I Think Retrofuturism is Miyazaki’s Not-So-Secret Weapon in Castle In The Sky (1986)

This film was requested by Josh Ayers, whom I met through a group of fantasy football friends, and now he has become a part of my daily life, which is neat. I love him dearly even though he is a Boston Sports Person. (No really, he has a dog named Caroline. She’s a good girl, though.) Want to request a film for a future issue? Subscribe to the paid version!

I have to hand it to him: Hayao Miyazaki understood what kids like.

Last year, I wrote about how I think the plotlessness of My Neighbor Totoro is the film’s secret weapon, and this week we’re turning the dial back two years to Miyazaki’s previous animated feature, Castle In The Sky, and what I believe is this film’s not-so-secret weapon: retrofuturism!

I love that word. “Retrofuturism.” It’s one of those five-dollar words that also gives you all the context clues you need to understand it. I bet the first time you heard that word, you were like, “Oh, yeah, I think I get it.” It’s also one of those wonderful (though underutilized) cinematic tropes where you know it when you see it. I think maybe it’s underutilized because it’s difficult to pull off earnestly; if you lean in too hard, you might wind up with a knight in shining Jordans.

But Miyazaki is a genius, so of course he pulls it off. I mean, it’s right there in the title. A castle, in the traditional sense, simply could not exist “in the sky” if not for some futuristic technology. Viewers of all ages are instantly hooked in the same way the characters are when they bring up this legendary flying marvel. “A castle? In the sky? I gotta see this.” It’s such a perfect conceit.

Miyazaki doesn’t stop there, though. He basically throws in every sort of kid-friendly trope and somehow blends them together beautifully.

There are elaborate planes (airships, even). There are also pirates flying these airships. You could ask your child “Hey, do you wanna watch this movie about sky pirates?” and they will probably lose their mind. But there’s more! There’s a mysterious amulet, and there’s a spell that awakens it. There’s a chase scene that ends in an abandoned mine. And there are two other crucial ingredients: An orphan boy and an orphan girl* who have so much agency in their adventures that it would be hard for any child to not be envious.

But the real magic happens when they get to the castle.** True to the retrofuturistic style, there’s a seamless blend between the ancient and the almost. Judging by the castle itself, you wouldn’t even know there’s anything futuristic about it…except for the dormant robot soldiers (that are also kinda robot gardeners?) scattered across the lawn. Seeing the two orphan children awaken a robot, then watching little squirrely critters play along that robot’s shoulder, is a real treat.

I think this is a pretty smart concept for a younger audience. I’m no child psychologist, but I believe children are able to understand “once upon a time” and “a galaxy far, far away” before they really understand the details of linear time. So, in their minds, why wouldn’t there be a castle in the sky? Why wouldn’t there be pirates on an airplane? Why wouldn’t there be rusty robots covered in moss? Good stories are simply good stories, and what’s “possible” has nothing to do with it.

So yeah. I think Miyazaki knew a good bit about what goes on in a child’s mind. And it’s remarkable that he knew how to fit all of these different ingredients into one delicious stew.

*It’s wild how centuries of children’s literature was about orphans. Were there really that many orphans running around? Someone should’ve called Child Protective Services.

**I’m gonna go ahead and say this isn’t a spoiler, even though it doesn’t happen until the third act. I mean, you knew they would find the titular castle, right? Can you imagine calling a children’s film Castle In The Sky and then not showing an actual castle in the sky? You would lose your job.

Castle In The Sky is now streaming on HBO Max, and it’s available to buy elsewhere.