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| Hotaru no haka - Isao Takahata's masterpiece |
It is post-war Japan, just weeks before American troops arrive for occupation. In the city of Kobe, a boy lies dying in a train station. By his body lies a small metal candy container. A janitor, not sure what to make of its ashy contents, pitches it into the night. As fireflies float softly around it, the ghostly figures of the boy and his little sister emerge.
Grave of the Fireflies is a powerful film focused on two young children, Seita, and his younger sister Setsuko.
Living in Japan during World War 2, the children are orphaned by the war, and Seita, a boy of 14, takes it upon himself to look after his 4-year-old sister to the best of his ability.
They travel to a small village where their aunt lives, and take up residence there. But their aunt is unforgiving of their situation, and the children make a decision to try and make it on their own while making their home in an abandoned tunnel.
The plot follows this boy and his sister as they do their best to survive in the Japanese countryside, battling hunger, prejudice, and pride in their own quiet, personal battle.
The movie is one of the most powerful and damning films about war.
Grave of the Fireflies is a film that transcends time, and will be a classic.
The movie is based on a semi-autobiographical novel by Akiyuki Nosaka, whose own sister died from malnutrition during the Second World War. When the film debuted in Japanese theatres, it was shown as a double feature with My Neighbour Totoro.
Isao Takahata's movie is a testimony of the human spirit that shines ever brighter in the face of adversity. |
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Last Updated 05.30.2006 |
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