Film: Grave of the Fireflies
Director: Isao Takahata
Country: Japan
Released: April 1988
Runtime: 89 minutes
Genre: Animation
Studio: Studio Ghibli
Influenced: Mamoru Hosoda, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Bong Joon-Ho, Guillermo del Toro, Chloé Zhao
Based on the 1967 semi-autobiographical short story of the same name by Akiyuki Nosaka, Grave of the Fireflies tells the story of two siblings, Seita and Setsuko, who are orphaned during the firebombing of Kobe in 1945 and who struggle to survive in the aftermath of World War II. Director Isao Takahata was particularly struck by the story's unflinching depiction of the horrors of war and its impact on children, including Nosaka's account of the loss of his younger sister due to malnutrition and illness. Takahata wanted to make a film that would remind people of the importance of peace. Unlike many other Studio Ghibli films that incorporate elements of fantasy or magical realism, Grave of the Fireflies is grounded in historical reality and presents a stark portrayal of war's impact on civilians, particularly children.
The film transports us to Kobe in the summer of 1945, to a period when young siblings Seita (aged around 14) and Setsuko (aged about 4) have just lost their mother, killed in an air raid. With no home and without their father who is a soldier fighting on the front line, they are left to fend for themselves, and we see their desperate attempts to survive, including begging for food and sleeping in abandoned buildings. They soon find themselves struggling to find enough food to eat and this leads to malnutrition. Setsuko becomes sick and weak and Seita is forced to make increasingly difficult decisions in order to keep her alive. As resources become scarcer and the war's impact intensifies, the children's situation becomes increasingly dire.
Grave of the Fireflies has become celebrated for its emotionally resonant animation, especially the film's attention to detail and its ability to capture the characters' emotions. Some of the most memorable moments for me on a recent rewatch were the scene where Seita and Setsuko are forced to eat a cicada that they have caught and the scene where Setsuko becomes sick and dies in the bomb shelter, a heartbreaking reminder of the fragility of life. Grave of the Fireflies was one of the first animated films to deal with the subject of war in such a realistic way and its use of watercolour animation was particularly innovative, helping to create a sense of profound beauty and sadness. Seita is left utterly devastated and the film ends with an emotional reflection on their journey.
Grave of the Fireflies won numerous awards, including the Special Jury Prize at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival. The film has also had a lasting impact on Japanese culture and is often used in schools to teach children about the horrors of war. In particular, Takahata's movie has been credited with helping to raise awareness of the plight of children during wartime. Grave of the Fireflies is now considered one of the greatest animated films ever made and it's the sort of movie that will stay with you long after you have seen it. It still beggars belief that one year alone (1988) would produce three of the greatest Japanese anime films of all time – My Neighbour Totoro, Grave of the Fireflies and Akira (Katsuhiro Otomo).
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