a great picture – an unearthly frame, which became its continuation. Sometimes you just close your eyes and listen.
And you can't say nothing about landscapes. I can't describe it. You need to see that. I’ve seen it in a lot of Hayao movies, and I really want to live in them. I want to say a huge human thank you to the director, screenwriter and editor in one person for this wonderful (no, not a fairy tale!) story. I would like to see generations grow in Hayao Miyazaki’s paintings.
P.S. Look immediately after (or in front of) the Heavenly Castle of Laputa and Nausicaa of the Valley of Winds. Do not regret this time and you will not regret it.
10 out of 10
I saw Laputa. An island floating in the sky behind a wall as high as mountains of clouds. A city floating at a height beyond sight, where only birds are open to the road. I saw its round towers, bridges and tunnels, staircases and sharp spires, pools and parks. The treasure of the ancients, a witness of a bygone era, a ghost city abandoned by its creators. Who knows what power is hidden in the bowels of his vacant buildings? What treasures lurk in its abandoned halls? What can the mechanisms dormant in silence say? The miracle of engineering? The power of their creators? About anything, but why Laputa was empty and was forever given to the power of the celestial element.
It so happened that two could solve the mystery of Laputa: an orphan boy, brave and kind Paz, too independent for his age; and a young Sita, in whose veins flows the blood of the true princess of the ancient kingdom. It all began when Pazu miraculously caught a girl who fell from the sky and helped her escape from her pursuers. Those very agents who wanted to get the wonderful pendant that she inherited from her ancestors.
Or not, it all started when a huge broken robot collapsed from an unknown height into the field, and the people in power believed that Laputa of legends existed. But no, it all started earlier. About seven centuries ago, the inhabitants of the flying island left it and settled on the land, keeping with them secret knowledge that was passed from word of mouth. Some of this knowledge passed to the Sita by inheritance.
If all this had not happened, Sita would never have met Paz. She would never know the secret of her family’s origins, and Pazou would never be able to fulfill her dream of finding Laputa in the sky. But since this is exactly what happened, the future fates of these children are inextricably linked. They will have to experience the most unimaginable adventures: escape from pirates, fall from a great height, flying in an airship and battle with revived robots, the search for Laputa and his true destiny. But the most important treasure they are destined to find is friendship. A sincere and strong friendship will allow them to overcome all dangers.
I saw Laputa. And it struck me in the heart. Never before has an animated film with children as its main characters been such an adult. The film, fascinating with action and bright characters, looks easy, but at the same time it is deeper and more layered than many “adult” paintings. With Sita, we are right to ask, does one have the right to possess power for whom human lives are nothing? Are we worthy of possessing weapons of crushing power? Together with Paz, we will face questions of loyalty to our word and friends. How to find the strength to not give up, even if it seems that everything is against you?
Miyazaki poses difficult questions to the viewer, but almost never asks them in the forehead. One might think that this film, like many in his work, tells about adventures, about the search for treasures, about the power of friendship and an insatiable thirst for knowledge that can lead at least to the end of the world. But you need to look carefully to understand the main thing. Man is not ready for immeasurable power, then or now. Power-hungry people, like Colonel Muska, are inevitably corrupted. A sincere and pure soul children it simply does not need. What is in Laputa must not belong to anyone. At least as long as the lust for power remains one of the main human vices.
But this does not mean that you should not look for Laputa. Quite the opposite. Laputa is a symbol. A symbol of the greatness of the human mind. Laputa is a past of which we know so little. Laputa is the future we are looking for. Maybe someday we'll build it just to prove that nothing is impossible.
In May 2003, a survey of 140 animators and film critics from different countries was initiated in Tokyo to name the best cartoons of all time. Despite the fact that the first two positions in the final register were taken by Yuri Norstein’s films – “The Hedgehog in the Fog” (1975) and “Tale of Tales” (1979), Hayao Miyazaki’s achievement was no less impressive, who had 4 films in the top twenty at once (mostly two-hour, in contrast to Norstein’s short films). The highest position of the leading quartet of Miyazaki was taken by the “Heavenly Castle of Laputa”, which surpassed even “Ghost Away” (which was only in 29th place) and gave the name not only to a special animation festival, but also to the cinema in which this festival is held.
It is difficult to say what exactly guided the appraisers in their choice, but against the background of the adventures of the girl Chihiro, carried away by ghosts, the history of Laputa Castle still looks less sophisticated. The girl Sita, who fell to the ground from an aircraft, is the owner of the miraculous Stone, which is hunted by secret government agents and a team of eccentric pirates led by their own mother. Sita descends from the sky directly into the hands of the boy Pazu, the son of a miner. Now the two of them are trying to escape from the persecutors. Soon, the children discover that this stone, a kind of key to the mysterious flying island-castle of Laputa. Eventually, having reached him, Sita, aka Princess of Laputa, awakens the divine light.
