| The Castle of Cagliostro
is the second Lupin the 3rd movie, and an unlikely
masterpiece from first time movie director Hayao
Miyazaki. In fact, Miyazaki being handed the project
was coincidental, as it was originally going to
be helmed solely by Yasuo Otsuka. However, Otsuka
didn’t like the concept for the film that
was drafted by writer Seijun Suzuki, so Miyazaki,
who had worked on some of the early Lupin TV episodes,
was asked if he would direct the picture. Miyazaki
agreed, but wrote up his own plot, and ended up
completing the movie in the brief four month production
schedule, while the rest is history. Miyazaki
may have busted his chops to get the film completed
in time, but his efforts are truly something to
behold. Without question, The Castle of Cagliostro
is one of the greats of Animation. The film is
incredibly fun to watch, evoking a great sense
of adventure, while also crafting an excellently
paced story that works with the diverse cast of
memorable characters. On the down side, the animation
is a little crude at times, and the musical score
is a little uneven, but these aspects are easy
to overlook.
In terms of the story, the movie
opens with a billion dollar casino heist by famous
thieves Arsene Lupin and Daisuke Jigen. The two
escape, but unfortunately discover that their
loot is nothing more than counterfeit currency.
Lupin recognizes the handiwork, though, citing
that they are in fact the legendary “goat
bills” that belong to an ancient, and on
going, counterfeit ring. The pair then set out
on a quest to reveal the counterfeit's origin
in the kingdom of Cagliostro, something that Lupin
had attempted a decade earlier but failed. Their
quest is sidetracked, though, by a young girl
named Clarisse who, against her will, is set to
marry the local Count, an individual who is also
behind the creation of the “goat bills”.
Lupin then makes it his mission to save the girl,
with help from trusted swordsman Goemon Ishikawa,
amidst assassination attempts and the intervention
of Inspector Zenigata.
All in all, the story is simple
in terms of its premise, but thanks to Miyazaki’s
penwork the plot is multi-layered in its execution.
It also deserves amble praise for effectively
working in a good number of action sequences,
all of which are exciting to watch and progress
the story without feeling tacked on. The flow
to the movie is all very natural in terms of introductions
of characters or how it reveals plot points, such
as the reasoning behind Lupin’s interest
in the girl. The pacing also never leaves the
audience unintentionally confused or unsure about
what’s transpiring. One also has to admire
the script's intentional cliché breakers
as well, like having the slow moving car near
the cliff actually slip off instead of rest on
the edge as one is expecting. Usually this also
works to generate a laugh or two, and the movie
as a whole works just as well as a comedy as it
does as an action caper.
Characterization is also another
strong aspect of the movie, and manages to balance
the fact that most of the cast will be familiar
to the audience while at the same time not leaving
out newcomers to the series. In fact, The
Castle of Cagliostro works as an excellent
introduction to Lupin’s world, and the only
thing one will miss out on, if they haven’t
seen any prior Lupin adventures, is the impact
behind seeing Lupin and Zenigata joining forces
to take down the Count. The film has taken some
heat from fans, though, for not portraying Lupin
as the sex crazed individual he usually is; however,
this is clearly not a normal adventure for the
famous thief, as he on a quest to repay an age
old favor to a young girl, now mostly grown up,
who helped him out a decade ago when he fell on
hard times. The girl in question, of course, is
Clarisse, who is set to marry the villainous Count
against her will. The Clarisse character is new
to the Lupin legacy, and the movie does a good
job of making her out to be a mostly timid character
at first, who develops a believable affection
towards Lupin. She’s not a character many
will relate with, but the audience’s sympathy
is clearly with her. The other notable new character
is the antagonist: the Count of Cagliostro. The
count is a fairly stereotypical villain, with
the best comparison being with a number of James
Bond villains in terms of his empire and devoted
henchmen, but Miyazaki does well to make the audience
loath him as they should; in fact, there is a
good deal of satisfaction to be had seeing the
normally calm Count, even in the face of opposition
and having his plans spoiled by Lupin, gradually
become more enraged as the movie progresses.
In regards to the voice acting,
the talent fits the diverse roles very well. The
usual Lupin gang is all here, from Yasuo Yamada
as Arsene Lupin to Eiko Masuyama as the always
mysterious Fujiko Mine. There isn’t any
stand out performances in the line reads, but
the cast is still solid with no complaints to
be had. Of course, Miyazaki’s memorable,
often incredibly humorous, dialogue really takes
center stage, but the cast does do a nice job
of adding flair to the situations none the less.
On the downside, the animation
found in The Castle of Cagliostro is
not up to the standards of current Japanese cinema.
However, for a film constructed in a mere four
months back in the late 1970’s, I would
hope that people wouldn’t hold it to the
same degree of scrutiny as more recent endeavors.
To the movie’s credit, this film is very
well animated for its time with a fluid level
of motion not often seen in other late 1970’s
flicks. The characters are pretty simple in terms
of design, but definitely have a distinct flavor
to them that will likely resonate with fans of
the director’s later productions, particularly
the Clarisse character.
Of course another small blemish
on the movie is the music found in The Castle
of Cagliostro, which isn’t as grand
as one would have hoped for this production. It’s
scored by Lupin regular Yuji Ono, so fans of the
series can rest easy. The composer is not without
his charm, and Ono manages to construct some very
memorable tunes for the film, like the car chase
theme and the beatifically done main title song.
Sadly, the music is not always so pleasant, and
a couple of tracks almost sound like outtakes
from Riichiro Manabe’s Godzilla
vs. Hedorah (1971) score, which is far
from a compliment. Overall, Ono’s work has
enough enjoyable themes to make the soundtrack
worth seeking out, but there is definitely some
music here that borders on unpleasant and doesn’t
fit its intended scene very well.
Regardless of the last two points,
The Castle of Cagliostro is a rip-roaring
action adventure flick that’s sure to warrant
numerous viewings. The ending, Lupin and the gang
driving into the distance as Inspector Zenigata
and his troop are in hot pursuit, is very iconic,
and it’s hard to resist the urge to watch
the whole movie again right afterwards. Through
and through, the movie is one of the more entertaining
films out there and, even at this early stage
in his career, Miyazaki more than proves that
he is one of the modern masters of Japanese cinema.
|
(4.5/5)