Steven Spielberg Called This Early Miyazaki Film One of the Greatest Action Films of All-Time (2024)

On the surface, Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro doesn't seem particularly unique or innovative--until you realize that the film is almost 45 years old. A full two years before Raiders of the Lost Ark and decades before anime as a medium would be taken seriously by anyone in the film industry or was commonplace in American culture, The Castle of Cagliostro introduced plenty of tropes and inventive action set-pieces to North American audiences, even if they didn't quite understand the breadth of its innovation. Having been screened in the early '80s at various science fiction and film festivals and conventions, The Castle of Cagliostro was generally dismissed as a little more than a cartoon, as it was usually the only animated film being shown at these events. Hayao Miyazaki had not yet become a household name that transcended the medium as this was his first feature film and Studio Ghibli wouldn't be founded for another six years.

Despite the lack of exposure, The Castle of Cagliostro would go on to influence an entire generation of genre filmmakers, most notably Steven Spielberg, John Lasseter, and countless individuals who have gone on to work in animation at Disney. As odd a comparison as it may seem, The Castle of Cagliostro is basically The Velvet Underground of anime movies, of whom it's been said that though their first album only sold 10,000 copies, everyone who bought it formed a band. In the same way, it seems that everyone who saw The Castle of Cagliostro went into the animation or film industry, carrying the DNA of the film with them and putting it back into their work.

Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro

Anime

Action

Comedy

A dashing thief, his gang of desperadoes and an intrepid cop struggle to free a princess from an evil count, and learn the secret of a treasure that she holds part of the key to.

Release Date

December 15, 1979

Director

Hayao Miyazaki

Runtime

100 minutes

What Is 'The Castle of Cagliostro' About?

Based on the Lupin III manga written and drawn by Kazuhiko Katō aka Monkey Punch, The Castle of Cagliostro follows Lupin III, a master thief, and his sidekick/colleague Daisuke Jigen, who, upon realizing that their latest heist is made up of very convincing counterfeit bills, decide to track down the source of the bills. On their way, they come across a car chase involving a young woman being pursued by armed men. The young woman, Clarisse, captivates Lupin, and he is compelled to try and save her. Though they fail in rescuing her, Clarisse leaves Lupin with a signet ring, and their mission pivots to finding and rescuing her. It just so happens that the source of the counterfeits is where Clarisse is being held captive in her own castle and soon to be married to Count Cagliostro who is marrying her for her wealth and access to the unnamed treasure of Cagliostro.

The plot is cut from a pretty standard adventure story cloth. Morally gray protagonist? Check. Macguffin? Check. Secret though vague treasure? Check. A damsel in distress with little to no character development? Check. The movie is classic and giddy in its execution without a hint of cynicism or edginess, something that has allowed it age gracefully. It also contains a lot of the stylistic and visual trademarks that would later pop up in future Miyazaki films such as his love of gorgeous and fully-realized environments with bright blue skies and lush green fields. The film is expectedly beautiful to look at with shots that could only have been achieved with the meticulous artistry that Studio Ghibli has become known for. The most aged aspect of the movie is its character designs which lack the contemporary look of most anime. This is by no means a negative as it makes The Castle of Cagliostro feel distinct among any number of anime films or series of the past thirty years. The Castle of Cagliostro is a classic example of adventure storytelling that could hypothetically exist as an Adventures of Tintin adaptation without skipping a beat.

The Influence and Impact of 'The Castle of Cagliostro'

As previously mentioned, The Castle of Cagliostro had an immense impact on an entire generation of filmmakers and animators. Spielberg has been quoted calling it "one of the greatest adventure movies of all time" and called special attention to the car chase scene as a spectacular piece of action/adventure filmmaking. Several well-revered Disney films have direct nods to The Castle of Cagliostro, specifically The Great Mouse Detective and Atlantis: The Lost Empire. The Great Mouse Detective contains a fight scene in a clock tower not so dissimilar to the one The Castle of Cagliostro, so much so Disney was threatened with plagiarism lawsuits though nothing ever came of them. Other visual references to The Castle of Cagliostro can be found in Batman: The Animated Series as well as in Mask of the Phantasm. In the episode "The Clock King" of Batman: The Animated Series, there is another similar clock tower fight, and Mask of the Phantasm recreates shot-for-shot the scene where Lupin is sent down the aqueduct.

In Atlantis: The Lost Empire, the homage to The Castle of Cagliostro is more than just a single reference, but is instead at least partially conceptually based on the film. The director of Atlantis: The Lost Empirehas acknowledged his love for and the influence of The Castle of Cagliostro especially in the final scene when the city of Atlantis is revealed. The Castle of Cagliostro's influence even extends to The Simpsons Movie, whose director drew specific inspiration from the roof scene in Cagliostro for one of the sequences in the film.

The Castle of Cagliostro Let to the Studio Ghibli We Know and Love Today

The film's lighthearted tone which would go on to be a staple in most of Miyazaki's work was first tried and developed in this film. The original series which preceded the film had a much more serious tone aimed at adults. The movie proves that Miyazaki had a strong eye for detail and a distinct vision from the beginning. As previously mentioned, his love of detailed and vibrant environments is something that has been a throughline in all of his films to this day. Arguably Miyazaki's greatest strength is his world-building, which has gone on to be refined to near perfection. His sense of wonder of adventure came fully formed in The Castle of Cagliostro, introducing Miyazaki as a preeminent talent. Independent of being the first film by a great and influential filmmaker, The Castle of Cagliostro is just a marvelously fun movie that holds up almost half a century later. It's beautifully realized and tells a timeless adventure tale with action ahead of its time and gorgeous visuals that only Hayao Miyazaki and his team could produce.

Lupin the Third: The Cabinet of Cagliostro is available to rent on Prime Video in the U.S.

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