In the script, you can see some of the motifs of Gulliver’s Travels, in any case, the name Laputa Miyazaki seems to have borrowed from Swift. Despite the fact that the Japanese animator had already had three animated TV series and three big cartoons (including Nausika in the Valley of the Winds, whose rolling success allowed the director to create his own studio Ghibli and gain the independence he had dreamed of for many years), it does not leave the feeling that Miyazaki here is still not far away from the aesthetics of the comics and somewhat delayed the plot. Striving to return children living in a pragmatic and fully mastered modern world, faith in romance and adventure, Miyazaki literally saturated the fabulous solution with various ingredients.
Medieval castles coexist with the achievements of scientific and technological progress, for example, with aircraft in the spirit of “Star Wars”, and robots, which, in turn, have to resist pirates and militaristic military (and if the former are just looking for treasure, the latter want world domination). In this, in general, there is nothing reprehensible, but it seems that the author has not yet released the resource of fantasy, and so far binds the visual series to proven standards. Therefore, the mixture of historical realities and urban constructivism in Laputa resembles the fantasies of the Czech director Karel Zeman, who worked in the 50-70s of the last century.
In addition, unlike “Gone” (where Miyazaki managed to create an absolutely unique world in which any lifelikeness is most disturbed), there is absolutely no suspense, although according to the parameters of the genre it simply must be, and humor, the lack of which is somehow trying to make up for the pranks of pirates. As a result, Tenkuu no Shiro Laputa has to keep the viewer’s attention mainly due to constant plot twists. In general, Laputa is much closer to serial animation (it can easily be cut into 3-4 parts and shown as a mini-series) than to its main creation, which appeared 15 years later.
Separately, I want to say about the Miyazaki phenomenon in relation to Russia, since it was formed exclusively thanks to the Internet. After the release in the Russian rental of “Ghost Away” (where they, by the way, passed very unimportantly: the box office amounted to only $0.215 million, as, indeed, in the United States — only $9.9 million, which is simply negligible against the background of the world box office — $275.2 million), which gave a tangible impetus to the popularity of the author, we, like mushrooms, began to appear clubs of anime lovers. As a result, Miyazaki quickly became a cult figure among those who prefer a computer to a cinema. Meanwhile, official film distribution, heavily dependent on overseas distributors, still quite sluggishly reacts to this phenomenon, continuing to issue anime to the Russian audience in homeopathic doses.
Oh, this wonderful world of great genius! Master, do you see my dreams?
An alternative reality of the early 20th century. Somewhere behind the clouds lies an island full of treasure and deadly power. Few people believe in it and try to find it. One of them is Muska, a government agent. He kidnaps an orphaned girl Sita, who has a flying stone crystal, a family heirloom in the form of a pendant, which is passed on in her family from generation to generation.
Muski's airship is attacked by pirates who also need this crystal. During the shootout, Sita tries to run through the window, but breaks off and falls from a great height. A flying stone saves the mistress; without letting her fall, slowly lowers her to the ground.
Under such circumstances, the main characters of this picture meet.
I want to talk a little bit about the characters.
Sita: sweet, humble, hardworking. She has an open and pure heart. Early orphan. All her life she kept the crystal as the apple of her eye, considered it only a family jewel. The mystery of the crystal did not make her ambitious, because in fact, she is the heir to the treasures of Laputa. She just wants to visit the homeland of her ancestors. Wise for the weather. In the throne room decides on a desperate step that almost cost her life, so long as Laputa was not desecrated by such a tyrant as Muska. Noble. In some situations, he decides not to interfere with other people so that they do not get hurt. To be more precise, so that only she would suffer.
Pazu: bold, desperate, to some extent tempered. He is eager to find the island to prove to everyone that his father is not a liar. Truly believes that Laputa exists. Meeting Sita was a turning point for him. There were two soul mates, two loneliness. He desperately protects the girl from pirates, from government agents, from everyone! Tricky and strong. It remains surprising his endurance (albeit a cartoon), he is ready to fight until his last breath. In the end, he makes a decisive step, which characterizes him as very smart.
Muska: A real tyrant. He enjoys seeing other people die. Very cruel to Sita and Pazou, despite the fact that he is an adult and they are children. He is clearly annoyed by the fact that the crystal obeys only its mistress.
There are no moral principles at all. Laputa interests him as a concentration of military power. He wants to rule the world.
Dora: Pirate, captain, mother of bogus pirates. He is cruel, even with his sons. She's only interested in Laputa's treasures. In the beginning, she was aggressive towards Sita and Paz. By the end of the picture changes under the influence of the kindness of children.
Very beautiful story! Amazing story, beautiful animation, written by hand, not a computer. The beautiful landscapes of Laputa - is it not a dream? I think everyone who sees this picture will want to go there!
