Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)

The first television series of Lupin III ran from 1971-72, contained only 23 episodes and included three directors. The original director was Masaaki Ōsumi, but after a dispute with the production company, he left the series. He was replaced with two young directors who believed in the direction he was going with the franchise: Isao Takahata (who would later go on to make the masterpiece, Grave of the Fireflies) and Hayao Miyazaki. Due to low ratings, the series (though very influential and incredibly ahead of its time) was canceled. In 1977, the series was re-launched into a much more recognized and hugely popular series. Due to the success of this new series, Lupin III: The Mystery of Mamo was released in 1978. This was quickly followed up by the sequel, Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro. The sequel was made in about 4 months and marks the cinematic directorial debut of one of the first series’ directors, Hayao Miyazaki.

Long before Studio Ghibli and even Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, there was a thief named Arsène Lupin III. The film opens with the conclusion of a heist. Lupin (voiced again by Yasuo Yamada) and his right-hand man Jigen (Kiyoshi Kobayashi) have just robbed the vault of a casino and are on the run. Before they can celebrate, Lupin realizes the bills are (really well-made) counterfeits. They trace the bills to the country of Cagliostro, where Lupin reveals that the bills are made by non other than the Count himself, who rules the country that no longer has a ruler. The evil Count Cagliostro (Tarô Ishida) is planning to marry the young Princess Clarisse (Shumi Shimamoto) against her will. Lupin, Jigen and Goemon (Makio Inoue) plan to rescue her, destroy the production of the counterfeit money and find a treasure. They have inside help from Fujiko (Eiko Masuyama), who has her own plans, and Inspector Zenigata (Gorô Naya), who hears of Lupin and immediately begins investigating.

The film hearkens back to the first series by having Lupin wear a teal blazer instead of his now iconic red one. It plays out almost like an unofficial epilogue to the first series as Lupin, though as humorous and likable as ever, feels a bit more mature and even wiser as if to show that he is more of an experienced veteran than the wild and crazy youth he used to be. This is a subtle change and it never appears as though the character has been re-imagined; it’s more like this is just a slightly older and perhaps more serious version of Lupin. I keep making references to a distinction between the first and second television series, and this is for a reason. The first series contains a lot of the humor that is crucial to the franchise, but it is heavily ingrained into the story and feels very natural. The second series is much more routine in its plot-lines and features more over-the-top humor and character types as it was geared towards a wider, general audience. The second series is still a classic anime, but the first series is a forgotten gem.

The Castle of Cagliostro instantly feels like a Miyazaki film through the animation, meticulously painted and vibrantly colored backgrounds and consistent tone. Even though the Lupin series is set in the real world, Miyazaki demands location of his own invention; in this case, the green and lush European country of Cagliostro. The castle, of which the majority of the film revolves, is a labyrinth of trap doors, towers, dungeons and working gears. The castle is surrounded on all sides with water and green mountains in a terrain that Miyazaki is known for creating. There is also a touch of roman influence on the medieval castle, as it also uses aqueducts. Aside from the visuals, the characters are all fun and interesting. Jigen, Goemon, and Fujiko are all true to their respective characters, but Zenigata is the supporting character that shines in this film. One of the problems with this character in The Mystery of Mamo was that, even though he was a constant presence, he seemed to serve no purpose in terms of actual plot. He was just there for gags and to chase Lupin, much as he is on the second television series. In this film however, he is much similar to how he is portrayed in the original series. He is meant to be the polar opposite of Lupin. He represents a rigid lifestyle and order, while Lupin is carefree and above all, free. In The Castle of Cagliostro, he is a significant part of the story and also genuine threat to Lupin’s schemes. He is as smart and persistent as Lupin himself, just not as clever. The Count is an interesting villain; in fact, he is the only other villain, aside from Muska in Castle in the Sky, which Miyazaki created to be played out as a straight-forward villain. There is no redeeming quality for this guy; he’s cold, sly, and ruthless.

The second Lupin III film is a treat for any audience; the jokes are funny, the characters are interesting, the animation is very high-quality, and the action is great, not to mention the cool jazzy soundtrack. It holds up very well today and in comparison to Miyazaki’s other films. It’s hard to believe that this is the first film he wrote/directed, and it’s even harder to believe that it was put together in only four months, a time frame that is not only laughable today, but impossible. This is a terrific addition the Lupin III franchise and a thoroughly entertaining movie. It’s pure cinematic fun.

Lupin III: The Mystery of Mamo (1978)

Lupin III is an internationally famous manga series created by Monkey Punch in the late 1960s. The story follows the grandson of the famous thief Arsène Lupin and his exploits as he travels the world stealing valuables and being chased by the police led by detective Zenigata. The manga was incredibly popular upon its release in Japan and it was soon made into an influential television series featuring new talented directors like Masaaki Ōsumi, Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki. The second series was made in the late seventies and became a huge hit, spawning several films. Lupin III: The Mystery of Mamo is the first feature length film to be made about the franchise.

