The great Hayao Miyazaki first director role was in this 1979 animated
adventure movie, Lupin the Third: Castle of Cagliostro. The plot is based off
the popular character, Lupin III.
Lupin III is the greatest thief the world has ever known. Accompanied by his
trusted friend Jigen, a peerless gunman, and with the occasional help of the
samurai Goemon, no heist is too great.
But after pulling off a casino robbery whose haul consists entirely of
counterfeit bills, Lupin decides that his next job will be to track these
legendary “Goat Bills” to their source–the tiny country of Cagliostro.
Before long Lupin and friends are involved in a twisted scheme by the Count of
Cagliostro to marry himself to the beautiful princess Clarise. With the
Count's army of henchmen, a castle full of traps, and a princess locked in a
tower, it's going to take every trick in Lupin's bag to pull off
this caper.
Won Mainichi Film Concours, Ofuji Noburo Award
Lupin the 3rd: Castle of Cagliostro Movie
Review
By animeworld.com
"Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro is a marvelous film with enough
whimsical action, playful adventure, and satisfying plot to appeal to viewers of
almost any age, so long as they've got a little of that youthful rogue in
spirit.
That said, there are three entirely different (and somewhat
contradictory) lenses through which you can look at The Castle of Cagliostro: As
a Miyazaki film; as part of the decades-long Lupin III franchise; or entirely on
its own, as a standalone all-ages action-adventure. It's hard to argue that the
film isn't memorable, but exactly how successful it is depends a great deal on
what you're comparing it to. I happen to be fond of each of these categories of
anime independently, so I'll go ahead and try looking at the movie through three
different pairs of fan-glasses.
Castle of Cagliostro certainly has everything you could ask for in a
Miyazaki film: Lush European scenery, fanciful action, a hint of pure-hearted
romance, and a solidly-constructed plot that skips along at a brisk pace but
also takes the time to slow down for an occasional touching moment. And, true to
form, when he tugs at the heartstrings, he does it almost effortlessly–there
are no orchestral swells or tearful close-ups, just small, heartfelt moments
allowed to stand on their own…In all, while the established conventions of
Lupin and friends restrain Miyazaki a bit from the wonder of his
fanciful-yet-earthy stories like Porco Rosso, or the intrinsic moral messages of
some of his deeper films, his sense of action and lighthearted danger is loosed
in full force to wonderful effect.
I find it somewhat ironic, then, that when I switch viewpoints much of
what makes the film a fine Miyazaki movie makes it rather out-of-place as a
Lupin III film. It's almost at odds with itself, as if Miyazaki just couldn't
bring himself to make a movie as randy as the character requires. Lupin III has,
after all, built a reputation as good, somewhat dirty fun for adults with a
rascal at heart. This is probably why, as a Lupin III film, The Castle of
Cagliostro seems to be missing something. It certainly has the wild action,
gadgets, and skin-of-the-teeth escapes that Lupin III fans know and love, but
it's just a little too clean. Miyazaki's Lupin may be a womanizer by
reputation, but he's too much the dashing rogue–he just doesn't have the lust
in his eyes, or that touch of smarmy greed in his heart. Fujiko, likewise, may
be as competent as ever, but the sense of competition and sexual tension is
missing. Plus, to put it as bluntly as I can, she's wearing too much;
sexuality-as-a-tool has always been an integral part of her character, and
it's nowhere to be found here. Jigen and particularly Goemon also get left out
of much of the plot, but that's not unusual. That said, part of what's given
the Lupin III franchise its staying power is that every animated interpretation
of the characters is different, and every film has its own feel and focus. So
long as you accept that this is a particularly clean and rather nostalgic Lupin
III film, it's certainly not a bad one.
If I pretend I know nothing about Miyazaki or Lupin III (not difficult,
as I first saw the Streamline dub of the film long before I had even heard of
either), the analysis is much easier: A positively fantastic light-hearted
adventure that grabs you with the opening scene and doesn't let go until the
credits roll. The action is, perhaps, a tad “childish” for my taste–for
all the swordplay and gunfire, there's barely a drop of blood, and it's not
clear if any of the legions of henchmen are even seriously injured. There are,
similarly, a couple of sight gags that didn't do anything for me. But that's a
nitpick, and I was largely too busy cheering for the heroes
to care…
The visual thrill is perhaps the best of it, though–gorgeous background
art of stately castles, lush pastoral scenery, and a centerpiece action scene in
and around a giant clock tower. The action may lack a hard edge, but the sense
of relentless motion is truly impressive. Once an action scene gets
underway–be it spectacular car chase, cat-burglary, or castle-spanning
melee–there is never a moment to catch your breath, as one death-defying feat
after another is strung together in a fluid dance. Acrophobics beware:
Miyazaki's films are known for their sense of vertigo, and this one is no
exception. There are several scenes involving rooftop sneaking and a famed
showdown on the face of a clock that feature a dizzying sense of
height.
…Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro may not be the best Lupin III
movie in the franchise, but it's the best known and with good reason–if you
look past what it does with the established characters and take it as a
standalone film, it is a wonderful, action-packed adventure with enough
substance and characterization to appeal to both the young and the young
at heart.
Related Recommendations: Although there are a lot of Lupin III movies,
most are less clean and more violent than this one; the most similar is probably
The Fuma Conspiracy, which has a very similar plot and mood. Several Miyazaki
movies also have a similar sense of adventure, most notably Laputa and Porco
Rosso."