Separately it is worth noting the musical accompaniment. I noticed Jo Hisaishi's work a long time ago. This music fully conveys the atmosphere of the cartoon. He says, “I know what you don’t know.” Now I am writing a review, and this music sounds in my head. Very beautiful music!
Beautiful, kind, wise cartoon. I recommend both adults and children. My son is 5.5 years old and enjoys watching this movie. As, in principle, other works of the Grand Master Hayao Miyazaki.
It seems to me that if it were not for Miyazaki, it is unlikely that the popularity of anime around the world would be at the same level as it is now. After all, most of the masterpieces in this genre are his work. I also got acquainted with the work of this director, who, probably, in each of his cartoons also acts as a screenwriter at least, with the viewing of Ghost Away - probably his most famous work.
I saw Laputa’s Heavenly Castle when I had seen almost all of Miyazaki’s works. I didn’t expect him to be so good. Already from the first minutes, from the very beginning credits, he catches the detailed drawing and stunningly beautiful music of Joe Hisaishi. And he doesn't let go until the end.
As it should be, around an interesting adventure story, Hayao builds a whole world in which you believe, a world with its own laws and problems, with its own mythology. And the story itself is written quite well - initially you do not suspect how the plot will turn and what the motives of the characters are. At the same time, there are references to his previous works - for example, the Belcolis, which were previously found in Nausicaa from the Valley of Winds.
The main theme of the cartoon for Miyazaki’s work is not new – the protection of nature. Compared to Princess Mononoke, this movie is more suitable for children. Which, however, does not mean that adults will be bored to look at it – like “Ponyo Fish on the Cliff” it is designed for viewers of all ages. Strong both in audiovisual and plot terms, it should appeal to the vast majority of viewers.
For me, Miyazaki’s films are divided into three age categories, not the age of the viewer, but the emotional and intellectual age of the film itself. For example, “Saint”, “Hole”, “Nausicaia” are adult films. They are loaded with philosophical concentration. Totoro or Ponyo Fish, on the contrary, are children based on emotional perception. And Laputa, like Kiki, is a teenager. The key word for him is immediacy, and that is what he immediately captures the heart. This character of the film is embodied in the character of the main characters (especially Pazu) impulsiveness, openness, naivety – spontaneity.
Laputa is a personified dream. And the childishness of this dream is simply to see, not to rob. The dream of Pazu and Sita is a garden on the upper levels of the castle that remains alive. Atlantis, the dream of pirates and soldiers, sinks with its treasures.
The childish character of the film, as well as the characters, is in the purity of thoughts and dreams. I repeat, children’s here is not “for children”, it is the age and state of the picture itself, the world created in it, the expression of which is Sita and Pazu. You can’t say that dreams come true, they just continue to exist.
P.S. One of Hisaishi's best works
You know, there are people who need to do what they do for the rest of their lives. Hayao Miyazaki is exactly that person. I don't know what's going on in his head, but I think I love him.
Somewhere on the search flashed a phrase in one of the reviews of Nausicaya from the valley of winds, quote: "Of course, it's not Gone with the Wind, but 1984, early work." So I was very hesitant to start watching the Heavenly Castle, as Gone Winds is my favorite fairy tale. Forgive me for the lyrical retreat, so.
The heavenly castle of Laputa is something delightful. So much kindness and warmth, so much love, so much justice, so much life. This is a stunning abundance of green hills, blue sky, transparent clouds. God, I would give my whole life for a second there.
Music! For the first time in my life, I noticed that the musical accompaniment perfectly fits into the course of the plot.
I beg you, see the Heavenly Castle, love it, review it, cry like I cried. It is impossible not to experience something exciting, just crime is skeptical of this small wonderful world, once again embodied Hayao.
It is a pity that you can not choose the color of the review greener than green, greener than the greenest in the world. Sometimes you know what to live for.
With my infinite respect and childish dreaminess,
10 out of 10
This cartoon is considered the first full-length film released by Ghibli studio, and accordingly, much depended on its success in the future fate of Miyazaki and his friend Takahata. The bet is on. The film waited for success... But judging by our days, the cartoon badly lacks some understatement and philosophicness, which are so characteristic of the “Witch Delivery Service” and “Gone Ghosts”. As a result, the cartoon seemed to me very interesting in drawing, as, in principle, all the works of Miyazaki, but not for the heart and soul. Original
This cartoon is considered the first full-length film released by Ghibli studio, and accordingly, much depended on its success in the future fate of Miyazaki and his friend Takahata. The bet is on. The film waited for success... But judging by our days, the cartoon badly lacks some understatement and philosophicness, which are so characteristic of the “Witch Delivery Service” and “Gone Ghosts”. As a result, the cartoon seemed to me very interesting in drawing, as, in principle, all the works of Miyazaki, but not for the heart and soul. Original