The Robot Tsuwamono

Castle in the Sky is easily one of Hayao Miyazaki’s best movies. It’s probably one of the best animated movies ever made too. It’s easily one of the best action-adventure movies ever made, at least, taking inspiration from Indiana Jones and Star Wars while adding its own spin. And in honour of an upcoming project with a friend, I figured I’d discuss my favourite scene in the movie. Here goes. 

Action scenes are a dime a dozen; after all, it’s really easy to digitally alter a scene so that a bad one looks better than it is. This is especially true of animation, as computers are so sophisticated that you can fix mistakes and robotically orchestrate movement. However, soul matters in the end, and a good action scene should include character beats. That’s why Castle in the Sky’s best action sequence, which occurs nearly an hour in and lasts approximately 12 minutes, is so great.

The scene begins with Sheeta, having been separated from Pazu, reliving a memory. After mindlessly reciting a spell she’d learned from her grandmother, her necklace brims to life and activates a dormant robot several levels below her. This robot has been activated to help her, though we don’t know that initially, and, following an encounter with military guards, it makes its way up the steps amidst sounds of gunfire and shouting. All the while, Muska and a frightened Sheeta watch.

The action really starts when the robot blows a hole through the fortress’s fire door. This robot’s on a rampage, desperate to get to Sheeta. As it clumsily flies to the top of the fortress, we see its desperation. The robot not only scares off Muska and his henchmen, it also intimidates Sheeta into fleeing outside. This is a scary moment, but at least she’s safe for now! 

On its own, this’d be a great action sequence: it’s terrifying. The score from Joe Hisaishi, particularly in the Disney dub, is loud. Judging by the voices shouting and barking orders at one another, there’s lots to fear. Even the visuals-be it the far-off shots that show how terrifying the robot is, or the use of red and orange for chaos and destruction-invoke the feeling of a war-zone. The scene isn’t even 1/3 over, and it already surpasses the action scenes from many films.

With Sheeta outside and her crystal showing the way to Laputa, the robot uses this opportunity to catch up to her and offer its assistance amidst somber music. Sheeta, reluctantly, takes up the offer, but not before a cannon blast knocks her and the robot unconscious. The soldiers, taking this as a victory, climb up the tower and search for her necklace, which dropped in the kerfuffle. But oops! They’ve celebrated too early, which they’re reminded of when the robot springs back to life and starts blasting everything.

The movie then cuts to Pazu and The Dola Gang making their way to the fortress. As they witness the destruction from a distance, they remark how “it looks like there’s some kind of war going on” in one of the few moments of levity. This contrasts with Sheeta waking to the destruction surrounding her, the look of horror on her face saying everything. She even tries pleading with the robot to stop, sending a blast into the distance and nearly killing innocent civilians. It’s a humbling moment that grounds the action in realism, emphasizing the stakes. 

After a cut back to Pazu and Dola making an attempt to rescue Sheeta, we get the most-beautiful shot: Pazu shouting to Sheeta and stretching his hand, Sheeta trying to grab it in return. The contrast of Sheeta’s white gown with the chaos of the flames feels like an angelic rescue from Hell. It’s an image worth framing on a wall. It’s also complimented by music that shifts from dangerous, to upbeat and hopeful, to somber and sad in a matter of seconds as the rescue attempt fails.

And then the movie does the unthinkable: it makes the robot sympathetic. By having it place Sheeta at the top of the tower and gesture to its dented chest, you’re reminded that it’s trying to help her. It may be big, scary and dangerous, but it’s doing what it was programmed for. This makes its defeat at the hands of Airship Goliath, the battleship meant to escort Sheeta to Laputa, and the last interaction Sheeta has with the robot feel tragic.

Obviously, Pazu and Dola make their way back for Round 2 of their rescue, this time succeeding while Dola’s sons distract Goliath. As they fly off and the music turns triumphant, you’re left feeling like you participated in something amazing. Sure, Sheeta no longer has the necklace. True, Muska and the military got what they wanted. But who cares? We’ve witnessed the equivalent of Santa Claus coming down the chimney on Christmas, or Moses parting the Red Sea with his staff. Cue the applause! 

At least, that’s what I feel when it ends. And yes, I always clap, if only silently. Because it’s a great action scene. It’s even made better by Hisaishi’s score being fantastic all-around, using and reusing leitmotifs from the film proper. But it’s also character-driven, with the focus being almost entirely on Sheeta. She learns to appreciate the robot, even grieving its death, and so do we. It makes this intense action sequence tragic by the end, which is what it was going for.

That’s also one of the elements that makes me care about Castle in the Sky. Truthfully, I’m not a big fan of the sub-genre of movie it belongs to. I find those films way too cornball and silly for their own good, replete with mediocre acting and MacGuffin chases I don’t find interesting. By having the intimacy amidst the grandeur, this movie bucks that entirely. I can’t praise it enough!

But why take my word for it? Castle in the Sky’s currently on Netflix and HBO Max, so you have no excuse to not check it out for yourself!