Grave Of The Fireflies [DVD] [1988]

The characters are just as grounded in reality as the setting. There is no idealised hero here. Seita is a boy struggling with responsibilities no child should face, he strives to look after his sister as best he can in a situation beyond his means to control. This film is all the more powerful because of the real characters. The cold reaction of people to the children's misfortune is uncomfortable to watch, but probably more real than we would care to admit.

Even with such a grim subject matter it still manages to be beautiful and even magical in places. I'd be lying if I said this was my favourite Ghibli film, but very few animated films have emotionally affected me as much as Grave of the Fireflies.

Recommended with a sad heart.

In the year 1945, close to the end of World War II, Japan is being bombarded through air raids. A young boy named Senta and his little sister, Setsuko, have to run to the shelter and in the process they get separated from their mother. When they finally find her again she is seriously injured and does not last long in her attempts at survival. Now the kids only have an aunt to support them and guide them through the turmoil. But the grownup performs this task with little enthusiasm, so the children are basically left to survive by themselves. That is when we get to see the power of love between the siblings, and the contrast with the disinterest of the rest of the people in the village regarding the well-being of the kids.

I am sure that this is one of the great masterpieces of the genre, since it presents a whole array of emotions, running from despair to hope without limits, through its excellent script and crafty graphics. In my case it will probably serve as a benchmark to rate all other future anime dramas in the future. If you have never watched any anime and are trying to decide where to start, I guarantee you that there is no better place than right here!

I knew that this film would move me. I knew it would make me upset. This is a film that needed to be made, and could only have had the impact it has by being animated. There's no way that a live-action film could have given this kind of reflection.

The details and idiosyncracies of the characters are astounding. Little nuances are carried out that would just have been overlooked by other animators (with the exception of the other Ghibli great, San Miyazaki himself, of course).

This is not an anti-American film, the only Americans you see are the planes flying overhead. Perhaps adding to the symbology of the war - in that it is always the innocents who suffer. Those on the ground, in the houses and on the fields. The decision-makers behind the wars are often blind to the real suffering their choices make.

This film pulls no punches in what it shows, and doesn't try to soften anything to make itself more appealing to a younger audience, like so many other films seem to do these days. Scenes of death and devestation abound, yet throughout the film, the two heroines endeavour to find things to laugh about - such little things.

But gradually, in the face of terrible adversity, those little things dwindle, eventually leading to an emotional climax that few films would dare to take, and one that will leave a lasting mark on your heart.

For this is one of "those" films. A film that will stay with you.

I can't recommend this film enough, but don't expect to feel cheerful at the end. It may take a while to find yourself in a suitable mood to watch this kind of film like it did for me, but when you do eventually watch it, make sure you really watch it. Don't just put it on in the background, it deserves better. You need to see it in it's entireity to appreciate what it portrays.