The story follows Lupin III (voiced by Yasuo Yamada) and his gang, consisting of fellow anime icons Daisuke Jigen (Kiyoshi Kobayashi) and Goemon Ishikawa XIII (Makio Inoue), as they travel the world stealing artifacts while being pursued by Zenigata (Gorô Naya) after someone who looks exactly like Lupin is hanged for his crimes. As it turns out the reason for the newest crimes is due to a deal that Lupin worked out with Fujiko, who is secretly working for an unknown organization led by a mysterious man named Mamo, who it seems has unlimited resources. Fujiko Mine (Eiko Masuyama) is the beautiful and treacherous femme fatale of the franchise and true to form; she lies and tricks Lupin into helping her out. Lupin, as usual, willingly lets her. After Fujiko gets into trouble with Mamo, Lupin tries to save her and figure out the mystery behind the dead man who was identified as Lupin III.

The first half of this film is fantastic. It’s Lupin at its finest: he and his crew steal and outwit the police, travel to various locations, and banter non-stop while getting involved in outrageous action scenes. This element of fun is part of what makes the franchise so great. It never takes itself too seriously and is incredibly funny and action packed. The plot thickens as the film goes on and, as strange as it may sound, this is what actually hurts the overall experience. As more and more is revealed of the villain who is hunting down the protagonists, it becomes more and more unbelievable. By the end, it feels as if you’re watching a different film altogether. The villain is a man named Mamo (Kô Nishimura) and, without spoiling anything, he dominates the film with a story that becomes ridiculously high-concept, even for a Lupin adventure. Needless to say, the tone alters drastically after the first climax of the film. There are, in fact, two climaxes. The first one serves as a great spot to label the exact point of which the film begins to change what it’s about. The fun of the first half begins to rapidly disappear and slowly the film turns into a bizarre science fiction. The second act is like a completely different movie. It’s a shame considering how promising the first half is.

Aside from this one major flaw, the film is by no means terrible. The animation is colorful, fluid, and clear, holding up surprisingly well today. The action scenes are well thought out and exciting, and the voice acting is terrific. The cast from the television series reprises their roles and some of the writing is very funny. The characters are well constructed and the interactions between Jigen, Lupin and Goemon are among the highlights of the film. Lupin is an arrogant and free-spirited lecher, while Jigen is more calm, cool and collected. Goemon is straight out of another time dressed as a samurai and acting like one (complete with his own musical accompaniment). Everything he does is a fine line between a parody and tribute of the jidai-geki genre and its stoic heroes. The format of the series is episodic and without any real origin story, so this film is basically an extended episode. I would say that you could watch this film having not seen any of the television series, but certain references will go unappreciated. Overall this film is a mixed bag, it starts out strong but the plot becomes too complicated and too over-the-top for its own good, losing sight of not only the strong suits of the film, but the general appeal of the Lupin franchise.

The Secret Garden (1993)

Every so often there can be a story that, though told from the point of view of a child, is meant to be seen and heard by far more than simply those matching the age of the protagonist. A film like The Secret Garden is rare, but not simply because using child actors can be a bit of a gamble. A film like this is rare because it seems to be a film meant for children, yet it is significantly more than that. Based on the book by Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden follows a young Mary Lennox living with her wealthy parents in India. They die in an earthquake and she is sent to live in England with her also wealthy Uncle. Like her life in India, she is mostly ignored and told to entertain herself. It is through this that she stumbles upon a hidden garden and various other mysteries about her new home, including a sickly and even more spoiled cousin.

The first thing to notice about this film is the tone. Coupled with the beautiful and haunting music (by Zbigniew Preisner), the film establishes a sense of darkness and mystery in the mansion, while the garden itself is filmed like a portal into a paradise that belongs in a fantasy. With its strong use of color and sweeping landscape shots, the world outside the mansion become one of wonder, beauty and freedom. Yet all this is downplayed in order to keep it within the realm of realism. It never feels like too much or like the scene is meant to manipulate your emotions. Everything comes very naturally and feels quite genuine. As mentioned before, child actors are risky. Luckily they are all very good in this film, particularly Kate Maberly as Mary. She plays her character as an angry and spoiled child, but it is easy to see where her issues come from. Right from the beginning of the film it becomes clear that she is a neglected child who has little interaction with her own parents, let alone other children. She quickly befriends Dickon (Andrew Knott), the younger brother of one of the maids who also spends most of his time isolated, with the exception of the local wildlife. Together they form a friendship that hints at something more while they care and raise the garden back to life. The experience changes her, and everyone around her, and it becomes apparent through her performance. The other young actor is Hayden Prowse who plays Colin, Mary’s invalid cousin who is literally not allowed outside his room or the house. He’s also spoiled rotten, but not to the point where it becomes annoying or over-the-top. The characters are all well written and incredibly well acted, showing the changes that occur as the story unfolds. There are also some strong supporting performances from Maggie Smith, who plays the head maid Mrs. Medlock and John Lynch who plays the grief-stricken uncle and lord of the Mansion.

The film was directed by Agnieszka Holland, and it is obvious the care and dedication that she had in filming the story. The shots of the endless fields outside the mansion and the closed-in and claustrophobic halls of the mansion are in terrific contrast, while the garden itself is a visual spectacle and a vivid display of color and atmosphere. It is an emotional film about love, heartache, lonliness and a child-like sense of wonder. The Secret Garden is nothing short of a masterpiece that transcends the genre of children’s film.