One Villainous Scene: Muska Threatens Sheeta About Laputa

This week was a toss-up for content. On one hand, I had a rant prepared on the situation with Ben & Jerry’s, and how that was being weaponized. On the other hand, Chiaki J. Konaka was prime for discussion. But while both will (hopefully) receive pieces, right now I’ll tackle something easier. Let’s hop on the “One Villainous Scene” train.

Villains are interesting to discuss. They not only, when done well, give something for the protagonists to not become, but they often have the best lines. They’re fun, colourful characters that create tension, giving us something to latch onto and despise. And they’re routinely more interesting than the leads. All of this is why they’re used as storytelling devices.

There are many fun villains out there. Some are big and flashy, while others are small and reserved. If I had to pick one villain and a scene that encapsulates them, it’d have to be from one of my favourite animated films. I’m talking Colonel Muska interrogating Sheeta in Castle in the Sky. I’m such a shill that I’m analyzing two separate scenes from it on The Whitly-Verse. Sue me.

Castle in the Sky’s a film from Hayao Miyazaki that feels like a family-friendly Indiana Jones. Set in Wales at the turn of the 20th Century, it follows Pazu and Sheeta in their quest to find a floating city while being hunted by the military and chased by sky pirates. Along the way, the two become friends, make allies and encounter dark truths. And all of this in, arguably, Miyazaki’s silliest feature. It’s awesome.

The scene I’m zoning-in on takes place roughly a third of the way in. It occurs right after Pazu and Sheeta are captured by the military and taken to a fortress to be interrogated. Pazu, on one hand, is sitting in a dungeon, one he routinely tries, and fails, to escape from. But this is really about Sheeta and Colonel Muska, the film’s antagonist. Sheeta’s been refusing to cooperate with the military, so Muska, who’s been playing his cards close to his chest, takes matters into his own hands. What follows is a turn to seriousness.

Muska visits Sheeta’s chamber under the pretence of giving her a new dress. Sheeta, understandably, wants to know if Pazu’s alright, to which Muska promises she’ll see him later. The two ride a long elevator to the base’s bottom cellar, and Muska shows Sheeta a damaged machine lying in the middle of the room. Sheeta’s shocked and intrigued, something made worse when Muska mentions that this machine, a robot, had crashed onto an elderly couple’s farm from the sky a long time earlier.

I have to make this disclaimer now: I’m referencing the movie’s English dub with this piece. Specifically, the early-2000’s Disney dub, complete with added jokes and a classical rescoring from Joe Hisaishi. The reason is that, aside from being my introduction to it, there’s a unique charm to this version that’s worth analyzing. If that’s enough to deter you, then stop reading this.

What makes this scene unsettling is how it establishes Muska as the antagonist while also grounding Laputa. Prior to this, not only was Muska a background character, but Laputa was a lighthearted goal with low stakes. If anything, Dola and her pirates were the real threat initially, with their battle with Pazu and Sheeta being played for laughs. This was the moment Laputa became serious, and it happened with a robot, a chamber and a colonel frightening a child. This was the end the fun, essentially.

With Sheeta shown that Laputa wasn’t a story passed down by her family, Muska mentions that while the robot’s composition is unknown, its emblem reveals that it was a guardian of the Laputian royal family. Its emblem’s also on Sheeta’s pendant that she wears around her neck. Because the two are interconnected, it’s safe to assume that Laputa’s more powerful than anyone had thought. Of course, Muska’s only sharing this to intimidate Sheeta into cooperating, but it’s chilling to hear all of it anyway. Especially with the quiet, haunting orchestrations in the background.

And then Muska lets the mask briefly slip, as his megalomaniacal demeanour kicks in and he explains how dangerous Laputa is. When Sheeta refuses to cooperate yet again, he ups the ante by threatening to harm Pazu. To top it off, he reveals Sheeta’s royal name, hinting that there’s something he’s not letting on. Considering Sheeta’s already vulnerable, this is the cherry on top.

It’s also brilliant. The scene is short, but so much is revealed: we learn that Laputa’s real in this world. We’re introduced to the darker lore. We see how threatening Muska is, and how he commands the room with few words. And we’re reminded that Sheeta’s a vulnerable kid, which is reenforced by her crying after discovering her pendant’s secret.

You know what helps? The voice acting. I know the English dub gets derided, but this scene is Mark Hamill and Anna Paquin at their best. Hamill especially, being another example of his range beyond Luke Skywalker and The Joker. He relishes every line, chewing the scenery like it’s his dinner. It’s delicious, and he knows it.

Above all else, this is a memorable moment in a memorable movie. I know Miyazaki doesn’t really like shallow villains, he thinks them untrue to life, but Muska makes me wish he’d done more of them. Because, honestly, he’s really good at writing them. Colonel Muska’s the most Hollywood-esque he’ll ever go with his antagonists, but bless him for going there. Because Castle in the Sky wouldn’t be the same without him.

Now, about Miyazaki’s upcoming film…