Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

Christian Bale: Howl

Photos 

Quotes 

• Howl : I feel terrible, like there's a weight on my chest.

  Young Sophie : A heart's a heavy burden.

• Young Sophie : Let's run! Don't fight them, Howl!

  Howl : Sorry, I've had enough of running away, Sophie. Now I've got something I want to protect. It's you.

• Old Sophie : A battleship?

  Howl : On its way to burn cities and people.

  Old Sophie : The enemy's? Ours?

  Howl : What difference does it make?

• Howl : I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't torment my friend.

• Howl : Wow, Sophie, your hair looks just like starlight. It's beautiful.

  Young Sophie : You think so? So do I!

  [hugs Howl] 

• [Two soldiers are bothering Sophie] 

  Howl : There you are, sweetheart, sorry I'm late. I was looking everywhere for you.

  Soldier : Hey, hey! We're busy here!

  Howl : Are you really? To me, it looked like the two of you were just leaving.

  [gestures with his hand, the soldiers are forced to march away] 

• Howl : This war is terrible, they bomb from the southern coast to the northern border. It's all in flames now.

  Calcifer : I can't stand the fire and gunpowder. Those dopey guys have absolutely no manners.

  Howl : My own kind attacked me today.

  Calcifer : Who? The Witch of the Wastes?

  Howl : No, some hack wizards who turned themselves into monsters for the king.

  Calcifer : Those wizards are going to regret doing that. They'll never change back into humans.

  Howl : After the war, they won't recall they ever were human.

• [Howl comes running out of the bathroom, screaming. His hair is now orange] 

  Howl : Sophie! You, you sabotaged me! Look! Look at what you've done to my hair! Look!

  Old Sophie : What a pretty color.

  Howl : It's hideous! You completely ruined my magic potions in the bathroom!

  Old Sophie : I just organized things, Howl. Nothing's ruined.

  Howl : Wrong! Wrong! I specifically ordered you not to get carried away!

  [tragically] 

  Howl : Now I'm repulsive.

  [slumps into a chair] 

  Howl : I can't live like this.

  [starts sobbing, head in hands] 

  Old Sophie : Come on, it's not that bad.

  [Howl's hair changes color to purple, then black] 

  Old Sophie : You should look at it now, its shade is even better.

  Howl : [inconsolable]  I give up. I see no point in living if I can't be beautiful.

• Young Sophie : So you are going away. Please, Howl. I know I can be of help to you, even though I'm not pretty and all I'm good at is cleaning.

  Howl : Sophie! Sophie! You're beautiful!

  Old Sophie : Well, the nice thing about being old is you've got nothing much to lose.

• Howl : You're wearing that hat? After all the magic I used to make your dress pretty?

• [walks up to the scarecrow] 

  Howl : Looks like we have another addition to the family. Hmmm, you've got quite a nasty spell on you too, huh? Seems everyone in this family's got problems.

• Howl : The Witch of the Waste and Madame Suliman's dog at my table? What possessed you to let them in my house?

  Calcifer : I didn't let them in here! Sophie crash landed her plane into my face!

  Howl : [laughs] 

  Old Sophie : Hmph!

  Howl : I knew she'd make a great pilot!

• Howl : [Quietly amused]  Calcifer? You're being so obedient.

  Calcifer : Not on purpose! She bullied me!

  Howl : Not just anybody can do that.

  [Looks at Sophie] 

  Howl : And you are... who?

  Old Sophie : Er, you can just call me Grandma Sophie. I'm your new cleaning lady. I just started work today.

• Young Sophie : It's... you're scaring me. I have this weird feeling you're going to leave. Howl, tell me what's going on! Please. I don't care if you're a monster.

  Howl : I'm just setting things up so all of you can live a comfortable life, Sophie.

• Howl : So what do you have in your pocket, Sophie?

  Old Sophie : Huh?

  [Finds a folded piece of paper] 

  Old Sophie : What is this?

  Howl : Give it to me.

  [paper burns leaving marks on the table] 

  Markl : Scorch marks! Howl, can you read them?

  Howl : That is ancient sorcery, and quite powerful too.

  Markl : Is it from the Witch of the Waste?

  Howl : "You who swallowed a falling star, o' heartless man, your heart shall soon be mine." That can't be good for the table.

  [covers the marks with his hand] 

  Markl : Wow! It's gone!

  Howl : The mark may be gone, but the spell is still there.

• Howl : Calcifer, move the castle sixty miles west.

  [walks away] 

  Howl : And while you're at it, make hot water for my bath.

  Calcifer : Fine, like moving the castle isn't hard enough!

• Old Sophie : I can't do this! Why'd you make me come here if you were coming yourself?

  Howl : Knowing you'd be there gave me the courage to show up. That woman terrifies me. I can't face her on my own. You saved me, Sophie. I was in big trouble back there.

• Young Sophie : I know where I am! I'm in Howl's childhood!

  Howl : [Howl catches one of the falling stars, talks to it, then puts it in his mouth and swallows. He bends over, as if in pain, and then draws Calcifer out of his chest] 

  Young Sophie : Howl! Calcier! I know how to help you now! Find me in the future!

• [in the secret garden] 

  Old Sophie : Did you use your magic to make this?

  Howl : Only a little, just to help the flowers grow.

• Howl : You didn't have to come back, Calcifer.

  Calcifer : Yeah, I kinda missed you guys, and it looks like it's gonna rain.

  Young Sophie : I missed you too, Calcifer.

• Howl : Don't be alarmed, but I'm being followed. Act normal.

• [to Sophie] 

  Howl : See that new color on the dial? There's a new portal. It's a present for you. Come see.

• [puts a ring on Sophie's finger] 

  Howl : This charm will guarantee your safe return. Don't worry, I'll follow behind you in disguise. Now off you go.

• Old Sophie : Howl, why is the Witch of the Wastes trying to hunt you down?

  Howl : She was once quite beautiful, so I decided to pursue her, then I realized she wasn't, so then, as usual, I ran away.

• Howl : Sorry, it looks like you're involved.

• Howl : I've got it! Why don't you go to the palace for me?

  Old Sophie : Huh?

  Howl : Just say that you're Pendragon's mother and that your son is such a cowardly wizard he's too afraid to show his face. Maybe then Madame Suliman will finally give up on me.

• Howl : The Witch of the Wastes is trying to find my castle.

  Old Sophie : Ah, I saw her henchmen at the harbor.

  Howl : I'm such a big coward, all I do is hide. All of this magic is to keep everybody away. I can't stand how scared I am.

• [to the Witch of the Wastes] 

  Howl : Tell me, was that cigar a gift from Madame Suliman, by any chance?

• Howl : Markl, make sure the cleaning lady doesn't get carried away while I'm gone.

  Markl : Sophie, what did you do now?

  [Sophie shrugs] 

  Calcifer : She almost smothered me! If I die, Howl dies too, I hope you know.

• Howl : Those things are Suliman's henchmen. Let's go! Faster! We need to take off!

• Howl : I'm tired, make some hot water for my bath.

  Calcifer : Not again!

• Howl : I can give you five minutes of invisibility so use it wisely.