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My Experience Moving from Pakistan to the United States Book-to-movie adaptations are a difficult thing to get right. You can’t spend the same amount of time in scenes, and it can be difficult to get inside a character’s head. Pacing changes, plot points get cut, and character personalities can be completely inaccurate.
Sometimes, though, the changes work.
One of my favorite book to movie adaptations is Studio Ghibli’s “Howl’s Moving Castle”, inspired by the book by Diana Wynne Jones. Usually, I’m a stickler for accuracy in adaptations because changes can easily ruin what made the story lovable. And even though the book and movie are fairly different, I consider the movie a good adaptation because it captured the magic of the book.
“Howl’s Moving Castle” is a riveting adventure set in a fairy tale world. It follows Sophie, a young woman cursed to be old, and the start of her relationship with the wizard Howl. The book showcases the power of words and our perception of ourselves. That message is much subtler in the movie.
The settings of the two differ. The book is set in a purely fantasy world, with a brief stop in our own, and kingdoms that are on the edge of war. The movie is still in a fantasy world, but one with some technology, much of which is fantastical in appearance. There’s a war happening, which becomes a driving force later on.
Unsurprisingly, there are characters from the book that didn’t make it into the movie due to time. The others experienced changes, some big and some small, but they still felt recognizable as their book counterparts.
Even with all the changes, the movie captured the magic of the book. Both transport audiences into a fantastical world full of life, color, and wonder. They’re enjoyable to read or watch, and take the audience on a fun and heartwarming journey.
Every time I watch the movie, I want to reread the book. And unlike when I have the misfortune of watching the “Percy Jackson” movies, for example, I want to reread the book to keep the magic going.
In either form, “Howl’s Moving Castle” is a magical, moving story about the power of our words, how we perceive ourselves, and the people around us matter.
Kai Spahr is a Buhler sophomore studying media production and the Opinion Page Editor.
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