I have started this year off pretty much exactly how I started last year off, by watching almost exclusively Japanese films. And even the one film I have watched which wasn’t Japanese I only watched for review purposes. So, it was only ever going to be a Japanese film I would be watching today, and I felt it would be a good time for me to complete the filmography of one of the greats, Hayao Miyazaki (or at least complete my viewing of his feature-length films). So up step ‘Castle of Cagliostro’ (1979). Based on the ‘Lupin the 3rd’ TV show that Miyazaki had directed, it only made sense for this to be his feature-length debut and the start of what would become a legendary career. The film follows Lupin (Yasuo Yamada), a world-renowned thief, who is planning to break into the castle of Cagliostro to uncover a possible operation spreading counterfeit money across the globe that is rumoured to take place there. However, his mission takes on a different form when he discovers that the Lady Clarisse d’ Cagliostro (Sumi Shimamoto) is to be wed to Count Lazare d’ Cagliostro (Taro Ishida) against her will and devises a plan to rescue her.
This film is at once a great precursor to Miyazaki’s Ghibli films as well as feeling different to those films at the same time. It doesn’t have the themes and motifs that are associated with a lot of Miyazaki and Ghibli films, but the animation style and look of the film is very reminiscent of the early Miyazaki Ghibli films (in particular ‘Laputa: Castle in the Sky’ [1986]). Needless to say, that the animation throughout is superb and there are several standout sequences throughout, with the action scenes being particular highlights. The film feels different to the majority of Miyazaki’s other output due to the tone it takes. The film is genuinely fun adventure, but it also takes on a more explicit cartoonish nature. By that I mean it has the characters having cartoon-like reactions within the world with comedic sound effects accompanying them. That is terribly explained. So, there is a scene where Lupin eats too much food and his face literally turns green. It has that kind of vibe to it. And it really works with the narrative the film is going for which is a huge adventure romp, and it ends up with the film being a ton of fun. It at times felt like one of the sillier James Bond films (which was helped by the soundtrack) and in the context of an animated film it really works well in creating a film that was endlessly enjoyable.
The main thing I am going to take away from this film however is just how good it looks. I have already mentioned how well the film is animated and this obviously adds to the overall look of the film, but I also just love the design of the film, both in character and world design. Character-wise the film does a superb job in creating distinct and fun characters. They all have unique looks and are also all animated distinctly, allowing them to feel like real characters rather than drawings on a screen. The designs are so good in fact that Miyazaki clearly lifts some of them for characters in his later films. My favourite characters in the film are actually the voiceless assassins that appear in the film. Not only do they look bloody cool, but the way they are animated is superb as well. They have a skulking and animalistic movement to them, and they are so distinct and have already embedded themselves in my mind. But the world the film creates is where it fully hooked me. The design of the titular castle is stunning, and it is both beautiful and menacing in its look and the scale it takes on in the world of the film. I also love the design of the ruins which Lupin and his clue hole up in. There is one scene in particular set in these ruins where Lupin wanders next to a lake and it looks bloody beautiful. The still water, the sun reflecting off it, the overgrown foliage on the buildings, it is really beautiful to look and it and made me want to visit. Obviously, I can’t, but boy do I wish I could.
Miyazaki really did kick off his film career strongly. This is not his strongest work and he would go on to create genuine masterpieces later down the line, but as a debut and as a piece of work not associated at all with Ghibli I really, really enjoyed it. It is a ton of fun and takes on a tone that makes it a great time to sit through. If you haven’t seen any Miyazaki yet it isn’t what I would tell you to start with only because there are better films of his which I think show off his skills better, but if you are already a fan and have not seen this absolutely get on it. You will not be disappointed.
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