Movie Review: Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Grave of the Fireflies (Hotaru no haka), directed by Isao Takahata, is adapted from the semi-autobiography of the same name. Roger Ebert once said that “it belongs on any list of the greatest war films ever made” and the movie is ranked #179 on the IMDb Top 250 with a score of 8.2/10. I recently re-watched this animation since I hadn’t seen it in ages and I am still flabbergasted at how Japanese animation are so much more mature and multi-layered than their American counterparts. Simply put, while we try to treat our children as innocent beings that should be sheltered as much as possible from the brutal reality of the adult world, the Japanese realize that children have a deeper understanding of the world that we give them credit for.
The film takes place in Japan near the end of World War II as American bombers are constantly bombing Japanese cities. The story revolves around teenager Seita and his little sister Setsuko who are forced to fend for themselves after their mother is mortally wounded in the firebombing raid of Kobe while their father is serving in the Imperial Navy. From the first instant, we know that the two children are dead. We see their spirits reunite outside the train station where Seita just passed away. The story is narrated as a flashback from Seita’s point of view after his death and this gives the movie a tragic and depressing atmosphere as we know all too well the final outcome of the movie.
The title Grave of the Fireflies is symbolic of the ephemeral lives of the two children who shone brightly and died young and it is an incredibly powerful anti-war movie that depicts the suffering caused by war on the most innocent of all people, children. It also shows the Japanese civilian side of the war which is quite uncommon for us, Westerners, who have been flooded with one-sided American war movies. The fact that we know the ending doesn’t take anything away from the movie. Let’s face it, we are all going to die some day. Does that really takes anything away from the journey? One of the great thing about this movie is how quiet it is. Takahata doesn’t try to move the audience with cheap devices or hit the viewer with political anti-war message.
Using stunning hand-painted pastel backgrounds, Fireflies is astounding in its humanity and depiction of everyday life in Japan during WWII. I really can’t think of any way this story could have been told better with live actors and drama. The spirit of this movie truly resides on how it was drawn and animated. Seita and Setsuko are orphans but people are only concerned with their own survival and are indifferent to their plight. Intermittent moments of simple childhood joy are mixed in with the reality of wartime penury and grief: Food is scarce and rationed, family and relatives are dead or unaccounted for, the country has completely collapsed, and mere survival is difficult.
My only criticism of the movie is that Seita is too proud to go back to his aunt and apologize. I realize this is meant to symbolize the excessive pride by the Japanese people that lead to their doom. However, I could not help but be frustrated by his lack of urgency and his refusal to seek appropriate help.
Don’t let the fact that this is an animation prevent you from seeing Grave of the Fireflies, it is a haunting, sorrowful and poetic war movie that will remain with you for a very long time. Most should keep some kleenex handy.
A-
Notes: 89 minutes. Watchable but not recommended for kids. Seen in Japanese original version with English subtitles.
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12 Comments
nice write-up(as always)! I’m surprised I never even heard of this film till now. Sounds really interesting and I’ll definitely add it to my Netflix queue.
Definitely see it Bear and watch in Japanese with English subtitles, not dubbed. Let me know what you think!
This movie IS tragic. The score is lovely as well and Ebert’s right, it’s an amazing war film that perhaps captured the Japanese state of mind better than that recent Eastwood flick.
I was told by many people how good grave of the fireflies was and how sad it is. it’s a very good movie and shows the reality of living during WWII.
I missed this one. Is it hard to find? Cuz I don’t do Netflix… though I could buy on Amazon if needed.
I saw “Grave of the Fireflies” last year and loved it. I agree with everything you wrote in your review.
I’m an avid fan of anime and the Japanese culture in general, and from what I’ve seen the main difference between them and the West is that Westerners think animation is only and only for kids. Anything animated can’t be taken seriously, because it is… well… animated. And that can’t be further from the truth. Some of the best stories I’ve ever seen have been those in animes.
Apart from the mainstream crap that gains worldwide fame like ‘Naruto’, ‘Bleach’, etc., a vast majority of animes are NOT even meant for kids. Just now, I’m re-watching a beautiful anime called ‘The Rose of Versailles’ made back in 1978 that talks about the events leading up to the French Revolution. It deals with death, love, poverty, corruption, the political schemes, conspiracies and involves things like child suicide, among others. It is a masterpiece of storytelling and yet, how many of you have heard of it? Not too many, I presume. What’s even sadder, the majority of Western adult viewers would simply dismiss it as “childish” and not spare it a glance because it’s “only a cartoon”. Then there’s the more modern ‘Gungrave’ which could easily compete in story quality with the ‘Godfather’. And many, many others.
The point of my rant: it’s a shame too many great animated works are overlooked because of people’s ignorance and misconception about animated films.
@ Kai: Not sure Kai, I don’t think it would be too hard to find, being a IMDb top 250 movie.
@ Shaft: Great point that the Japanese make animations for children and adults alike. This is also true of their graphic novels industry (Mangas) which is much more mature than in the US or Europe. Never heard of The Rose of Versailles but I’ll try to get my hands on it! It’s definitely a whole new field to discover for us, Westerners.
Lovely review. This movie is so beautiful and tragic at the same time, just thinking about it makes me a little teary! It is nice to have a movie about children that isn’t dumbed-down or sugar-coated, and it seems unlikely a movie like this would be made for American audiences (at least not by any major studio).
I included this on my Top Ten War Films list. It is one of the most subtly profound movies I have ever seen. And as you pointed it out, it is so incredibly quiet. The whole idea of seeing war through the childrens eyes was utter torture. By the end my stomach was so knotted I seriously thought I was going to be sick. An incredible film.
@ Alex: Thank you Alex! Just seeing the beginning of the movie made me so sad. I love that Setsuko behaves like a real 4-yr old. Not that mature beyond her age crap we find in Hollywood.
@ Heather: Yes, seeing the protracted deaths of two children is definitely gut wrenching
What makes this even more haunting is that it’s original source material was written as an apology by someone who went through similar circumstance (hence the main character’s overbearing, and extremely annoying, pride). I love anime, have dedicated an entire day of the week to it on my blog, and this is definitely one of the greatest ever made
… and gah what a tearjerker. I swear I never cried so hard in my life!
Really want to see this, heard it’s good and I love these kind of films, Myazaki’s stuff especially, so I think this will be right up my street.
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