Grave of the Fireflies (Hotaru no haka)

Release Year: 1988

Director: Isao Takahata

Review: You don't expect an animated film to be so poignant, but 'Grave of the Fireflies' rises well above its medium and strikes an emotional cord.  The film takes place towards the end of World War II in a virtually defeated and helpless Japan.  Seita and his young sister Setsuko are orphaned after an air raid kills their mother.  The film is about their struggle to survive in a world where no is going to take pity on them because of the hardships caused by the war.

In a way it is a very strong anti-war film.  Not in a way that is political, but on a human level.  The focus is never on the war itself, but on the personal struggles of the individual trying to survive.  The reasons for being at war are never brought up and the war is never criticized directly.  The effects are what are shown.  A couple of children, completely innocent in every aspect, are forced to witness the brutal death of their mother and be cast into despair.  This is what is powerful.  Their bond and hopeful outlook despite their situation is touching, and yet their utter pathetic existence caused by the pitiless violence of war is disturbing.  It is sickening to witness the senseless bombings of cities full of civilians. In this respect it is very much an anti-war film.  I can't imagine a person watching this film coming away with good feelings toward war.

One of the striking things about the film is the way in which it deals with the effects of war on people's personalities.  Japan was completely beat by the end of the war in every sense of the word.  They were so used to living in war conditions that it began to effect who they were.  When Seita's mother get killed in the air raid, very few people went out of their way to help the two children.  When they went to live with their aunt, even she seemed indifferent to the children's plight.  It was simply an accepted outcome of the war.  People die, and while it's sad, there isn't much anyone can do about it.  No one reached out to these kids and tried to comfort them.  It was up to Seita to take that role and be much older than he was in order to protect his sister.

The constant threat of bombings and the increasing poverty make people desperate.  The children's aunt, a blood relative, takes them into her house, but as the war continues and they can't bring any money to her she becomes cold and mean towards them.  Compassionless she berates their laziness and refuses to cook them anything other than gruel.  This is another byproduct of the devastation of war.  It stresses people to the point where they become bitter and cold hearted towards one another.  This is what the children faced all around them.  When they left to live on their own, no one was going to help them.  No farmer was going to give them food.  Even the doctor was no help to them when Setsuko gets sick.  Even though she had a life threatening illness, he simply sent them on their way.  It all goes to show the state of desperation that the children faced.  They were all alone to fight for their survival.

The movie isn't all doom and gloom however.  It paints a truly touching portrait of two siblings with an incredible bond trying to make the most of their situation.  The little moments of Setsuko playing, or Seita lovingly caring for his sister are what make this film.  Everything feels genuine and you get swept up in their relationship.  The tender bond between the two is also what is ultimately so heartbreaking.  You see these two kids go from being jovial and optimistic to slowly getting beat down and desperate.  It's a grueling transformation that leaves you shaking.

There is no doubt that this is a genre defying masterpiece.  The fact that it is animated holds nothing back from its emotional ferocity.  The fate of the siblings sucks you in and invests you and ultimately devastates you.  Although the outcome is known from the first scene, you can't help but get blindsided by the end result and are left staggering from the overwhelming emotional impact of a brilliantly told story.

Rating: 4/5